Powerful wholesaler

This surprising equality arises because an efficient appliance saves expensive electricity at the meter, at an average retail price of 8 cents/kWli whereas one kWh of new wholesale supply is worth only 2-3 cents at the power plant. Thus, even if electricity from some future new remote power plant is too cheap to meter, it still must be transmitted, distributed, and managed for 5—6 centsAWh. It is impossible to disentangle the contribution of standards and of accelerated improvement in technology, but clearly the combination has served society well. 

The advent of competition has virtually transformed the industry in evei y aspect, including its name. In the not too recent past, the industry was referred to as the electric utility industry. Today, given its significantly wide and numerous participants, it is more appropriate to refer to the industry as the electric power industry. This new power industry has new power generation and sales participants with names such as qualifying facilities, exempt wholesale generators, merchant facilities, small power production facilities, power marketers, and sales aggregators. 

The electricity mdustiy is m the midst of a transition from a vertically integrated and regulated monopoly to an entity in a competitive market where retail customers choose the suppliers of their electricity. The change started in 1978, when the Public Utility Regulatoiy Act (PURPA) made it possible for nonutility power generators to enter the wholesale market. 

Federal Power Act Regulates licensing of non-federal hydroelectric projects, as well as the interstate transmission of electrical energy and rates for its sale at wholesale in interstate commerce. It was enacted in 1920 and amended in 1935. 

Independent Power Producer A corporation, person, agency, authority or other legal entity or instrumentality that owns electric generating capacity and is a wholesale electric producer without a designated franchised service area. 

Hydroelectric Power Generation Distribution Thermal Power Generation Testing, Consulting Research Services Wholesale Electricity... 

---