(return
to utility terms index)
Competitive market - An open
market in which various suppliers may sell electricity competitively.
Customer choice - The
opportunity for consumers to choose among electricity suppliers as a
result of deregulation.
Deregulation - A process of
reducing or removing regulations to increase competition among
electric utilities and to give consumers choice among electricity
suppliers.
Direct access - A market in
which retail customers may purchase commodity electricity directly
from the wholesale market rather than through a local distribution
utility.
Open access - A key component
of the deregulation process that allows customers to purchase
electricity separately from the utility's delivery services. Open
access laws and rules are the first major step to a competitive
market.
Retail access - A market in
which electricity and other energy services are sold directly to the
end-use customer.
Retail wheeling - Also known
as retail customer choice; requires a utility company to transport
electricity from a generating plant that it does not own directly to
its retail customers. Retail wheeling gives retail customers the
ability to purchase electricity from sources they choose.
Unbundling - Breaking down
electric utility service into its component parts (i.e., generation,
transmission, and distribution services) so that each part can bill or
be sold separately.
(return
to utility terms index)
