The Alliance for Retail Choice advocates for continued development of retail energy markets that provide customers the opportunity to choose the products and services most consistent with their needs. The Alliance provides a focused voice for competitive energy retailers and their customers in selected public policy forums on the federal and state level.
What's new...
New study: The benefits of competition-driven
innovation are often overlooked when restructured electricity markets are
evaluated, resulting in an incomplete and distorted picture - March 19, 2008
“Much of the debate about competitive electricity markets centers on the issue
of price without considering or evaluating other characteristics important to
consumers. Few consumers make decisions based solely on price, yet much of the
public debate over electricity restructuring assumes customers care nothing
about the characteristics of the products and services they buy,” said Dr. Karl
A. McDermott, Vice President, National Economic Research Associates (NERA).
“The success of restructuring can be more completely measured when you include
innovation, customer satisfaction, environmental benefits and customer control
over usage in the equation.”
read more...
Alliance for Retail Choice "Greens-up" Annual NARUC
Convention - November 09, 2007
The Alliance for Retail Choice announced today that it will “green up” 100
percent of the electricity use at the National Regulatory Utilities Commission (NARUC)
convention being held at the Anaheim Marriot hotel from November 11-13. ARC will
donate Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from wind generation to match the
hotel’s electricity use during the four-day convention. This purchase will
result in a reduction of more than 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide
emissions, the leading greenhouse gas. read more...
Retail Gas Marketers Deliver Lower Prices to Consumers
- Thursday, July 12, 2007
According to a survey recently released by The Energy Information
Administration, customers buying their natural gas from competitive retail gas
marketers have paid less for their gas than customers buying from local
distribution companies. read more...
The Dawn of Electricity Competition: Efficient Prices
and Efficient Choices - Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Nat Treadway, Managing Partner of Distributed Energy Financial Group, LLC, has
written a short, thoughtful column about the importance of well-designed
electricity markets to promote both energy efficiency and economic efficiency.
Mr. Treadway’s article begins:
“At first glance it seems contradictory that an issue that discouraged energy
efficiency programs in the 1980’s would still be an issue that discourages
economic efficiency. After all, energy efficiency programs were labeled “social
engineering” by some; in contrast today’s retail electricity choice is all about
the “free market.” How could these two activities be more different and yet
affected by a similar problem?"
read more...
Open Letter from Former Chairs and Commissioners - May
31, 2007
"The undersigned former Chairs and Commissioners of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) express our support for continuing federal policies
to promote open and competitive markets for electric power. This is a matter of
our nation’s security and economic welfare..." read more...
Study Release: Competitive Electricity Markets
Continue to Develop - Tuesday, May 29, 2007
ARC’s Baseline Assessment of Choice in the US (ABACUS) is a May 2007 study
showing that many states continue to make progress in adopting competitive
retail electricity markets. New York and Texas were the clear leaders among
states that have given customers the ability to choose their electricity
supplier. Ten other states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois,
Maryland, and Pennsylvania, have been classified as achieving “medium progress.”
read more...
Major Illinois Electricity Customers Urge Continuation
of Competitive Electricity Markets - Friday, April 13, 2007
Citing the tangible benefits of competition, 29 businesses in Illinois have sent
a letter to Governor Rod Blagojevich expressing their strong support for
competitive electricity markets. read more...
The ARC Praises Task Force Final Report on Competitive
Electricity Markets - Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Alliance for Retail Choice today praised the findings of the Electric Energy
Market Competition Task Force final report on competition in United States
electricity markets. Thomas Rawls, director of the Alliance, said “The Task
Force Report clearly underscores the need to use the discipline of markets to
give customers more competitive pricing, provide them with meaningful choices,
and help manage demand and use resources more efficiently.” read more...
Survey Shows Virginians Support Energy Competition -
Thursday, March 15, 2007
A coalition of retail energy providers has released the results of a statewide
survey demonstrating overwhelming support:
* 85% percent of Virginians want to be able to choose an
electric supplier;
* 66% of Virginians favor competition among electricity
providers to keep rates low; only 18% believe residents
should rely on government regulation;
* Nearly 67% believe the cost of building power plants should
be borne by the utility and oppose plans to have
those costs covered by
ratepayers.
read more...
Broad Coalition Asks that Choice be Restored in
California - Friday, December 22, 2006
In early December, electric suppliers, schools, universities, retailers,
restaurants and manufacturers from across the state jointly filed a petition
asking the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to consider restoring
consumer choice of electricity suppliers in the state. read more...
Residential Customers Express Support for Electricity
Choice - Thursday, November 30, 2006
Recent polls show that a substantial majority of residential electricity
customers want the innovation and opportunities provided by competitive
electricity suppliers. In addition, the polls show that customers understand the
value of competition in bringing cost discipline to electricity markets.
read more...
A Review of Electricity Industry Restructuring in New
England - Tuesday, November 07, 2006
A white paper released by the New England Energy Alliance (NEEA) finds that
electricity industry restructuring has saved the region’s consumers billions of
dollars compared to pre-restructuring trends and is better protecting the
environment.
read more ...
Texas Public Utilities Commission Issues News Release,
October 24, 2006
Retail electric providers are offering discounts of more than 25 percent below
the price of traditional providers.
read more...
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