ABACUS -- ARC's Baseline Assessment of Choice in
Restructured Markets in the United States
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.
ABACUS reviews the competitive market in 28 states and two Canadian provinces.
The methodology reviews 20 components of retail service to score each state.
Among the key components considered were the design of default service, ease of
choice, uniformity of standards, consumer education, competitive safeguards, and
rules governing utilities and their affiliates.
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.”