Competition reshaping the market

The electric utilities industry is embarking on a period of profound restructuring and change. Under pressure from consumers seeking access to cheaper electricity and from producers looking to break into new markets, the monopolistic, vertically-integrated structure that has characterized the electric power industry since the early 20th century will probably disintegrate. By the mid-21st century, industry experts predict that the utilities industry will be just as deregulated as the telecommunications industry in the 1990s.
The nation's electric utility industry is entering a period of massive change and restructuring. Competitive forces are transforming the market as electricity users demand access to cheaper power and suppliers [...]