Electricity Deregulation in the U.S.

Several states had restructured/deregulated their electricity. As of February 2003, states with active deregulated electrical industries include Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Oregon, Texas, Arizona, Washington D.C., Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, Virginia, New Hampshire and Ohio. Electricity has been deregulated in these states to increase competition and lower electrical prices.

As of March 31, 1998, California was one of the first states to deregulate their electrical industry. For about a year and a half, deregulation worked fairly well in California, but their success did not last. Around June of 2000, prices of wholesale electricity in California began to rise to all time highs. Because of these problems and others that ensued because of it, the state is not currently deregulated. Other states have had some problems with deregulation, but some states like Texas are truly succeeding with their new restructured electrical industry.