Prices paid by customers who exercise their option to change to a different retail electricity provider and the prices offered following 2007 will be established by market conditions and the negotiation skills of energy consumers. While S.B. 7 provides a very detailed blueprint for introducing competition into the Texas electric utility industry at the retail level, successful implementation will require numerous rule-making proceedings at the PUC and actions by the market participants. Yet the challenges ahead will prove less formidable due to the successes of Senator Sibley and Representative Wolens in garnering support for their restructuring plan among a very diverse crowd of stakeholders and achieving near-unanimous passage in both houses of the legislature. Renewable energy includes solar power, wind power, hydropower, and a number of other technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels to generate electricity. The two primary architects of the restructuring legislation, Senator David Sibley and Representative Steven D. Wolens, were interviewed for this article and their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.
Any errors are the sole responsibility of the author.