In comparatively tiny Washington, with few large industrial users and a pro-regulation tradition, electricity deregulation has not been a major issue, although both the Public Service Commission and the D.C. Council have it on their agendas. States with comparatively low rates have seen no need to change, said Charlie Higley, research director at Public Citizen, a Ralph Nader-founded group that has been leery of deregulation because of the small benefits it sees going to residential customers. In both Virginia and Maryland, deregulation was accompanied by years of hearings, round-table discussions and studies, studies, studies. That's because this is the kind of political action that just about everyone can be in favor of if it is done their way. For instance, unions have opposed deregulation, unless it comes with job security.
Consumer advocates push for added protection for the poor.
All this detail work matters because deregulation still leaves a lot of regulation in place. Breaking them up a la Teddy Roosevelt and the trustbusters of the Progressive Era wouldn't do any good, the theory goes, so governments chose to regulate them instead. Then the mechanics come in. In a way that's similar but not quite the same, the gas that runs your stove can and does come from just about anywhere. So for both electricity and gas, deregulation involves the producers, not the distributors.