The margins between producer costs and price subject to market forces, not regulatory determination. The member suggested that the PSCW may need to take on a function to provide complete price information of competitive suppliers. Another member commented that restructuring initiatives should be careful to transfer accountability standards for currently regulated industries to competitive suppliers, although new concerns and problems will arise, as exemplified by telecommunications experiences. A member raised a related consumer protection issue, based on experience in California with electric deregulation, of the potential for increasing prices, rather than decreasing prices. Bloch responded that the Working Group's objective is not to make recommendations as to relative benefit or harm of competition, but rather to make recommendations to the PSCW on how to protect consumers if competition is introduced.
Energy costs have bigger potential impacts on such households.
If milestones are not met, there would be mechanisms to slow, stop or modify deregulation. This group could advise the PSCW as to what would constitutes effective competition from a customer standpoint-i.e., what are the basic conditions necessary to assure effective competition for consumers. The Group discussed the best order for discussing issues. Yardley proposed that dispute resolution, ensuring effective competition, consumer education and information, and accountability standards are all issues that could be best discussed later in working group process. Yardley suggested we deal with bigger, broad issues first.