The new power market will reward those who are willing to share the generator's operating and market risks. In the future the functional structure of powerplants is likely to consist of a loose confederation of suppliers, each responsible for maintaining the unit's economic viability within its area of competence. This structure is diagrammed in Chart 4. The fuel supplier must guarantee that the plant will be able to generate power at a competitive price. The marketer provides assurances that the plant's output will be sold at an economical price.
Few companies have the in-house expertise to fulfill the needs of all customers.
Alliances between fuel suppliers and traditional marketers have a variety of synergies that could lead to a powerful force in the market. Cogeneration might prove a useful model here. In cogeneration projects the fuel supplier had the task of ensuring the project could beat the price of utility power. Since the fuel supplier took the greatest risk, it received the bulk of the rewards. Likewise, a fuel supplier who offers pricing allowing an allied marketer to undercut the competition should be handsomely rewarded.