Consolidated Edison Inc., in New York, agreed to acquire Northeast Utilities to expand its customer base. It suddenly becomes the largest electric utility in America. The week before that, Unicom Corp. of Chicago agreed to by Peco Energy Co. of Philadelphia. Power companies now offer a greater opportunity to do well, too, through stock-price appreciation. She and others believe, hope, pray, that this is beginning to turn around.
Studies show institutions returning to the field.
The same companies that distributed the electricity also generated it. So companies are reconstituting themselves in at least three ways. Ready and willing to buy those power plants are companies that are moving away from distribution or were never in it and are expanding generating capacity to compete in the deregulated environment. Finally, some companies seem to want the best of both worlds. They retain monopolies of generation and distribution in states that are not deregulating, at the same time that they're cashing in on the restructuring within the states that are.