Reinventing Electric Utilities: Competition, Citizen Action, and Clean Power [Paperback]

Edward Smeloff (Author), Peter Asmus (Author), Amory Lovins (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1559634553 | ISBN-13: 978-1559634557 | Publication Date: December 1, 1996 | Edition: 1

Traditionally protected as monopolies, electric utilities are now being caught in the fervor for deregulation that is sweeping the country. Nearly forty states have enacted or are considering laws and regulations that will profoundly alter the way the electric utility industry is governed. Concerned citizens are beginning to ponder the environmental implications of such a change, and while many fear that the pressure of competition will exacerbate environmental problems, others argue that deregulation provides a tremendous opportunity for citizens to work toward promoting cleaner energy and a more sustainable way of life.In "Reinventing Electric Utilities," Ed Smeloff and Peter Asmus consider the challenges for citizens and the utility industry in this new era of competition. Through an in-depth case study of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), a once-troubled utility that is now widely regarded as a model for energy efficiency and renewable energy development, they explore the changes that have occurred in the utility industry, and the implications of those changes for the future. The SMUD portrait is complemented by regional case studies of Portland General Electric and the Washington Public Power Supply System, the New England Electric Service, Northern States Power, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, and others that highlight the efforts of citizen groups and utilities to eliminate unproductive and environmentally damaging sources of power and to promote the use of new, cleaner energy technologies.The authors present and explain some of the fundamental principles that govern restructuring, while acknowledging that solutions will depend upon the uniqueresource needs, culture, and utility structure of each particular region. Smeloff and Asmus argue that any politically sustainable restructuring of the electric services industry must address the industry's high capital cost commitments and environmental burdens.Throughout, they make the case that with creative leadership, open and competitive markets, and the active participation of citizens, this upheaval offers a unique opportunity for electric utilities to lessen the burden of electricity production on the environment and reduce the cost of electric services through the use of more competitive, cleaner power sources.While neither technological innovation nor the magic of the market will in and of itself reinvent the electric utility industry, the influence of those dynamic forces must be understood. "Reinventing Electric Utilities" is an important work for policymakers, energy professionals, and anyone concerned about the future of the electric services industry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Island Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559634553
• ISBN-13: 978-1559634557
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,762,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars captures the evolution of the electric utilility industry, February 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Reinventing Electric Utilities: Competition, Citizen Action, and Clean Power (Paperback)

Reinventing Electric Utilities provides an excellent summation of the evolution of the electric utility industry and an easy to understand overview of energy deregulation. The authors explain the legal and technical aspects of deregulation in a format both understandable to the novice and with technical savvy fitting any professional. This book helps anyone understand the effects of deregulation on the future of energy and how all of us can promote clean power generation and transportation.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars anti-nuclear king pin, March 4, 2004

By 

S. E. Farkas "sefarkas" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reinventing Electric Utilities: Competition, Citizen Action, and Clean Power (Paperback)

Smeloff is an avowed leftist from the SMUD board of directors. His main claim to fame is closing the commercial nuclear reactor pictured on his book cover. What nerve. After that he shepards in Freeman to run SMUD -- what a disaster. Ask ex-Governor Davis. California suffers from a lack of generation and Smeloff helped remove over 800MWe from the California grid in 1989. I would not spend five cents on this book.