Lessons Learned

カリフォーニアに学ぶ教訓

概略

電力小売りのトップバッターとしてスタートしたカリフォーニアでは、１９９８年３月３１日開始と、３ヶ月遅れの実施となった。
遅れた理由は、送配電システムの確立など事務的な遅れのため。
２ヶ月間に６万件の一般需要家の配電会社選択（全戸数の１％）があり、その他産業用分野では４万件の配電会社選択（全件数の３％）があった。

出だしは、ゆっくりしているが、配電会社間の広報活動に需要家が混乱をきたした点が大きい。今後は、教育的広報活動に州予算を盛り込む。

競争原理の導入によって、顧客別の価格設定が可能となったことや、同じ会社の別部門のサービス料金と一緒の請求が可能となったり、電気を日当たりでどのくらい使うかを顧客に知らせるサービスとか、メニューが多様化してきている。

market-clearing priceの意味を調査中。　コメントを控えます。

Automated Power　Exchange (APX)社はＰＸ社同様、独立システムオペレーター（ＩＳＯ）に認定さる。
ＡＰＸは週内害の発電、配電会社間の自動取引サービスを行うことになる。

自由化後には、投資会社(IOUs)運営による電力会社は名前を電力小売りを他部門と明確に切り離して行わなければならない、特にカリフォーニア公益事業委員会(CPUC)からのルールとして、広告宣伝関係は、明確に切り離しを行わなければならない。

公益事業員会要請の配電会社ルール

・技術的、資金的裏付け
・２５０００ドル以上の社債・標準的請求書フォーム整　備
・販売業者に対するルール　違反制裁
・販売業者に対する苦情に　対する調査、広報システ　ムの確立

　そのほかに、CPUCは配電会社選択の自由を保障している。

現在時点で、２０ｋＷ未満の需要家は料金が１０％安くなっている効果が出ているが、大きくはない。配電会社も送電会社料金ＣＴＣ（托送料）のコストが重しになっている。

現状IOUと契約している需要家で契約を解除してほかに移る場合、すでに競争価格より安くなっている場合が多く、色々の制度があるものの安くなる決まり手とはなっていない。
しかしながら、４年後にはこうした問題は消える。未回収コストの回収が済み、ＣＴＣ（托送料）のコストが問題にならなくなるからである。

自由化開始後３週間がたって、エンロン社（発電会社）は家庭用顧客の開拓をやめた。このため、配電会社が同社を（公約違反で）訴えている。
小売り開始の前には２００社を越える会社が配電関係の会社登録を州に対して行ったが、現状６０社があり、そのうち２０社が積極活動に入っている。

DEREGULATION UPDATE

Lessons Learned in California

Overview

Heralded as a national model for retail choice in the electric utility industry, California became the first state in the nation to fully open its electric market to competition on March 31, 1998. Retail choice was scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 1998. Implementation was postponed three months to allow personnel further training and adjustments on the software that links the new system operating the state’s transmission and distribution networks.

The response among consumers has been tepid during the first 60 days of deregulation. Fewer than 60,000 of the state’s nearly 10 million eligible residential customers, and fewer than 40,000 of the state’s 900,000 non-residential customers, have switched from their incumbent suppliers - that’s less that 1 percent of residential customers and 3 percent of commercial and industrial customers.

This lack of response has been attributed in part to the delay in implementation, which made customers feel uneasy about the new market. According to a recent survey conducted by The Second Opinion, another contributing factor was conflicting marketing messages communicated by energy service providers. Survey results reveal that their communications left consumers feeling confused and uninformed about the coming competitive electricity environment. To help educate customers about deregulation, the state launched a $73 million information program.

Free Market – Not Just About Price

In the competitive electricity environment, energy suppliers are competing for customers on price and service. Competition also is fostering other products and services, including meters that let customers know how much energy they are using at any time of day, customized pricing and supply options, and even mini-power plants that can meet the electric needs of a broad range of customers. For instance, one company with multiple facilities or chains can now receive one bill instead of several separate invoices. The bills are bundled and sent by the supplier to the company’s headquarters via the Internet, enabling the company to track usage by facility, by hour and day, and pay the bill electronically.

(Los Angeles Times, March 31, 1998)

Power Exchange to Post Prices Daily

After intervention by State Sen. Steve Peace, the California Power Exchange (PX) has reversed its decision to sell one publisher early access to Power Exchange market-clearing prices and volumes each day. The PX is posting prices for its day-ahead auction on the Internet. The decision has been made to provide free access to market-clearing price information early in the business day for everyone interested in following California’s electric market. The PX had agreed to give Dow Jones earlier access for publication in The Wall Street Journal.

(Electric Power Daily, April 15, 1998)

APX Receives Scheduling Certification

The Automated Power Exchange (APX) of California has obtained certification from the independent system operator (ISO) to become one of two scheduling coordinators in California. In addition to the PX, the APX develops, operates and maintains energy exchanges that provide forward markets for the purchase and sale of electricity. APX provides automated scheduling services to electric service providers, generators, in-state and out-of-state utilities, and energy marketers that do business in California. Companies that sell power or produce electricity in California are required to arrange for delivery using a certified scheduling coordinator.

(Competitive Energy, April 13, 1998)

The Name Game for Affiliates

In the deregulated environment, investor-owned utilities (IOUs) will be required to carry out retail sales under the auspices of a separate entity. Rules established by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) require unregulated affiliates of the state’s IOUs to maintain strict separation between various entities in competitive activities such as advertising and marketing.

(Associated Press, April 10, 1998)

Rules to Reign in Marketers

Just before California implemented retail choice, the CPUC issued broad regulations intended to prevent fraud and market abuses. The rules required electricity service providers to:

Prove they have the technical, operational and financial ability to provide electricity;
Post a bond of at least $25,000;
Propose a standard billing format;
Establish fines for marketers who contact customers against their will; and
Set up a system for tracking, investigating and publicizing complaints against electricity marketers.

Finally, the regulations protect customers against "slamming" by stating that a customer cannot be switched to a new electricity provider without written permission that has been verified by an independent third party.

(Los Angeles Times, March 31, 1998)

How Significant Are the Savings?

To date, savings in California have been minimal at best. Customers with a peak demand of less that 20 kilowatts are receiving a 10 percent rate reduction. The market is structured so that local distribution companies and energy service providers have to buy power from the PX. They are finding it difficult to beat the PX’s rate because the competitive transition charge (CTC) is offsetting any price savings.

Customers who are leaving their incumbent IOU are most often signing "guaranteed savings" contracts. This guarantees the amount customers pay will be less than their current bill or less than the market price.

A less popular pricing option is the "unguaranteed shared savings," in which providers will pass on savings to customers as they occur, but will not make any guarantees. Finally, the fixed rate option only guarantees a specific rate for electricity generation. It doesn’t guarantee bottom-line savings.

The typical length of such a contract is one to four years. After four years, utilities’ stranded costs will be recovered and the CTC will no longer be an issue.

Scaling Back Power Sales

Three weeks after direct access started in California, Enron Corp. has stopped its efforts to secure new residential customers.

Many other energy service providers are following suit. Before the implementation of retail choice, more than 200 companies had registered to provide energy and energy related services in California. Currently, there are fewer than 60 energy service providers in California, and less than 20 of those are actively marketing their services.

(The Wall Street Journal, April 22, 1998)