Electricity Retail Wheeling Handbook

Electrical Apparatus, Dec 2000 by Nailen, Richard L

Electricity Retail Wheeling Handbook. Second Edition. By J.M. Studebaker. The Fairmont Press, Inc., 700 Indian Trail, Lilburn, Ga. 30247; (770) 925-9388. $105 (hardbound). 286 pages.

Retail wheeling is the distribution process by which electric energy users choose their power supplier in an open market. Since Dr. Studebaker described that process in his first edition of this book in 1995, rosy predictions of the market's consumer benefits have faded drastically.

As the author points out, "The customer is ultimately responsible for being on the most cost-effective rate. " But a hodgepodge of state deregulation practices makes that no job for an amateur.

The author begins with a general overview of deregulation today, including an explanation of FERC Order No. 888, the 1996 Federal edict allowing all utilities open access to the transmission network. The book's Section II details a strategy for reducing electricity costs, with mention of the ESCO, an unregulated marketing affiliate many utilities have created. Few existed in 1995. Chapter 7 now lists three pages of such firms, whereas in the first edition the term was not mentioned.

Another new player in this game since 1995 is the power pool, a marketing entity usually composed of several utilities within a region.

The longest of the book's seven chapters, at 73 pages, is Chapter 6, explaining the negotiating of utility contracts.

Almost half the volume is taken up by five useful appendices, including lists of utilities and regulatory agencies nationwide-another sign of modern times is that most now have Internet Web sites-and an extensive glossary.

Unfortunately, awkward language-plus such errors as legal council in place of legal counsel and buss for bus-continue to distract the reader.