Risk for an independent power producer (IPR)

The oil shocks of the 1970´s did not impact only on oil prices. They led to a renewed interest by politicians and economists in the workings of the electricity supply industry, and to proposals for controlled competition: competition for supplying power and energy, for access to the transmission network, for some customers to have a choice of supplier for their electricity needs. The role of the utility was subjected to change, and, in the context of utility legislation and the regulatory framework, competition by independent power producers (IPP´s) has been integrated into the fabric of supply, not without anguish. The authors describe whether all aspirations-political, economic and technical-will be realized this has not yet been established