IEEE Power Engineering Society

This article provided three themes found in the development of electric utility related laws: laws enacted to change electric utility business practices have been based on historical events of the time, with a view toward providing more stability in business and consumer sectors; laws to date have not been comprehensive in deference to the rights of individual states to determine the business structure and operations of electric utilities within their legal jurisdiction; and in general, new laws that have been enacted tend to carry the best elements of the previous laws, while attempting to provide more relevancy according to the historical needs of the time. This provides an incremental, circular advancement of legal landmarks establishing guidelines for electric utility businesses and consumer interactions. With the advent of utility deregulation and the move towards enabling competition, this process has culminated in calls for a more comprehensive, federal legal structure in the United States. This is because of the changing nature of wholesale and retail power sales and purchases that are increasingly traveling beyond the political boundaries of states, and are more inclined to follow a regional, market-based grid formation. New enactments must be rooted in the most effective provisions found in existing legislation, such as wise business practice regulation and promotion of competition and environmental safeguards.