Texas Power = Lignite & K-Fuel Cleans It:Texas PUC official: High electric bills are here to stay
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mar 11 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Elizabeth Souder The Dallas Morning News
Say goodbye to the days of low electricity bills. We're not going back.
Paul Hudson, a commissioner for the Texas Public Utility Commission, said prices are rising for everything needed to make electricity -- fuel, steel, labor, copper, pipes, everything.
"My great challenge as a regulator is to explain to customers that the era of inexpensive power is coming to an end," he said during a conference on Tuesday held by KEMA Inc.
He called on retail electic company representatives in the conference to offer new products that can help customers address the problem and convince customers that competitive markets are the best approach.
"First of all you have to innovate. Second of all you have to innovate. Third of all you have to innovate. And fourth you have to communicate," he said.
He sounded hopeful that retail electricity providers will stop relying on selling larger volumes of power to boost profit, and will shift to selling services and products that help customers conserve.
And Mr. Hudson, formerly the chairman of the commission, acknowledged that that the industry needs new infrastructure, authorized by the PUC, to develop some of the innovative products.