Texas Electric Choice Launches Statewide Advertising Campaign.

Texas Electric Choice, the public education campaign created to inform Texans of their right to choose the company that provides their electricity, launched a statewide advertising blitz today with a series of television, radio and print ads.

Examples of the advertising will be available on the Texas Electric Choice website, http://www.powertochoose.org.

Under a state law passed during the 1999 legislative session, most Texans are now able to choose their Retail Electric Provider (REP) from a list of companies certified by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), the state agency responsible for overseeing the Texas Electric Choice campaign. The PUC will continue to regulate the transmission and distribution of electricity to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of power to homes and businesses. Customers are able to shop around for the best electricity deal, much as they do for groceries or automobiles.

Electric choice begins with a Pilot Program this summer, when five percent of customers served by investor-owned utilities can choose their REP. Most other customers will be able to choose their REP when electric choice goes statewide on January 1, 2002. Whether a customer participates in the Pilot Program or not, the safety and reliability of their electric service will not be affected.

Customers who do not want to participate in the Pilot Program will continue to receive electric service from their current electric utility, and no one can switch their service without their approval. Customers participating in the Pilot Program will have their electric service switched to the new REP they selected on June 1, 2001.

Business customers received an insert explaining how the Pilot Program works in their February electric bills. Residential customers will receive a similar insert in their March electric bills.

“This summer’s Pilot Program is a dry-run before we take electric choice statewide next January,” said PUC Chairman Pat Wood. “It’ll give us a chance to work out any kinks in the system, and also give customers the chance to learn how the Texas Electric Choice program works so they can make informed decisions about their Retail Electric Provider.”

Wood said competition among REPs should result in lower prices and lead to the development of new products and services, just as we’ve seen in other industries that have introduced competition.