New forces in the utility marketplace

An Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Advisory Council seminar on demand-side management explored (DSM) the revival of utility marketing and the quickening pace of new competition. The group agreed that DSM represents the latest stage in the natural evolution from load management and conservation, and provides an expanding set of options that gives utilities new flexibility and empowers consumers with choice. It changes and redefines the relationships between utility and customer. It will also change the role and relationship of EPRI, which will be taking an even closer look at the customer as an interactive part of how the utilities do business. Seminar participants debated the issues of capacity and threatened shortfalls, the new competitive environment, and the question of deregulation.