How state regulators should handle retail wheeling

The electric power industry is next in line for dramatic change. Competition has edged into individual markets, particularly the bulk-power market. This move toward competition has provoked debate in several states over the merits of retail wheeling. Specifically, should retail customers have the right to purchase their power requirements from sources other than the local utility? Many states have addressed the issue in different forums, at different levels of intensity. No state has yet enacted broad legislation, either requiring or granting authority to a state public utility commission (PUC) to order retail wheeling. But that day will come.