Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to some of the issues raised in March 1, 2003, "Gas Executives' Forum." While it is admirable that executives featured in this issue, such as Bruce C. Klink, Dominion East Ohio's vice-president of regulation and pricing, and Isaac Blythers, president of Atlanta Gas Light Co., have begun making strides and meeting many of the obstacles of gas deregulation, the reality is that the success of gas choice programs continues to be mixed.

These programs vary widely in terms of size, regulatory rules, the posture of the local gas utility toward choice, and participation by residential customers and third-party marketers. States such as Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, Wyoming, and Illinois have expanded their programs to include more eligible customers. Programs in other states, such as Delaware, Wisconsin, and Iowa, have terminated programs.

As everyone knows, several states have enacted legislation or rules, starting in 1995, that give residential customers the opportunity to purchase their gas supplies from someone other than the local gas utility. Gas choice programs are currently operating in 19 states and the District of Columbia. According to a May 2002 report from the American Gas Association, 3.9 million residential customers are participating in choice programs-an 18 percent participation rate.