News Analysis

 

California's electric power crisis loomed in the background as lawmakers in a number of other states met in session in 2001 and decided by and large to delay the introduction of electric utility deregulation. Some state legislatures appeared unsure of whether the problems with deregulation this past year were California-specific or innate flaws with electric restructuring, but most were willing to wait and see.

Nevada took the strongest stand. Shortly after the governor of Nevada delayed competition indefinitely, the legislature passed Assembly Bill 369 into law, which effectively ended retail access. The law continues regulation of the state's utilities and prevents the sale of generation facilities before July 2003. (In subsequent legislation, however, the legislature passed AB661, which would allow any industrial and commercial customer with a load of greater than one megawatt to choose an alternative retail electric supplier.)