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Group Says Electricity Prices Coming Down
Electricity prices for large commercial and industrial customers have been coming down.

Since Illinois lawmakers deregulated the large commercial and industrial market in 1997, customers are now paying 11 percent less for electricity, adjusted for inflation, than they did 12 years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In 1999, Illinois customers paid 12 percent above the national average; in 2008 they paid 6 percent below the national average.

Some of the drop has been due to a general decline in the wholesale price, but some is attributable to competition, says Ronald Cerniglia of Direct Energy, an electricity marketer. He says Illinois has 38 electricity marketers competing for customers. Many buy electricity wholesale; his company has some generation capacity, including natural gas- and wind-fueled facilities in Texas.

Cerniglia says the future price is hard to predict, but competition will keep it as low as possible.

(Illinois Radio Network)
09 13 09 by Newsroom
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