May 21 — Power customers in Harris and Dallas counties have a wide variety of choices, but they actually pay more for electricity than residents of Austin or San Antonio. The two latter cities stuck with the old public utility model, and consumers have benefited.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but public utilities have the advantage of predictability. They can plan years in advance and purchase power cheaply on long term contracts with electricity generators.
— Baytown Sun
Is a policy analyst consultant for TCAP, a coalition of political subdivisions in Texas that purchase electricity in the deregulated market for their own governmental use. Because energy costs are typically a significant budget item to our members, TCAP is consistently looking for ways to save our members money, through cost-saving contracts, energy efficiency or demand response programs.