Energy procurement in a deregulating United States ‐ Part 1: The strategies available to corporate occupiers

The advent of retail deregulation (liberalisation) in the United States electricity markets provides major energy users, for the first time, significant choice in energy procurement. With choice comes responsibility for sorting the wide range of potential services, associated risks, and variables in price. As deregulation has progressed, the emerging market has not yet reached maturity for retail consumers, resulting in significant price volatility and imbalances in supply in some regions. This paper, presented in two parts in this and the next issue of the Journal, explains the fundamentals of energy choice for commercial and industrial energy users and the criteria to be considered in making long‐term energy commitments.