Summary
The premise of this issue paper is that over the next 5 to 10 years or even less, it is likely there will be changes in how the utility industry in the Northwest is structured and regulated in response to competitive pressures at both the wholesale and the retail levels. This paper identifies and describes those structural and regulatory characteristics the Council's staff finds are important to achieving the benefits of competition at both the wholesale and retail levels and achieving the goals of the Power Act. The paper concludes by making several recommendations for the competitive model staff believes is more likely to evolve in this region.
