CCC PPPPP U U CCC N N EEEEE W W W SSS C C P p U U C C NN N E W W W S S C P P U U C N N N E W W W S C PPPPP U U C N N N EEE W W W W SSS C P U U C N N N E WW WW S C C P U U C C N NN E W W S S COC P UUUU CCC N N EEEEE W W SSS California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301 San Francisco, CA 94102 CONTACT: Armando Rendon July 11, 1996 CPUC-061 415-703-1366 CPUC COMMISSIONER HAILS PRO-CONSUMER BILL INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS TODAY Jessie J. Knight, Jr., a member of the California Public Utilities Commission, today issued the following statement, praising Congressman Daniel Schaefer (R-Colo.) for introducing the Electric Consumers' Power to Choose Act of 1996. By introducing the Electric Consumers' Power to Choose Act of 1996, Congressman Dan Schaefer has taken a bold step today to bring the benefits of a free market in electricity to all Americans. By empowering consumers with choice, this bill would make the electric power industry more efficient and more responsive to customer needs. The current regulatory structure of a regulated monopoly provider of electric power is outdated and fundamentally ill- suited for today's electric market. Congressman Schaefer understands this and is seeking to bring about the kind of market reform that will bring billions of dollars in benefits to electricity consumers. I support bringing consumer choice through direct access to all retail customers as quickly as possible. This is achievable by December 15, 2000. I support Congressional leadership to establish a national program of customer choice, since doing so will bring with it lower prices to consumers, new products and services, economic growth and job creation. Congress took action this year to bring about a competitive telecommunications market. Now is the appropriate time for Congress to take similar action to bring competition and customer choice to the electric industry. Experience, here in California, has shown that not only is -more- consumer choice through direct access achievable, but that it will bring real benefits to consumers and spur economic growth. In addition, competition can be brought to the electric power industry while maintaining vital environmental and social objectives. In establishing a national policy of consumer choice through direct access, it is key to give the states broad latitude to implement the policy. This bill seems to strike an appropriate balance between federal initiative and state policymaking. Congressman Schaefer should be commended for taking the initiative to bring customer choice to all of the nation's electric consumers. I cannot think of a more consumer friendly bill that could be passed by this or any other Congress. ###