Electricity Markets: Consumers Could Benefit from Demand Programs, but Challenges Remain

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-08-13 monographic deposited born digital 68 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-844 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844 P0b002ee180383d68 f:d04844 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844 GAO-04-844 Electric energy Energy demand Energy industry Energy marketing Price regulation Prices and pricing Program evaluation Strategic planning State law Consumer education California Florida Georgia New York Other Written Product A11111 Electricity Markets: Consumers Could Benefit from Demand Programs, but Challenges Remain The efficient and reliable functioning of the more than $200 billion electric industry is vital to the lives of all Americans. As demonstrated in the 2003 black- out in the Northeast and the 2001 energy crisis in the West, changes in the cost and availability of electricity can have significant impacts on consumers and the national economy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) supports using demand-response programs as part of its effort to develop and oversee competitive electricity markets. GAO was asked to identify (1) the types of demand-response programs currently in use, (2) the benefits of these programs, (3) the barriers to their introduction and expansion, and (4) instances where barriers have been overcome. Additionally, GAO examined the federal government's participation in these programs through the General Services Administration (GSA). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844.pdf GAO-04-844 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-844 Other Written Product GAO-04-844; Electricity Markets: Consumers Could Benefit from Demand Programs, but Challenges Remain; Electric energy Energy demand Energy industry Energy marketing Price regulation Prices and pricing Program evaluation Strategic planning State law Consumer education California Florida Georgia New York