California is a pioneer in the electricity industry, which often means it is ahead of the curve — but that can also go the other way. Electricity prices rose significantly in 2000 and 2001 and customers suffered blackouts, a fallout from the deregulation that took place in the 1990s.
The changes happening in the state, such as the rise of distributed resources, mean a repeat of history is possible, CPUC Chair Michael Picker wrote in an opinion piece for The Sacramento Bee.
“In the last electricity deregulation we had a plan, however flawed,” Picker wrote. “Now, we are deregulating electric markets through dozens of different decisions and legislative actions, but we do not have a plan.”