This week, Pat Wood, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as former chairman of the Texas Public Utilities Commission, presented testimony before the House Public Utilities Committee about the benefits of electricity markets. Why markets?, he asked: “Better customer price and service, economic development, sharper utility focus on grid reliability, and technological innovation.” Why do it in Ohio? “Prime location in Eastern Grid (quality access to gas, coal, renewables), large number of new/planned power plants, big state-wide market (with others nearby), successful RTO (wholesale market), and a marginal cost of power that is lower than average cost.” Wood called Ohio “the Texas of the Midwest,” and Texas the “Ohio of the Sunbelt,” because of the states’ energy similarities:  “Competition already underway, sitting amid best fuel resources, vibrant wholesale power market, diverse economic base, and a top business climate.”  12/7/2017