Electric Choice in Pennsylvania

Under Pennsylvania deregulation, customers have the choice of who they purchase their power from. Although distribution is a set factor due to location, customers can choose the company that supplies their service. This is known as electric generation or according to your power bill, "energy supply." The option to choose your supplier is referred to different ways inclduing: electric choice, customer choice, power supply choice, etc.

Many of our members have reported being solicited by alternative electric generation suppliers (EGSs) as a part of the campaign for electric choice. Be aware that although you may receive these phone calls and Adams Electric is deregulated, no EGSs have chosen to serve our territory because Adams Electric's rates and prices-to-compare are low and EGSs can't make any money. However, you may receive these calls because EGSs are mass mailing and calling entire zip codes rather than taking measures to avoid contacting Adams Electric members for whom this is not an option.

If you are contacted consistently by a EGS or a representative, please contact Adams Electric toll-free at 888/232-6732 with information about who is approaching you.

More information about electric choice

Since Jan. 1, 1999, Adams Electric Cooperative and the 12 other rural electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania have allowed their members electric choice, should an alternative electric suppliers agree to serve co-op territories.

There are currently no EGSs for Adams Electric members, because no EGSs have chosen to serve in Adams Electric Cooperative's service territory, or for that matter, the territory of any other rural electric cooperative in Pennsylvania.

If electric generation suppliers decide to serve Adams Electric Cooperative territory, members will be notified.

Questions & Answers About Choice

Q. Why didn't any electric generation supplier choose to serve in Adams Electric's territory?

A. Since no electric generation suppliers have chosen to serve in Adams Electric's service territory, we can conclude that there are sound business reasons for that decision, such as:

The electric generation suppliers recognize that the "price to compare" or cost per kilowatt hour (kwh) is very competitive between their rates and the co-op's rates.

Typically, the rural areas are mostly residential accounts and not large industrial or commercial accounts that would be more profitable to serve. Large commercial or industrial accounts are the most desirable loads.

The electric utility market is still developing under deregulation. Some electric generation suppliers may wait for the market to mature before investing in new service territories. Most suppliers are competing in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh market areas, where electricity prices are much higher than in south-central Pennsylvania.

Q. What about choice for non-members?

A. Just like co-op members, most customers of for-profit electric distribution companies (Met-Ed, Penelec, PPL and Allegheny Power) had a choice starting on January 1, 1999, and continuing into the future. Several EGSs continue to serve the territories of the for-profit distribution companies. Customers of for-profit electric distribution companies should contact those companies directly for assistance in choosing an EGS.

Q. Can a non-member buy electricity from Adams Electric?

A. At the present time, a non-member cannot purchase electricity directly from Adams Electric Cooperative, because the co-op is not an EGS.

Q. If members can't buy their electricity, why have some EGS companies mailed them ads for their electricity?

A. Those EGS companies may have conducted a mailing to a specific area code or to a specific zip code and are not aware that residents within that area may be served by both Adams Electric and investor-owned utilities.

Do you have more questions about customer choice? Read the December 2010 Penn Lines article, "The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Electric Choice."

Some Helpful Resources on Customer Choice:

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission