Mayor White: Electricity deregulation 'a rip-off' | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Mayor White: Electricity deregulation 'a rip-off' | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Mayor calls electricity deregulation 'a rip-off'
White and Rep. Sylvester Turner say low-income customers unfairly carry the burden

By ANNE MARIE KILDAY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle"

Before a crowd of about 400 people complaining about high electricity rates, Houston Mayor Bill White said deregulation of the electric utility industry was "a rip-off" for Texans.

Houston Rep. Sylvester Turner urged the crowd to let other lawmakers know they support his measure to cut rates by 15 percent, restore a low-income assistance fund and allow the state Public Utility Commission to review the sale of Dallas-based Texas Utilities.

White and Turner spoke Saturday afternoon at a town hall meeting sponsored by ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, at Barbara Jordan High School.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Texas' retail electric rates last month were about 9.14 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with the national average of 8.14 cents. States with higher rates were Hawaii, at 18.33 cents per kilowatt-hour, and northeastern states, where rates ranged from 10.95 cents in Maine to 13.95 cents in New York.

Electric rates for Texas residential customers increased in January, as many utilities were freed from state regulation.