deregulation

With the global recession and oil prices in a slump, Alberta’s 2009 budget will be a critical one for the province and the country. This report lays out a framework for Alberta’s government to diminish recessionary effects, improve social services, renew and expand infrastructure, and improve redistribution systems.

In 1995 the Alberta government followed the example of Margaret Thatcher in Britain, and began to deregulate Alberta's electricity industry. Defying critics, the government promised Albertans lowered electricity prices and more stable supplies once electricity was subjected to the competitive pressures of the marketplace.

This study extends examines EPCOR’s standing in the throes of the deregulation of Alberta’s electricity industry. It finds that EPCOR provides remarkable value to the City of Edmonton, and despite unexpected shifts in regulatory positions by the Alberta government, this value is likely to hold in the medium and long term.

The study presented here is a business analysis of the issue of whether or not Edmonton City Council should proceed with the sale of EPCOR.

This study is intended to assist the citizens of Edmonton and their City Council with their deliberations over the future of Epcor and Edmonton Power.