Uniting for Empowerment Amid Electric Deregulation

With California’s bold move into deregulation of electric utilities less than two months off, a group of giant electricity users has banded together to form a nonprofit energy information and education association headquartered in Orange County.

Right now, most information about energy policy and deregulation comes from the energy companies, said David Noller, president of the Institute for Multi-Site Energy Consumers.

The new group will serve as the electricity consumer’s information source, assisting retail and service companies with multiple locations in sorting through the maze of information, competing marketing claims--and, yes, regulations--that will accompany deregulation.

Charter members of IMEC, in addition to Noller--former energy use director for the Ralphs Supermarkets chain--are Howard Spellman, energy management director for FoodMaker Inc.; Alan Rose, energy and environmental programs manager for J.C. Penney Co.; Ashok G. Bhatt, national energy manager for Montgomery Ward; and Ralph F. Tschantz, senior vice president for Illinova Energy Partners Inc. in Chicago.

California is leading the move into deregulation, said Spellman, chairman of the group. After Jan. 1, electricity utilities such as Southern California Edison Co. lose their monopolies and users can pick their own suppliers. But it soon will be happening nationwide.

Spellman said he expects about 100 electricity providers will be vying in the marketplace, with about 100 different rate programs for potential customers to puzzle through.

While IMEC’s initial members are big companies with lots of locations across the county, Noller says membership isn’t limited to national chains. Any business with several locations--and all the energy management problems that come with having multiple locations--can join.

Noller can be reached at (714) 376-4495 or, by e-mail, at [email protected]

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John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at [email protected]