ABSTRACT
Increasing demand for electric power in the 21st century and the need for more environmentally benign electric power systems are of critical concern to both government and stakeholders (industry and end users). Electricity shortages, power quality, rotating outages, and increasing oil prices have motivated many utilities and consumers to look for alternative forms of highly reliable energy. The traditional utility ties have been deregulated, yielding room for new market structures and players. The regulatory commissions in different parts of the world have unbundled the vertical utility industry into separate business units that can be categorized into three broad categories: generation companies, which include utility and nonutility companies; transmission companies, which may be under state ownership; and distribution companies, which are privately owned business units.
