Electricity is a $360 billion per year market in the United States, with the vast majority of power sales still conducted through traditional regulated electric utilities. Despite the failure of deregulation to take hold throughout the industry, as was expected in the 1990s, the past decade has seen tremendous growth in competitive electricity procurement by commercial, industrial and institutional purchasers in 20 states and jurisdictions that allow retail access to open markets.

In 2009, competitive electricity purchases by commercial and industrial end-users approached $29.5 billion, and in many open-market states the rates of large end-users switching to competitive sources of power exceed 60% for commercial entities and 90% for industrial concerns. The increase in non-utility procurement has also spurred development of “green” markets for renewable energy and renewable energy certificates, and new options for on-site generation of electricity by commercial and manufacturing facilities. To meet this demand, new classes of retail energy marketers, intermediaries, and market transaction platforms have established themselves nationally.

This Pike Research report examines the critical role that electricity plays in commercial and industrial operations, explores the motivations for seeking non-utility and green power among a variety of business types, and identifies existing policies that promote competition – as well as barriers that may inhibit further access to competitively priced power. The report includes profiles of key industry players and forecasts for the competitive electricity market through 2020.

Key Questions Addressed:

• How is electricity used in business and manufacturing?
• Which state policies provide retail access to electricity, and what is the current status of those markets?
• How have wholesale power market reforms impacted retail choices?
• What importance do non-price factors play in corporate buying decisions?
• Who are the industry leaders among retail power marketers, green power purchasers, and on-site energy users?

Who needs this report?

• Corporate energy managers
• Corporate sustainability managers
• Power marketers
• Distributed energy generation companies
• Utilities
• Government agencies
• Investor community

Table of Contents

1.     Executive Summary

1.1  Overview

1.2  Commercial and Industrial Procurement of Electricity

1.2.1    Competitive Procurement Market Issues

2.     Market Issues: Consumption Trends

2.1  Electricity Use by Commercial and Industrial Enterprises

2.1.1    Electricity Use by Industry

2.1.2    Commercial Buildings and Electricity

2.2  Projections of Electricity Growth: 2010-2020

2.3  How Electricity Is Used by the Industrial Sector

2.4  How Electricity Is Used by the Commercial Sector

2.4.1    Electricity Use in Data Centers

2.4.1.1    Digital Drivers of Growth

2.4.1.2    Cooling and Ventilation Required

3.     Market Issues:  How Power is Procured

3.1  Traditional Utility Rate-Based Service

3.1.1    Theory of Regulation

3.1.2    Policy Impacts Rates

3.1.3    Utilities as Agents of Social Policy

3.1.4    Federal/State Jurisdiction

3.2  Rate Structures for Commercial and Industrial Utility Customers

3.2.1    Tariff Types

3.2.2    Key Accounts

3.3  Regional Impacts on Utility Rates

3.4  Restructuring and Competitive Electricity Markets

3.4.1    Wholesale Market Reforms

3.4.2    New Marketers

3.4.3    A Restructuring Wave across the Land

3.4.4    Impacts of Restructuring on Commercial and Industrial Procurement Practices

3.4.5    A Variety of Competitive Procurement Options

3.5  Procurement Learning Pains

3.5.1    Intermediaries

3.5.1.1    Community Choice Aggregation

3.5.2    Solicitations: Formal and Informal

3.5.3    Service Agreements

3.5.4    Electronic Auctions

3.5.5    Exchanges

3.6  Renewable Energy and Green Power

3.6.1    Renewable Energy Certificates

3.6.1.1    Removing Barriers to Buying Green Power

3.6.2    Federal Agencies Lead the Market

3.6.3    RECs and Corporate Energy Buyers

3.6.4    Considerations for Buying Green Power

3.6.4.1    Non-Price Factors

3.6.4.2    Vetting Suppliers

3.6.4.3    Certifying Environmental Claims for RECs

3.7  Direct Energy and On-Site Generation

3.7.1    On-Site Renewables

3.7.2    Corporate and Institutional Use of On-Site Renewables

3.8  Fuel Cells on the Rise

4.     State and Federal Policies

4.1  States That Allow Retail Access to Customers

4.1.1    Switching Rates Tell the Story

4.2  State Policies and Active Market Status

4.2.1    California

4.2.2    Connecticut

4.2.3    Delaware

4.2.4    District of Columbia

4.2.5    Illinois

4.2.6    Maine

4.2.7    Maryland

4.2.8    Massachusetts

4.2.9    Michigan

4.2.10  New Hampshire

4.2.11  New Jersey

4.2.12  New York

4.2.13  Ohio

4.2.14  Oregon

4.2.15  Pennsylvania

4.2.16  Rhode Island

4.2.17  Texas

4.2.18  States with Little Activity or Suspended Rules

4.2.18.1  Arizona

4.2.18.2  Montana

4.2.18.3  Nevada

4.2.18.4  Virginia

4.3  Organized Wholesale Markets

4.3.1    Wholesale Markets Impact Retail Choices

5.     Market Forecasts

5.1  Commercial and Industrial Electricity Procurement Market: 2010-2020

5.2  Does the Competitive Market Bring Benefits?

5.2.1    Price Matters but So Does Location

5.2.2    Non-Price Factors

5.3  Policy Exerts the Strongest Limits to Growth

5.3.1    California Reopens the Door a Little

5.3.2    Other States with Larger than Average Potential Growth

5.3.3    Filling in Load Levels

5.4  Energy Efficiency and On-Site Generation

5.4.1    Net Impact

5.4.2    Climate Change and Corporate Social Responsibility

5.4.3    Growth in Green Markets Could Vary Widely

5.5  Determining Market Growth for Non-Utility Electricity: 2009-2020

6.     Key Industry Players

6.1  Corporate, Industrial, and Institutional Electricity Buyers

6.1.1    7-Eleven, Inc.

6.1.2    Alcoa Power Marketing LLC

6.1.3    Best Buy Co., Inc.

6.1.4    California State University

6.1.5    Carnegie Mellon University

6.1.6    Google Corp.

6.1.7    Marin County Clean Energy

6.1.8    Phoenix Press

6.1.9    Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

6.1.10  Starbucks

6.1.11  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Green Power Partnership

6.1.12  Whole Foods Corp.

6.2  Retail Marketers

6.2.1    3Degrees

6.2.2    Constellation NewEnergy

6.2.3    Direct Energy

6.2.4    Sterling Planet

6.3       Procurement Agents

6.3.1    Freedom Logistics

6.3.2    Summit Energy

6.4  Market Platforms

6.4.1    World Energy

6.5  Associations

6.5.1    COMPETE Coalition

6.5.2    Retail Energy Supply Association

6. Company Directory
7. Acronym and Abbreviation List
8. Table of Contents
9. Table of Charts and Figures
10. Scope of Study, Sources and Methodology, Notes

List of Charts and Figures

• Electricity Procurement by Industries and Supplier Type, United States: 2006
• Projected Growth in Non-Utility Electricity C/I Procurement Market, United States: 2009-2020
• Electricity Purchases by Sector, United States: 2009
• Electricity Expenditures by Manufacturing Sector, United States: 2006
• Energy Expenditures by Manufacturing Sector, United States: 2006
• Electricity Use per Square Foot by Building Type, United States: 2006
• Average Retail Price of Electricity to Customers by Sector, United States: 1998-2009
• Peak Power Prices at Major Trading Hubs, United States: 2008-2010
• Commercial Customers Served by Energy-Only Providers, United States: 1998-2009
• Industrial Customers Served by Energy-Only Providers, United States: 1998-2009
• Non-Residential Purchases of Renewable Energy/RECs, United States: 2004-2009
• Non-Utility Installations of Solar PV, United States: 2010-2011
• Residential/Non-Residential Switched Load as a Percent of Eligible Load, Competitive States: 2010
• Switch Rates (Percent of Eligible) C/I Load in 17 Competitive Markets: 2003-2010
• Percent of C/I Load Switched, United States: 2003-2010
• Average Retail Rates for Electricity by Sector, United States: 2009-2020
• Competitive Commercial/Industrial Sales in High-Growth States: 2009-2020
• States with Competitive Retail Electricity Markets: 2011
• Map of Regional Transmission Operators

List of Tables

• Electricity Sales to Commercial/Industrial Users, Five-Year Intervals, United States: 1998-2009
• Competitive Electricity Procurement Market Volumes in 17 States: 2009-2020
• Competitive Electricity Procurement Market Sales in 17 States: 2009-2020
• Total Electricity Use by Sector, United States: 2009
• Energy and Electricity Expenditures by Manufacturing Sector, United States: 2006
• Total Electricity Sales by Sector, Five-Year Intervals, United States: 2010-2020
• Electricity Use in Buildings, United States: 2003
• Electricity Use by Data Centers, United States: 2000-2010
• Data Center End-Use Component Demand, United States: 2000-2006
• Industrial Sector Use of Electricity Volume by Supplier Source, United States: 2006
• Electricity Use by Commercial Buildings, United States: 2003
• Electricity Use per Square Foot by Building Type, United States: 2006
• Average Retail Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by Sector, United States: 1998-2009
• Top Ten Competitive Electricity Marketers, United States: 2009
• Electricity Sales to Commercial/Industrial Users, Five-Year Intervals, United States: 1998-2009
• Non-Residential Customer Purchases of Renewable Energy/RECs, United States: 2004-2009
• Top Ten Corporate Buyers of Green Power, United States: 2010
• Top Ten Government/Institutional Buyers of Green Power, United States: 2010
• Wholesale Generation with Industrial Load, Texas and California: 2009
• Top Ten Renewable Energy On-Site Generation, United States: 2010
• Competitive Power Market Number of Customers, United States: 1998-2009
• Wholesale Peak Prices at Major Regional Hubs, United States: 2008-2010
• Top Non-Utility Electricity Providers to C/I, United States: 2009
• Top 20 Corporate Green Power Purchasers, United States: 2010
• Installations of PV by Sector, United States: 1Q 2010-1Q 2011
• Percent of C/I Load Switched by State: 2010
• California C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Connecticut C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Delaware C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• District of Columbia C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Illinois C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Maine C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Maryland C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Massachusetts C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Michigan C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• New Hampshire C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• New Jersey C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• New York C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Ohio C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Oregon C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Pennsylvania C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Rhode Island C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• Texas C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases: 2009
• C/I Unbundled Electricity Purchases in 17 States: 2009
• ISO/RTO Metrics, United States: 2011
• Customer Migration in Competitive Market States, as Percent of Eligible Load: 2010
• Switch Rates (Percent of Eligible) C/I Load in 17 Competitive Markets: 2003-2010
• Electricity Sales to Commercial/Industrial Users, Five-Year Intervals, United States: 2009-2020
• Average Electricity Prices by Sector/Supplier, United States: 2009
• Average Utility Rates for Electricity by Sector in Ten Open Market States: 2009
• C/I Direct Access, California: 2000-2020
• States with Above-Average Growth: 2009-2020
• Competitive Electricity Procurement Market Volumes in 17 States: 2009-2020
• Competitive Electricity Procurement Market Sales in 17 States: 2009-2020
• Average Retail Price of Electricity by Customer Class and Service Provider, United States: 2009
• Average Retail Rate for Unbundled Power: 2009-2020
• Competitive States Average Growth: 2009-2020