http://www.showmedaily.org/2008/11/a-bad-day-to-be-an-ameren-customer.html Advancing liberty with responsibility by promoting market solutions for Missouri public policy Tue, 22 May 2012 19:02:29 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.showmedaily.org/2008/11/a-bad-day-to-be-an-ameren-customer.html/comment-page-1#comment-1265 Dave Roland Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:47:42 +0000 http://www.showmedaily.org/?p=2030#comment-1265 The real question here is why Ameren (or any other utility company) should have to get approval for its rates. This is an example of the problems that can arise when the government decides to interfere with the free market. Frequently, governments offer favored utility companies quasi-monopoly status in exchange for strict regulations. This means that utility consumers have very little choice about from whom to purchase their service, but the government controls the rates that the utilities can charge. In the ideal world, Ameren would be able to charge whatever it wants -- but its rates would be kept in check by virtue of its having to compete against a number of other utility providers, not by the whims of government officials. The real question here is why Ameren (or any other utility company) should have to get approval for its rates. This is an example of the problems that can arise when the government decides to interfere with the free market. Frequently, governments offer favored utility companies quasi-monopoly status in exchange for strict regulations. This means that utility consumers have very little choice about from whom to purchase their service, but the government controls the rates that the utilities can charge. In the ideal world, Ameren would be able to charge whatever it wants — but its rates would be kept in check by virtue of its having to compete against a number of other utility providers, not by the whims of government officials.

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