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[quote user="MP173"] Dave: THe utility companies in Illinois have been profitable to date.  I know, I own shares in AEE (ameren) and I do read the annual report and the proxy. Now, if rates are going up 50% next year and the only difference is the deregulation...then how do you explain it. [/quote] Well, earth's temperatures are going up, and the "only difference" is atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels............ [X-)] Of course, to suggest in both scenarios that "the only difference" is the one variable taken out of context is purely sophistric.  We are living in an age where energy demands are growing at an astronomical rate, but our ability to build the necessary power plants (or even to adaquately maintain the ones we've got) to keep up with that demand is severely curtailed by environmental regs, NIMBY's, et al.  The one good thing that is happening to forestall a complete energy delivery meltdown is the advent of private merchant energy companies, who are taking that high risk avenue to provide new energy sources despite all the ecoregs, NIMBY's, et al.  Now, consider this:  If not for access to the existing transmission grid, that merchant energy sector would not even exist.  Then what do you think would be happening right now?  Market based energy is still better than no energy.  You see, there really is no practical energy source of last resort if electricity cannot be delivered - we're not going back to kerosene lamps and abacii any time soon.  Contrast that with the transportation sector, where we at least have trucks as the mode of last resort to provide a high cost alternative to the lack of true free market railroad services - high cost transport is better than no transport. There is a big difference in the rail sector, and that is the fact that it is the only transportation mode that is not open access.  So when the rail grid is opened up to non-rail transportation companies, what you would see is a general lowering of comprehensive transportation costs, as freight currently moving by the mode of last resort (aka higher cost trucks) will shift back to it's more natural modal relationship (aka lower cost trains).
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