Texas power market ranked first in North America

TEXAS - TexasÂ’ oft-criticized deregulated electricity market rated first among competitive electric markets in North America in both the residential and commercial/industrial sectors, in a study done by The Energy Retailer Research Consortium.

Texas ranked excellent in both categories. New York was the only other state cited as excellent in either sector, drawing that rating for residential.

The study surveyed 14 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. Ratings were based on how effectively states implemented a competitive electric market giving consumers a choice of retail electric providers.

The consortium describes itself as "an independent research consortium that supports retail energy choice" and says it is "comprised of companies with a stake in competitive retail energy markets."

TexasÂ’ deregulated market has been heavily criticized by some consumer groups, but that has waned somewhat this year with lower natural gas prices driving down electric rates.