Electric power application programs in a deregulated environment

Summary form only given. In today´s deregulated environment, the electric power system and its related markets are operated and owned by new and different business entities that did not exist when the industry consisted of vertically integrated electric utilities. Each of these business entities are users of electric power application programs. This panel discussion focuses on how application programs are used in each of these new business entities. Some of these are application programs that existed prior to deregulation that may have changed as a result of deregulation. Others may be new applications that have been added as a result of deregulation. For each application the following are discussed: the objectives of the application; identifying the business entities that need each application; how the characteristics of the entity effects the application requirements; identifying the features that are required in the deregulated environment; and examples of how application program requirements may differ based on type of business entity.