Free markets would be preferred, but the US failed to create competitive power markets under deregulation because it awarded old coal and nuclear power plants all sorts of advantages including stranded cost subsidies, grandfather exemptions to environmental regs, preferential grid access, etc.. (green.blogs.nytimes.com)
Ironically, a competitive power market would have averted «hot Wednesday» by offering Perth multiple electricity suppliers with varied fuel sourcing arrangements. (businessnews.com.au)
Every major U.S. grid operator strongly opposed Perry's plan, characterizing it as a threat to competitive power markets. (fortune.com)