Abstract
Figure 1. Production (ESPERE-ENC 2003).
The deregulation of the power industry gives each consumer the right to choose where their power is coming from (having a choice is good), but the problem with the right to choose is that most people will choose the cheapest power available. The cheapest power comes from older, outdated power plants. By refusing to upgrade plant equipment, these outdated power plants are adding millions of tons of particulate matter and other dangerous substances like sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides to our air. The addition of these substances has been linked to a number of serious health conditions such as an increase in the number of birth defects and an increase in the reported number of heart attacks (Save the Clean Air Act, 2002).