By Keith Gushard

Meadville Tribune

Pennsylvania’s Energy Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 1996 was supported by all of Crawford County’s state legislators at that time.

Republican state Reps. James Merry, Teresa Brown (now Forcier) and David O. King voted for the measure as did Republican state Sen. Bob Robbins.

Pennsylvania enacted the law to

deregulate the price of electricity because at the time the state had electricity rates that were above the national average.

Deregulation was assumed to save consumers money. However, several significant changes in how energy is produced and who produces it have completely changed that calculation, pushing up electric rates in areas of Pennsylvania where rate caps have expired.

The rate caps on Pennsylvania Electric Co.’s rates are scheduled to be removed January 2011 and rates are expected to increase. Rates may go up 60 percent or more when the caps come off in three years.

“Knowing what we know now (with regard to electric prices), no,” said Robbins when asked if he would support deregulation legislation if it were brought for a vote now. “I was in favor of it because at that time Pennsylvania had some of the highest electric rates in the country and we thought rates would come down.”

Sen. Robbins is the county’s only state legislator still serving from when electricity deregulation was passed.

Rep. Merry died in February

2001. Tribune attempts to contact former Reps. Brown (now Forcier) and King were unsuccessful.

“I expect the Legislature to deal with this,” Robbins said of the consequences of deregulation. However, Robbins said he wasn’t sure what form any legislation may take, including extending caps on current electric rates.

“We’ll have to put everything out there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Crawford County’s current three state House representatives, all Republicans, say they want to look at the issue.