Options for the cement industry in the deregulated power era

The California energy crisis has brought electric power deregulation to the forefront for electricity users in the US. Could what happened in California occur in other states? Cement companies are asking themselves what they can do to prepare for the consequences of electric power deregulation in the US. This paper gives the cement manufacturer an overview of the current electric power industry and the trends in that industry. The paper then discusses concerns about deregulation and outlines different options that users might consider to address their concerns. Topics covered include distributed generation, power transmission, power quality, power distribution and options for the cement manufacturer. These options include power monitoring, electricity rate structures, distributed and alternative forms of generation, rental equipment, and power quality issues.