That would permit utilities, with a customer's permission, to gather marketing research data.

Corporatisation of public services as a means to permit government-owned public utilities to operate more along the lines of private sector business was an approach that was beginning to gather interest at the time from several governments - the US and UK governments under Reagan and Thatcher being prime movers.

It permits utilities to seek a high rate of return for investors in the holding company, while allowing for the possibility of tougher regulatory action in utility operations.

Kwinter put forward a plan to combat marijuana grow-ops in Ontario that would permit local utilities to cut off electrical power to those in the illegal industry.

Utility's Charities The Court let stand a ruling by New York State's highest court that a state cannot constitutionally permit regulated utilities to include charitable contributions among the expenses that are passed on to customers.

"Using earnings to lower rates is not an option," a company spokeswoman said in response, adding that regulations permitted utilities to earn a fair rate of return.

When gross-receipt and franchise taxes were instituted just after World War I, they were designed to compensate New Jersey municipalities for permitting utilities to put transmission lines, gas mains, generating stations and other facilities within their borders.

The Chicago Board of Trade is still planning to make a market in "allowance futures," permitting utilities or others to lock in prices of allowances or gamble on future price moves.

The pipeline's construction "will permit electric utilities in the Northeast to ease their use of residual oil for electric production, particularly in light of the situation in the Persian Gulf," he added.

Electricity provider switching is the ability of power consumers to have an option-or the "power to choose" - their electricity provider in a deregulated electricity market as permitted by a state public utilities governing body.