AMARILLO, TX --
The City of Amarillo is set to vote against the deregulation of electric utilities throughout the state.
Deregulation means utility companies would not have to take the issue of rate increase to city commissions, and the increases would go uncontested.
Amarillo is joining several other Panhandle area cities to fight against deregulation, which is being promoted by American Electric Power along with other regulated utility companies, including Xcel Energy.
According to Wes Reeves from Xcel Energy, it's not necessarily deregulation. What's it's doing is making changes to the rate making process. Xcel does not want to go around the city governments in any way, they just want the process easier, more efficient and it could end up being cheaper.
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