Mexico's state-owned oil and electricity monopolies are in need of drastic, but politically perilous, reforms.

First he claims that it will cause the breakup of the public telecommunications and electricity monopolies which will have to be privatized.

He is threatening to take 10 of the 12 community nations to court if they do not end their state gas and electricity monopolies.

Meanwhile, California state regulators, the source of much of the innovation in the field, are considering the most systematic assault on the retail electricity monopolies.

The electricity monopoly, Unified Energy Systems, said this month that 17,000 of its 50,000 computers had failed to meet year 2000 standards.

Russia got a new start last week on one of its boldest economic reforms in years: breaking up its vast electricity monopoly.

Mr. Chubais, an architect of the economic reforms that ended with a disastrous financial collapse last year, now runs the nation's electricity monopoly.

To prevent computer problems, Russia's electricity monopoly says it plans to change over to manual control on Dec. 31.

They were ordered by Unified Energy Systems, the national electricity monopoly, which has become increasingly tough on deadbeats.

Reforms of the national gas and electricity monopolies have faltered, mostly due to opposition from big business or politicians who fear higher rates.