The group will then negotiate the best deal with a power supplier.

The idea was to monitor the behavior of power suppliers and iron out any problems.

The second phase would allow customers to buy electricity from the power supplier of their choice by September 2000.

In the future, all customers will be able to choose from several power suppliers, just as they do with long-distance telephone companies.

Competition among power suppliers was pushing down the price of electricity.

Bob Anderson, a Democratic member of the commission, said it looked as if the power suppliers had written the bill.

Are you getting the best deals from your power suppliers?

However, people in those towns have the option of choosing their own power supplier.

The deal, announced in December, would form one of the world's largest power suppliers, with 7 million customers and 23,500 employees.

He said the power supplier would then have to notify individual customers of a deal.