| Through federal legislation, the electric power industry in the United States is encouraged to unbundle the ownership structure into separate entities for generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. The electric power industry represents more than 7% of the U.S. gross domestic product and some of the country's major economic sectors, such as mining and chemical processing. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to explore the phenomenon of the U.S. electric power industry restructuring from the viewpoint of those who have been at the forefront of the effort. The conceptual framework for this study is based in the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), which guided the restructuring of the U.S. electric power industry. The focus of the research questions was determining the informed perceptions and lived experience of participants. A purposive sampling approach was utilized along with a semi structured, open-ended interview with 20 participants who brought context-specific knowledge of the phenomenon. A sequential inductive process of coding, categorizing, and abstracting was performed. The findings indicate that the professionals within the industry continue to struggle with what is perceived as a restructuring effort that has come to a standstill, and doubts continue regarding the benefits or disadvantages of restructuring. The study contributes to social change by informing challenges to restructuring within the electric power industry, changes that include the potential for significant impacts to customers and especially for low income residents if subsidies are removed in a restructured environment. |
