IF I LIVED IN COLUMBUS... Columbus, like Cleveland, is served by both a private investor-owned electric company (Columbus Southern, a subsidiary of American Electric Power) and a municipal electric system.

If I lived in Columbus, my new electric bill for 615 kilowatt-hours would be:

$51.90 if it came from the city's Division of Electricity, or

between $53 and $54 if it came from Columbus Southern.

In either case, my electric bill would be at least $25 cheaper than the one I just got from CPP.

Why can both the private and public power companies in Columbus sell exactly the same service as CPP (and CEI), subject to the same Ohio laws and regulation, for 30% to 35% less?