Energy Pacific launched a new energy service called Power ChoiceCalifornia, which will help companies make electricity buyingdecisions in a restructured marketplace. The company launched theservice through a pilot with Hewlett-Packard earlier this year andwill begin marketing the service in April. “We’re finding that manycustomers just don’t know where to begin when asking energyproviders for price quotes, or even what their energy options are,”said Eric Nelson, president of Energy Pacific, an unregulated jointventure of Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corp.

Unbiased analyses and sample options tailored to the customer’sspecific needs are provided, without any particularenergy-procurement recommendation. The sale of electricity is notthe goal of the service. Energy Pacific will provide an electricityquote only if the customer solicits a bid.

The service provides a profile of the four purchasing optionsavailable in California as of March 31 – status quo, where thecustomer is supplied by the local utility according to the existingrate schedule; virtual direct access, where the utility suppliesthe customer at the power-exchange price; direct access, where anindependent energy-service provider supplies the customer at anagreed-upon price; and financial direct price access settlement,where the customer can arrange pricing on electricity with a thirdparty while being supplied by the local utility.

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