By Jesse Berst

• Retail electricity competition grew in 2012 at an even more aggressive pace than in 2011
• Texas is the competitive retail market leader for the sixth consecutive year
• Illinois will soon have the second most customers on competitive supply
• Retail competition brings lower rates and, equally important, "a surge in product and service innovations"

The Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States (ABACCUS) identifies about a dozen areas of North America for their efforts to deliver retail competition. While Texas is the leader, the report recognizes New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland and the Canadian province of Alberta for policies that foster choice for electricity customers.

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Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com, the industry's oldest and largest smart grid site. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the U.S. and abroad, he also serves on advisory committees for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Institute for Electric Efficiency. He often provides strategic consulting to large corporations and venture-backed startups. He is a member of the advisory boards of GridGlo and Calico Energy Services.