Will Virginia face future shock on electricity bills?

Byline: Greg Edwards

Sep. 29--Sharply rising electric rates in Maryland and Delaware have Virginians, including state lawmakers, wondering what will happen when capped rates end here in four years.

Like Virginia, its two northern neighbors deregulated their electricity suppliers a few years back; and, like Virginia, they had protected consumers with temporary rate caps on existing power companies. As rate caps have expired in Maryland and Delaware this year, consumers have faced rate increases from 50 percent to more than 100 percent.

In Virginia, a specially created subcommittee of a General Assembly

commission that monitors electric …