WASHINGTON–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–“The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that enrollment in natural gas and electricity ‘Customer Choice’ programs hit an all time record high in 2009 with nearly a half a million new consumers choosing competitive energy marketers over the 2008 statistics. Members of the National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) have been experiencing record growth in enrollments of residential and small business consumers in states with well-constructed, competitive natural gas and electricity choice programs,” said Craig Goodman, President of NEM and high-ranking energy policy official for three prior Presidents.

“In my opinion, the new emerging ‘Energy Services and Technology Industry’ is poised for explosive growth over the next three years”. “In my opinion, the new emerging ‘Energy Services and Technology Industry’ is poised for explosive growth over the next three years,” said Goodman. “States like New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio have been steadily improving their regulations to permit competitive energy suppliers to offer real savings and competitively-priced energy services and technologies to all consumers. This is especially good news for residential and small business customers, who historically have not had the opportunity to shop for their energy supplies. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio and New York have adopted a series of new energy policies which have allowed hundreds of thousands of small consumers to shop for energy in ways that were not available to them before,” added Goodman.

“The recession has forced consumers of all sizes to take a hard look at their energy costs, and our members have been quick to respond with an entire slate of energy services, pricing and technology offerings. EIA statistics just released confirm that consumers are responding to competitive offerings in record breaking numbers,” Goodman reports.

“As price caps continue to come off of electric utility rates later this year in Pennsylvania and both Maryland and Illinois begin to implement new utility billing practices, this could easily set the stage for many years of record growth for this emerging new highly competitive energy services and technology industry. At the same time, the growth in ‘Smart Grid’ technologies will save consumers additional energy costs. As more States enact progressive rules permitting consumers to choose their energy suppliers without penalties, it becomes an engine for economic growth both locally and nationally,” said Goodman.