When Can Lubbock Residents Select An Electricity Provider?

I personally don't have a problem with Lubbock Power and Light, and never really have.

Oh sure, I've got some shocker bills from LP&L just like everyone else, but until I have another source to compare it to, I can't complain too much. My mother in California however, couldn't believe the rates we were paying (seems like California would be higher, doesn't it?).

Wild fluctuations in bills are one of the main problems, but it seems that a lack of customer service is what causes many people to flip out. That's the problem with having something like a power company ingrained in a government bureaucracy, there seems to be that "government employee indifferent attitude" whether real or imagined.

This leaves residents chomping at the bit to select a new provider. The big question is "when"? Well, I went down a deep, dark, and very murky rabbit hole, and found few answers. If you Google the question one of the first answers is from L.P.&L. which says late July or August (come and gone). TXU Energy says "as soon as late 2023". BKV Energy says "In October 2023" and my friends at Reliant Energy just offer a "stay informed" button to let you know as soon as they know (probably the best way to handle this). L.P.&L's actual site has a little map that shows customers should be able to choose in early 2024 and get their final L.P.&L. bill in March of 2024 (I put their prognostification last because I think it's most apt to change).

When the options open up, residents will not have the option to stay with L.P.&L. You'll have to choose a provider or one will be chosen for you. I can tell you that Lubbock residents are ready. Residents want to see if having a choice makes a difference in pricing or service, and if they can get a little consistency in either.

So, the power to choose is coming, but right now it's a giant Gordian knot that no one seems to be in a hurry to cut.

Wes Nessman is a paid endorser for Reliant Energy.