• Texans in the Houston area are flocking to competitive retail electric providers and leaving their former utilities, state figures show.
• The Public Utility Commission, which operates a website to help consumers figure out the best deals they can get for power, says 60% of consumers in the Houston area have switched from legacy utitiies to competitive providers, of which the state has more than 100.
• Observers say lower natural gas prices and contributions from wind energy are helping providers offer lower prices now.

From the article:

Nearly 60% of electric customers in the Houston area are taking advantage of deregulation by switching providers, according to the state's Public Utility Commission.