ADN OpEd by Jeff Cook.  (Author’s note: Ill informed consumers–often let by politicians with special interest agendas–sometimes accuse energy providers of rigging prices.  While such a regretable circumstance is always possible, it is rare, due partly to the web of regulatory and statutory constraints guarding against bad practices.  Increasingly, as politicians make energy prices more expensive by increasing regulatory burdens and blocking domestic exploration and attempting to subsidize uneconomic alternate energy industries, they will attempt to demonize the fossil energy producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.  The lesson to be learned by reading Jeff Cook’s excellent piece is this: before publicly criticising your energy provider, ask for an explanation. Chances are, you’ll be satisfied that the company is doing the best it can to be competitive while satisfying its customers and making a profit which allows it to remain in business.  If this is not the case, then criticism is certainly in order.   -dh)