Matthew Falconer, member of the Government Efficiency Task Force, contributed a guest column to Sunshine State News discussing why the Florida economy could be vastly improved by energy deregulation.

In the piece, Falconer wrote that if deregulation can reduce energy costs by 5 percent a year for four years, the annual energy cost to Florida taxpayers by $3 billion a year.

Falconers says if energy is properly deregulated in Florida, any company can buy power from any producer, use any distribution line for free, and sell to any customer. The competition will result in more efficient administration of energy and lower prices.

New York changed to a deregulated electric market and is still unsure if there are benefits.

"Even now the jury is really still out," Arthur Kremer, chairman of the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance, told The Capitol. "It may take another five to 10 years before we figure out whether or not it was a success. It's really hard to pinpoint right now what it is."

Kevin Jones, a professor at Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and the Environment, told the paper that deregulation was "a mixed success" and there were missed opportunities to make the system better.