"An annotated guide to literature and bodies concerned with rates, economics, accounting, regulation, history, and statistics of electric, gas, telephone, and water companies."--T.p.

In this introduction to the literature of the public utilities, Roess covers publications that deal with public utilities in general, and the more specific publications that deal with the unique features of each utility industry: electric power, natural gas, water, and telephone. Bibliographic guides, glossaries and dictionaries, abstracting and indexing services, databases, regulatory reporting services, texts and monographs, periodicals, and other publications are listed, such as conference proceedings and standards. This literature guide is directed to those interested in the public utility industries, whether they are general readers or researchers. It shows the vastness of the literature and points the user to the more important information sources, as well as to organizations to contact for further information.

Public Utilities and The Poor examines an often-neglected aspect of utility policy: the development of new policy directions for utility assistance to the low-income and the elderly. It focuses on the shift in utility assistance policy-making from the federal to the state, local, and neighborhood levels and on the resulting opportunity among private utilities for leadership in developing local programs. In addition, the authors propose that steps be taken to open up the policy-making process to make sure that all groups with a stake in the outcome are included.