31.   Still, nothing about stranded costs is set.

32.   Stranded costs are investments utilities are unlikely to recover in a competitive market.

33.   Stranded costs are generally the cost overruns on nuclear plants built in the last two decades.

34.   Stranded costs came from investments in power plants, especially nuclear ones, and long-term power purchase agreements.

35.   That means higher profits to recoup stranded costs.

36.   That gap will widen under deregulation because those utilities will probably have a harder time reducing their stranded costs.

37.   The controversial history of nuclear power, though, makes it the most visible stranded cost.

38.   The EEI, which supports deregulation but has members on both sides, says any legislation must take stranded costs and other expenses into account.

39.   The House bill allowed utilities to ask a state board for full reimbursement for their so-called stranded costs.

40.   The percentage of stranded costs that utilities and their shareholders will have to assume remains to be worked out, Dean said.