This assessment analyzes how the Nation’s power systems could accommodate various proposals for competition intended to make the electric power industry more responsive to market forces. Operation of an electric power system is extremely complex, and increased competition could have serious effects on costs and reliability if not implemented carefully. The assessment identifies the technical requirements that must be met to keep the system working well as the level of competition increases, and determines how competitive enterprises could meet these requirements.

As analytical technology improves, we are discovering dioxins associated with many products commonly found in the home and workplace. This report provides an assessment of these technologies; it does not address the policy issues related to regulating dioxin in paper products and controlling environmental release.

This background report responds to a request by the Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The subcommittee asked that OTA review the health effects of high-voltage transmission lines. To provide background information for its assessment on electric power wheeling, OTA contracted with the Carnegie-Mellon University.

This report discusses the benefits and challenges of distance education. It address the question how distance learning can change our approach to learning and how it can change us.

This report offers a brief review of the general characteristics of distance education, and reports the research of the 1980s on the main issues in teaching, learning, educational planning. organization and policy making with regard to use of communications technology in contemporary distance education.

This report discusses the history of distance learning technology, the number of new and complex technological devices that could be applied to distance learning.