Prior to 1992, very few people had heard the term power marketing. Today, power marketing is well recognized, however, few people know what is behind the industry＇s exponential growth. This communication, which is based on a major study recently completed for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), explains what power marketing is, who the power marketers are, what they do, and what＇s behind the industry＇s explosive growth in the past few years. It also explains what types of products and services power marketers offer, and what are the fundamental drivers of this demand. Understanding the last item is particularly significant, namely tbe growth of power marketing in the context of the rapid restructuring of the wholesale - soon to be followed by the retail - electricity markets in the US,