Book excerpt: Deregulation is a fairly new paradigm in the electric power industry. And just as in the case of other industries where it has been introduced, the goal of deregulation is to enhance competition and bring consumers new choices and economic benefits. The process has, obviously, necessitated reformulation of established models of power system operation and control activities. Similarly, issues such as system reliability, control, security and power quality in this new environment have come in for scrutiny and debate. In this book, we attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the deregulation process that has developed till now, focussing on the operation aspects. As of now, restructured electricity markets have been established in various degrees and forms in many countries. This book comes at a time when the deregulation process is poised to undergo further rapid advancements. It is envisaged that the reader will benefit by way of an enhanced understanding of power system operations in the conventional vertically integrated environment vis-a-vis the deregulated environment. The book is aimed at a wide range of audience- electric utility personnel involved in scheduling, dispatch, grid operations and related activities, personnel involved in energy trading businesses and electricity markets, institutions involved in energy sector financing. Power engineers, energy economists, researchers in utilities and universities should find the treatment of mathematical models as well as emphasis on recent research work helpful.