IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v105y2017icp375-385.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ideas, institutions and interests in the politics of cross-border electricity interconnection: Greenlink, Britain and Ireland

Author

Listed:
  • Dutton, Joseph
  • Lockwood, Matthew

Abstract

Increasing electricity interconnection is necessary for both closer market integration and facilitating more renewable generation across the European Union. However, progress on the ground has been slow. This paper adds to the literature on the politics of interconnection through a case study of a proposed link between Ireland and Great Britain. We analyse how the institutional setting for investment has evolved at EU and Member State level, and how the influence of stakeholders is mediated by the ability of actors to define their interests and by institutional points of entry. Using this framework we examine the Greenwire/Greenlink project. We find first that developments in the institutional context, especially the adoption of a new cap-and-floor regime for merchant investment by the GB regulator, have had both positive and negative impacts on the project. Second, we find that regulators and governments in the two markets, have found it hard to define their interests in the project, and its net social benefit, due to informational complexities and changes in information over time. Third, the project has met with local public opposition that is strong but which has little leverage due to a lack of institutional entry points.

Suggested Citation

  • Dutton, Joseph & Lockwood, Matthew, 2017. "Ideas, institutions and interests in the politics of cross-border electricity interconnection: Greenlink, Britain and Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 375-385.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:105:y:2017:i:c:p:375-385
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.03.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421517301416
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.03.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gorecki, Paul K., 2013. "Ensuring compatibility of the all-island electricity system with the target model: Fitting a square peg into a round hole?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 677-688.
    2. Yihui Pan & Tracy Yue Wang & Michael S Weisbach, 2018. "How Management Risk Affects Corporate Debt," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(9), pages 3491-3531.
    3. Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura, 2009. "Welfare and competition effects of electricity interconnection between Ireland and Great Britain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4679-4688, November.
    4. van Koten, Silvester, 2012. "Merchant interconnector projects by generators in the EU: Profitability and allocation of capacity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 748-758.
    5. ., 2016. "Monetary integration in Europe," Chapters, in: The International Monetary System and the Theory of Monetary Systems, chapter 23, pages 228-244, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Turvey, Ralph, 2006. "Interconnector economics," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(13), pages 1457-1472, September.
    7. Pollitt, Michael, 2008. "The arguments for and against ownership unbundling of energy transmission networks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 704-713, February.
    8. Denny, E. & Tuohy, A. & Meibom, P. & Keane, A. & Flynn, D. & Mullane, A. & O'Malley, M., 2010. "The impact of increased interconnection on electricity systems with large penetrations of wind generation: A case study of Ireland and Great Britain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6946-6954, November.
    9. Newbery, David & Strbac, Goran & Viehoff, Ivan, 2016. "The benefits of integrating European electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 253-263.
    10. de Nooij, Michiel, 2011. "Social cost-benefit analysis of electricity interconnector investment: A critical appraisal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3096-3105, June.
    11. Spiecker, Stephan & Vogel, Philip & Weber, Christoph, 2013. "Evaluating interconnector investments in the north European electricity system considering fluctuating wind power penetration," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 114-127.
    12. Battaglini, Antonella & Komendantova, Nadejda & Brtnik, Patricia & Patt, Anthony, 2012. "Perception of barriers for expansion of electricity grids in the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 254-259.
    13. Mitchell, C. & Bauknecht, D. & Connor, P.M., 2006. "Effectiveness through risk reduction: a comparison of the renewable obligation in England and Wales and the feed-in system in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 297-305, February.
    14. Jacques Pelkmans & Lionel Kapff, 2010. "Interconnector Investment for a Well-functioning Internal Market. What EU regime of regulatory incentives?," Bruges European Economic Research Papers 18, European Economic Studies Department, College of Europe.
    15. McInerney, Celine & Bunn, Derek, 2013. "Valuation anomalies for interconnector transmission rights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 565-578.
    16. Gaynor, Joseph, 2016. "Incorporating Big Data into Market News Reporting," Agricultural Outlook Forum 2016 236860, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Outlook Forum.
    17. Alex Ng & Raymond A. K. Cox, 2016. "Corporate takeovers in the US oil and gas sector," Journal of Economic and Financial Studies (JEFS), LAR Center Press, vol. 4(1), pages 23-34, February.
    18. El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Wang, He & Kwok, Chuck C.Y., 2016. "Family control and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 131-146.
    19. ., 2016. "Comparisons with other European Capitals of Culture," Chapters, in: Urban Strategies for Culture-Driven Growth, chapter 8, pages 135-158, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Intini, Mario & Waterson, Michael, 2020. "Do British wind generators behave strategically in response to the Western Link interconnector?," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1242, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    2. Brennan, Noreen & van Rensburg, Thomas M., 2020. "Public preferences for wind farms involving electricity trade and citizen engagement in Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    3. Diyun Huang & Dirk Van Hertem, 2018. "Cross-Border Electricity Transmission Network Investment: Perspective and Risk Framework of Third Party Investors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Philip Mayer & Christopher Stephen Ball & Stefan Vögele & Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs & Dirk Rübbelke, 2019. "Analyzing Brexit: Implications for the Electricity System of Great Britain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-27, August.
    5. Xu, Jin-Hua & Yi, Bo-Wen & Fan, Ying, 2020. "Economic viability and regulation effects of infrastructure investments for inter-regional electricity transmission and trade in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muireann Á. Lynch & Richard Tol & Mark J. O’Malley, 2014. "Minimising costs and variability of electricity generation by means of optimal electricity interconnection utilisation," Working Paper Series 6814, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    2. Intini, Mario & Waterson, Michael, 2020. "Do British wind generators behave strategically in response to the Western Link interconnector?," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 455, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    3. Newbery, David & Pollitt, Michael G. & Ritz, Robert A. & Strielkowski, Wadim, 2018. "Market design for a high-renewables European electricity system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 695-707.
    4. Egerer, Jonas & Kunz, Friedrich & Hirschhausen, Christian von, 2013. "Development scenarios for the North and Baltic Seas Grid – A welfare economic analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 123-134.
    5. Lidia Puka & Kacper Szulecki, 2014. "Beyond the "Grid-Lock" in Electricity Interconnectors: The Case of Germany and Poland," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1378, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Curtis, John & Devitt, Niamh & di Cosmo, Valeria & Farrell, Niall & FitzGerald, John & Hyland, Marie & Lynch, Muireann & Lyons, Sean & McCoy, Daire & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura & Walsh, Darragh, 2014. "Irish Energy Policy: An Analysis of Current Issues," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number rs37 edited by FitzGerald, John & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura, June.
    7. Newbery, David & Gissey, Giorgio Castagneto & Guo, Bowei & Dodds, Paul E., 2019. "The private and social value of British electrical interconnectors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    8. Di Cosmo, Valeria & Lynch, Muireann Á., 2016. "Competition and the single electricity market: Which lessons for Ireland?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 40-47.
    9. John Curtis, Valeria Di Cosmo, and Paul Deane, 2014. "Climate policy, interconnection and carbon leakage: The effect of unilateral UK policy on electricity and GHG emissions in Ireland," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    10. Javier Bustos-Salvagno & Fernando Fuentes H., 2017. "Electricity Interconnection in Chile: Prices versus Costs," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
    11. McInerney, Celine & Bunn, Derek, 2013. "Valuation anomalies for interconnector transmission rights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 565-578.
    12. Jacques Pelkmans & Lionel Kapff, 2010. "Interconnector Investment for a Well-functioning Internal Market. What EU regime of regulatory incentives?," Bruges European Economic Research Papers 18, European Economic Studies Department, College of Europe.
    13. Chamorro, José M. & Abadie, Luis M. & de Neufville, Richard & Ilić, Marija, 2012. "Market-based valuation of transmission network expansion. A heuristic application in GB," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 302-320.
    14. Sébastien Phan & Fabien Roques, 2015. "Is the depressive effect of renewables on power prices contagious? A cross border econometric analysis," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1527, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    15. Gorecki, Paul K., 2011. "The Internal EU Electricity Market: Implications for Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS23, June.
    16. Nepal, Rabindra & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2012. "Interconnections and market integration in the Irish Single Electricity Market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 425-434.
    17. Abadie, Luis María & Chamorro, José Manuel, 2021. "Evaluation of a cross-border electricity interconnection: The case of Spain-France," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    18. Do, Hung Xuan & Nepal, Rabindra & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Electricity market integration, decarbonisation and security of supply: Dynamic volatility connectedness in the Irish and Great Britain markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    19. Luigi De Paoli & Elena Fumagalli, 2013. "Estimating welfare losses and gains in explicit auctions for power trade: an application to the Italian case," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(2), pages 153-181.
    20. Samarth Kumar & David Schönheit & Matthew Schmidt & Dominik Möst, 2019. "Parsing the Effects of Wind and Solar Generation on the German Electricity Trade Surplus," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:105:y:2017:i:c:p:375-385. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.