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Product-Market Competition in the Water Industry: Voluntary Non-discriminatory Pricing

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Author Info
Reto Foellmi ()
Urs Meister ()

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Abstract

Since franchise bidding in the piped water industry is problematic due to extensive investment requirements, product-market competition or common carriage is a valuable alternative for the introduction of competition. This paper analyses product-market competition by considering a simple model of interconnection where competition is introduced between vertically integrated neighbouring water suppliers. The model contains water markets specificities such as local and decentralised networks and related difficulties of regulating access charges. Even without any regulation, we show that: (i) an inefficient incumbent will give up its monopoly position and lower the access price far enough so that the low-cost competitor can enter his home market; (ii) efficiency of production will rise due to liberalisation; and (iii) in contrary to prejudicial claims, investment incentives are not destroyed by the introduction of competition for the market. Investments of low-cost firms may even increase. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10842-005-3722-0
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Publisher Info
Article provided by Springer in its journal Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade.

Volume (Year): 5 (2005)
Issue (Month): 2 (June)
Pages: 115-135
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Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:5:y:2005:i:2:p:115-135

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Web page: http://springerlink.metapress.com/link.asp?id=105724

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Related research
Keywords: product-market competition; water industry; nondiscriminatory pricing;

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Paul A Grout, 2002. "Competition Law in Telecommunications and its Implications for Common Carriage of Water," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 02/056, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK. [Downloadable!]
  2. Cowan, Simon, 1993. "Regulation of Several Market Failures: The Water Industry in England and Wales," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 14-23, Winter.
  3. Mark Armstrong & Simon Cowan & John Vickers, 1994. "Regulatory Reform: Economic Analysis and British Experience," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262510790.
  4. Laffont, Jean-Jacques & Tirole, Jean, 1996. "Creating Competition through Interconnection: Theory and Practice," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 227-56, November.
  5. Stefan Buehler, 1999. "A Further Look at Two-way Network Competition in Telecommunications," Working Papers 9904, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2000. [Downloadable!]
  6. Armstrong, Mark, 1998. "Network Interconnection in Telecommunications," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(448), pages 545-64, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Renzetti, Steven, 1992. "Evaluating the welfare effects of reforming municipal water prices," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 147-163, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Harstad, Ronald M & Crew, Michael A, 1999. "Franchise Bidding without Holdups: Utility Regulation with Efficient Pricing and Choice of Provider," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 141-63, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Reto Foellmi & Urs Meister, 2004. "Enhancing Efficiency of Water Supply - Product Market Compoetition versus Trade," Working Papers 0025, University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU). [Downloadable!]
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