IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v47y2015icp227-237.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

China's electricity market restructuring and technology mandates: Plant-level evidence for changing operational efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Ma, Chunbo
  • Zhao, Xiaoli

Abstract

China's electricity sector has experienced substantial efficiency improvement during the last one and a half decades. The recent literature has mostly attributed the efficiency improvement to the 2002 unbundling reform with little attention paid to the large scale retrofitting process introduced by technology mandates. Using a unique panel dataset for hundreds of power plants from 1997 to 2010, we are able to examine the contributions from technology mandates and market restructuring. We confirm the significant contributions from the unbundling reform but more importantly, technology mandates have contributed at least half of the observed efficiency improvement during this period. The results have significant implications for efficiency and demand forecast in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Chunbo & Zhao, Xiaoli, 2015. "China's electricity market restructuring and technology mandates: Plant-level evidence for changing operational efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 227-237.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:47:y:2015:i:c:p:227-237
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2014.11.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988314002977
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2014.11.012?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. Léopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2000. "Statistical Inference in Nonparametric Frontier Models: The State of the Art," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 49-78, January.
    2. Du, Limin & Mao, Jie & Shi, Jinchuan, 2009. "Assessing the impact of regulatory reforms on China's electricity generation industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 712-720, February.
    3. Zhao, Xiaoli & Ma, Chunbo, 2013. "Deregulation, vertical unbundling and the performance of China's large coal-fired power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 474-483.
    4. Yang, Hongliang & Pollitt, Michael, 2009. "Incorporating both undesirable outputs and uncontrollable variables into DEA: The performance of Chinese coal-fired power plants," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 197(3), pages 1095-1105, September.
    5. Reifschneider, David & Stevenson, Rodney, 1991. "Systematic Departures from the Frontier: A Framework for the Analysis of Firm Inefficiency," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 32(3), pages 715-723, August.
    6. Joskow, Paul L & Schmalensee, Richard, 1987. "The Performance of Coal-Burning Electric Generating Units in the United States: 1960-1980," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 2(2), pages 85-109, April.
    7. Hang Gao & Johannes Van Biesebroeck, 2014. "Effects of Deregulation and Vertical Unbundling on the Performance of China's Electricity Generation Sector," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 41-76, March.
    8. L. Dean Hiebert, 2002. "The Determinants of the Cost Efficiency of Electric Generating Plants: A Stochastic Frontier Approach," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 68(4), pages 935-946, April.
    9. Hughes, Andrew & Yaisawarng, Suthathip, 2004. "Sensitivity and dimensionality tests of DEA efficiency scores," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(2), pages 410-422, April.
    10. Du, Limin & He, Yanan & Yan, Jianye, 2013. "The effects of electricity reforms on productivity and efficiency of China's fossil-fired power plants: An empirical analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 804-812.
    11. Michael Maloney, 2001. "Economies and Diseconomies: Estimating Electricity Cost Functions," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 19(2), pages 165-180, September.
    12. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    13. Jing Cao & Richard Garbaccio & Mun S. Ho, 2009. "China's 11th Five-Year Plan and the Environment: Reducing SO 2 Emissions," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 3(2), pages 231-250, Summer.
    14. Ma, Chunbo & He, Lining, 2008. "From state monopoly to renewable portfolio: Restructuring China's electric utility," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1697-1711, May.
    15. Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 1998. "Sensitivity Analysis of Efficiency Scores: How to Bootstrap in Nonparametric Frontier Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 49-61, January.
    16. L. Dean Hiebert, 2002. "The Determinants of the Cost Efficiency of Electric Generating Plants: A Stochastic Frontier Approach," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 68(4), pages 935-946, April.
    17. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-332.
    18. Pun-Lee Lam & Alice Shiu, 2004. "Efficiency and Productivity of China's Thermal Power Generation," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 24(1), pages 73-93, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Zhao, Xiaoli & Ma, Chunbo, 2013. "Deregulation, vertical unbundling and the performance of China's large coal-fired power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 474-483.
    2. Zhang, Ning & Jiang, Xue-Feng, 2019. "The effect of environmental policy on Chinese firm's green productivity and shadow price: A metafrontier input distance function approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 129-136.
    3. Ghosh, Ranjan & Kathuria, Vinish, 2016. "The effect of regulatory governance on efficiency of thermal power generation in India: A stochastic frontier analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 11-24.
    4. See, Kok Fong & Coelli, Tim, 2012. "An analysis of factors that influence the technical efficiency of Malaysian thermal power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 677-685.
    5. Du, Limin & He, Yanan & Yan, Jianye, 2013. "The effects of electricity reforms on productivity and efficiency of China's fossil-fired power plants: An empirical analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 804-812.
    6. Li, Gao & Ruonan, Li & Yingdan, Mei & Xiaoli, Zhao, 2022. "Improve technical efficiency of China's coal-fired power enterprises: Taking a coal-fired-withdrawl context," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    7. Franz R. Hahn, 2007. "Determinants of Bank Efficiency in Europe. Assessing Bank Performance Across Markets," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 31499, March.
    8. Thanh Ngo & Kan Wai Hong Tsui, 2022. "Estimating the confidence intervals for DEA efficiency scores of Asia-Pacific airlines," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3411-3434, September.
    9. Chen, Zhongfei & Barros, Carlos Pestana & Borges, Maria Rosa, 2015. "A Bayesian stochastic frontier analysis of Chinese fossil-fuel electricity generation companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 136-144.
    10. Sucharita Ghosh & Camilla Mastromarco, 2013. "Cross-border Economic Activities, Human Capital and Efficiency: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis for OECD Countries," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(6), pages 761-785, June.
    11. de Borger, Bruno & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Staat, Matthias, 2008. "Transit costs and cost efficiency: Bootstrapping non-parametric frontiers," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 53-64, January.
    12. Du, Limin & Mao, Jie, 2015. "Estimating the environmental efficiency and marginal CO2 abatement cost of coal-fired power plants in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 347-356.
    13. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    14. Fitzová, Hana & Matulová, Markéta, 2020. "Comparison of urban public transport systems in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Factors underpinning efficiency," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    15. Renjie Yu & Peng Yuan & Fandi Yang & Gongxiong Jiang, 2023. "Effects of Vertical Unbundling on the Operational and Environmental Efficiency of Chinese Thermal Power Firms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-22, October.
    16. Hou, Zheng & Roseta-Palma, Catarina & Ramalho, Joaquim J.S., 2024. "Can operational efficiency in the Portuguese electricity sector be improved? Yes, but..," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    17. Triebs, Thomas P. & Pollitt, Michael G., 2019. "Objectives and incentives: Evidence from the privatization of Great Britain’s power plants," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-29.
    18. Huang, Wei & Eling, Martin, 2013. "An efficiency comparison of the non-life insurance industry in the BRIC countries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 226(3), pages 577-591.
    19. Eisenberg, Tom, 2024. "Missing data and the effects of market deregulation: Evidence from Chinese coal power," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    20. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Christopher F. Parmeter & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2022. "Stochastic Frontier Analysis: Foundations and Advances I," Springer Books, in: Subhash C. Ray & Robert G. Chambers & Subal C. Kumbhakar (ed.), Handbook of Production Economics, chapter 8, pages 331-370, Springer.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Efficiency; Deregulation; Electricity; China; Technology mandate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L98 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Government Policy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eneeco:v:47:y:2015:i:c:p:227-237. 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/eneco .

    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.