IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v124y2019icp401-410.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transforming China's electricity sector: Politics of institutional change and regulation

Author

Listed:
  • Lin, Kun-Chin
  • Purra, Mika M.

Abstract

The political failure of China's first independent regulator in a strategic industry – the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC), 2002–2013 – provides a natural experiment to uncover fundamental challenges to a gradualist approach to electricity market formation. Taking a political institutional approach, we show that while it was largely predictable that the breakup of the monopolistic power industry in 2002 created bureaucratic and corporate interests that would undercut the institutional role of SERC, subsequent difficulties in reforming electricity pricing, dispatch system, and integrating renewable energy sources strongly suggests that a central regulatory body would be necessary to lead a decisive transition to a market-based electricity market.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Kun-Chin & Purra, Mika M., 2019. "Transforming China's electricity sector: Politics of institutional change and regulation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 401-410.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:124:y:2019:i:c:p:401-410
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.07.041
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518304889
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.07.041?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. Pollitt, M. & Yang, C-H. & Chen, H., 2017. "Reforming the Chinese Electricity Supply Sector: Lessons from International Experience," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1713, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    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. Rodrik, Dani, 2004. "Industrial Policy for the Twenty-First Century," CEPR Discussion Papers 4767, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Lam, Long T. & Branstetter, Lee & Azevedo, Inês M.L., 2017. "China's wind industry: Leading in deployment, lagging in innovation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 588-599.
    5. Andrews-Speed, Philip & Dow, Stephen, 2000. "Reform of China's electric power industry Challenges facing the government," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 335-347, May.
    6. Wirtshafter, Robert M. & Shih, Ed, 1990. "Decentralization of China's electricity sector: Is small beautiful?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 505-512, April.
    7. Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson, 2010. "The Role of Institutions in Growth and Development," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 1(2).
    8. Peter Nolan, 2001. "China and the Global Economy," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-59928-4.
    9. Ngar-yin Mah, Daphne & Wu, Yun-Ying & Ronald Hills, Peter, 2017. "Explaining the role of incumbent utilities in sustainable energy transitions: A case study of the smart grid development in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 794-806.
    10. Zhang, Sufang & Andrews-Speed, Philip & Li, Sitao, 2018. "To what extent will China's ongoing electricity market reforms assist the integration of renewable energy?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 165-172.
    11. Peter Nolan, 2001. "China and the Global Business Revolution," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-52410-1.
    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. Li, T. & Gao, C. & Pollitt, M. & Chen, T. & Ming H., 2022. "Measuring the effects of power system reform in Jiangsu province, China from the perspective of Social Cost Benefit Analysis," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2247, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    2. Yao, Xin & Huang, Ruting & Du, Kerui, 2019. "The impacts of market power on power grid efficiency: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 99-110.
    3. Zhu, Qingyuan & Xu, Shuqi & Sun, Jiasen & Li, Xingchen & Zhou, Dequn, 2022. "Energy efficiency evaluation of power supply system: A data-driven approach based on shared resources," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    4. Li, Aitong & Sun, Ying & Song, Xiaobin, 2023. "Gradual improvement and reactive intervention: China's policy pathway for developing the wind power industry," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    5. Li, Minghui & Liu, Chong & Shen, Chaohai, 2020. "Does cheap electricity in a target's location add value to the acquirer? Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    6. Zhang, M. & Yang, X.N., 2021. "Administrative framework barriers to energy storage development in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    7. Wenbo Li & Ruyin Long & Linling Zhang & Zhengxia He & Feiyu Chen & Hong Chen, 2020. "Greenhouse Gas Emission Transfer of Inter-Provincial Electricity Trade in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-14, November.
    8. Peng Wang & Meng Li, 2019. "Scenario Analysis in the Electric Power Industry under the Implementation of the Electricity Market Reform and a Carbon Policy in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-26, June.
    9. Liu, Jie & Qian, Haoqi & Zhang, Qian & Lin, Zhiyan & Siano, Pierluigi, 2023. "Corruption induced energy inefficiencies: Evidence from China's energy investment projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    10. Wang, Pengyu & Fang, Debin & Wang, Shuyi, 2022. "Optimal dynamic regulation in retail electricity market with consumer feedback and social learning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(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. Marco R. Di Tommaso & Stuart O. Schweitzer, 2013. "Industrial Policy in America," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13749.
    2. Grafström, Jonas, 2020. "An Austrian economic perspective on failed Chinese wind power development," Ratio Working Papers 336, The Ratio Institute.
    3. Chen, Hao & Cui, Jian & Song, Feng & Jiang, Zhigao, 2022. "Evaluating the impacts of reforming and integrating China's electricity sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Nolan, Peter & Zhang, Jin, 2002. "The Challenge of Globalization for Large Chinese Firms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(12), pages 2089-2107, December.
    5. Günseli Berik & Yana Van Der Meulen Rodgers, 2010. "Options for enforcing labour standards: Lessons from Bangladesh And Cambodia," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(1), pages 56-85.
    6. Daphne W. Yiu & Yuehua Xu & William P. Wan, 2014. "The Deterrence Effects of Vicarious Punishments on Corporate Financial Fraud," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(5), pages 1549-1571, October.
    7. Regina M. Abrami & Yu Zheng, 2010. "The New Face of Chinese Industrial Policy: Making Sense of Anti-Dumping Cases in the Petrochemical and Steel Industries," Harvard Business School Working Papers 11-042, Harvard Business School.
    8. Ye Fan & Zhicheng Zhang & Xiaoli Zhao & Haitao Yin, 2018. "Interaction between Industrial Policy and Stock Price Volatility: Evidence from China’s Power Market Reform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Daphne W. Yiu & Yuan Lu & Garry D. Bruton & Robert E. Hoskisson, 2007. "Business Groups: An Integrated Model to Focus Future Research," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(8), pages 1551-1579, December.
    10. Grace Kite, 2012. "The Impact of Information Technology Outsourcing on Productivity and Output: New Evidence from India," Working Papers 173, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    11. Knoerich, Jan, 2010. "Gaining from the global ambitions of emerging economy enterprises: An analysis of the decision to sell a German firm to a Chinese acquirer," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 177-191, June.
    12. Zhang, Tao & Li, Hong-Zhou & Xie, Bai-Chen, 2022. "Have renewables and market-oriented reforms constrained the technical efficiency improvement of China's electric grid utilities?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    13. Liu, Shiyu & Bie, Zhaohong & Lin, Jiang & Wang, Xifan, 2018. "Curtailment of renewable energy in Northwest China and market-based solutions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 494-502.
    14. Cheng, Chuntian & Chen, Fu & Li, Gang & Ristić, Bora & Mirchi, Ali & Qiyu, Tu & Madani, Kaveh, 2018. "Reform and renewables in China: The architecture of Yunnan's hydropower dominated electricity market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 682-693.
    15. Tan, Hao & Thurbon, Elizabeth & Kim, Sung-Young & Mathews, John A., 2021. "Overcoming incumbent resistance to the clean energy shift: How local governments act as change agents in coal power station closures in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    16. Christian Milelli & Françoise Hay, 2008. "Chinese and Indian firms’ entry into Europe: characteristics, impacts and policy implications," Working Papers hal-04140718, HAL.
    17. Jianyong Yue, 2022. "The Limits to China's Peaceful Rise – Deep Integration and a New Cold War," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(1), pages 91-106, February.
    18. David Ahlstrom & Garry D. Bruton, 2002. "An Institutional Perspective on the Role of Culture in Shaping Strategic Actions by Technology-Focused Entrepreneurial Firms in China," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(4), pages 53-68, July.
    19. Hengyun Ma & Les Oxley & John Gibson, 2009. "China’s Energy Situation and Its Implications in the New Millennium," Working Papers in Economics 09/01, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    20. Cai, Jing & Tylecote, Andrew, 2008. "Corporate governance and technological dynamism of Chinese firms in mobile telecommunications: A quantitative study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1790-1811, December.

    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:124:y:2019:i:c:p:401-410. 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.