IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juipol/v50y2018icp13-25.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regulatory and ownership determinants of unbundling regime choice for European electricity transmission utilities

Author

Listed:
  • Meletiou, Alexis
  • Cambini, Carlo
  • Masera, Marcelo

Abstract

One of the fundamental provisions of the European electricity directives is the so-called unbundling of structures and functions. Vertical disintegration with Full Unbundling (ownership unbundling or independent system operation) is considered an important step toward electricity market restructuring. While Full Unbundling (FU) models appear to be the most prevalent, several European countries adhered solely to less stringent forms of unbundling. Using a dataset of the 35 major electricity transmission utilities in Europe, this study provides an econometric analysis to understand the individual effect of regulation and ownership structure on the decision to adopt more stringent unbundling regimes. The overall results show that incentive-based or hybrid regulatory schemes and private ownership, are associated with a higher probability that a country will opt for FU.

Suggested Citation

  • Meletiou, Alexis & Cambini, Carlo & Masera, Marcelo, 2018. "Regulatory and ownership determinants of unbundling regime choice for European electricity transmission utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 13-25.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:50:y:2018:i:c:p:13-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2018.01.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178716303174
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jup.2018.01.006?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. Crispim, João & Braz, José & Castro, Rui & Esteves, Jorge, 2014. "Smart Grids in the EU with smart regulation: Experiences from the UK, Italy and Portugal," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 85-93.
    2. Paul L. Joskow, 2014. "Incentive Regulation in Theory and Practice: Electricity Distribution and Transmission Networks," NBER Chapters, in: Economic Regulation and Its Reform: What Have We Learned?, pages 291-344, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Joskow Paul L., 2008. "Incentive Regulation and Its Application to Electricity Networks," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 7(4), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Pollitt, Michael, 2009. "Evaluating the evidence on electricity reform: Lessons for the South East Europe (SEE) market," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 13-23, March.
    5. Gert Brunekreeft & Mika Goto & Roland Meyer & Masahiro Maruyama & Toru Hattori, 2014. "Unbundling of Electricity Transmission System Operators in Germany – An Experience Report," Bremen Energy Working Papers 0016, Bremen Energy Research.
    6. Tanrisever, Fehmi & Derinkuyu, Kursad & Jongen, Geert, 2015. "Organization and functioning of liberalized electricity markets: An overview of the Dutch market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1363-1374.
    7. Carlo Fiorio & Massimo Florio, 2009. "The reform of network industries, privatisation and consumers’ welfare: evidence from the EU15," UNIMI - Research Papers in Economics, Business, and Statistics unimi-1088, Universitá degli Studi di Milano.
    8. Bortolotti, Bernardo & Cambini, Carlo & Rondi, Laura, 2013. "Reluctant regulation," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 804-828.
    9. Joseph P. Fuhr, 1990. "Vertical Integration and Regulation in the Electric Utility Industry," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 173-187, March.
    10. Carlo Fiorio & Massimo Florio & Raffaele Doronzo, 2007. "The Electricity Industry Reform Paradigm in the European Union: Testing the Impact on Consumers," UNIMI - Research Papers in Economics, Business, and Statistics unimi-1066, Universitá degli Studi di Milano.
    11. Moselle, Boaz, 2008. "Reforming TSOs: Using the 'Third Package' Legislation to Promote Efficiency and Accelerate Regional Integration in EU Wholesale Power Markets," The Electricity Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(8), pages 9-17, October.
    12. Paul Nillesen & Michael Pollitt, 2011. "Ownership Unbundling in Electricity Distribution: Empirical Evidence from New Zealand," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 38(1), pages 61-93, January.
    13. Lo Schiavo, Luca & Delfanti, Maurizio & Fumagalli, Elena & Olivieri, Valeria, 2013. "Changing the regulation for regulating the change: Innovation-driven regulatory developments for smart grids, smart metering and e-mobility in Italy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 506-517.
    14. Larry Blank & John Mayo, 2009. "Endogenous Regulatory Constraints and the Emergence of Hybrid Regulation," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 35(3), pages 233-255, November.
    15. Pollitt, Michael, 2008. "The arguments for and against ownership unbundling of energy transmission networks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 704-713, February.
    16. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
    17. Faccio, Mara & Lang, Larry H. P., 2002. "The ultimate ownership of Western European corporations," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 365-395, September.
    18. Christine Brandstätt & Gert Brunekreeft & Nele Friedrichsen, 2011. "Locational signals to reduce network investments in smart distribution grids: what works and what not?," Bremen Energy Working Papers 0007, Bremen Energy Research.
    19. Richard Green & Arturo Lorenzoni & Yannick Perez & Michael Pollitt, 2006. "Benchmarking Electricity Liberalisation in Europe," Working Papers EPRG 0609, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    20. Brandstätt, Christine & Brunekreeft, Gert & Friedrichsen, Nele, 2011. "Locational signals to reduce network investments in smart distribution grids: What works and what not?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 244-254.
    21. Carlo Cambini & Laura Rondi, 2010. "Incentive regulation and investment: evidence from European energy utilities," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 1-26, August.
    22. Paul L. Joskow, 2006. "Incentive Regulation for Electricity Networks," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 4(02), pages 3-9, July.
    23. Cambini, Carlo & Meletiou, Alexis & Bompard, Ettore & Masera, Marcelo, 2016. "Market and regulatory factors influencing smart-grid investment in Europe: Evidence from pilot projects and implications for reform," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 36-47.
    24. Giannakis, Dimitrios & Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2005. "Benchmarking and incentive regulation of quality of service: an application to the UK electricity distribution networks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(17), pages 2256-2271, November.
    25. Nardi, Paolo, 2012. "Transmission network unbundling and grid investments: Evidence from the UCTE countries," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 50-58.
    26. Brunekreeft, Gert, 2015. "Network unbundling and flawed coordination: Experience from the electricity sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 11-18.
    27. Höffler, Felix & Kranz, Sebastian, 2011. "Legal unbundling can be a golden mean between vertical integration and ownership separation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 576-588, September.
    28. van Koten, S. & Ortmann, A., 2008. "The unbundling regime for electricity utilities in the EU: A case of legislative and regulatory capture?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 3128-3140, November.
    29. repec:ces:ifodic:v:4:y:2006:i:2:p:14567496 is not listed on IDEAS
    30. Gugler, Klaus & Rammerstorfer, Margarethe & Schmitt, Stephan, 2013. "Ownership unbundling and investment in electricity markets — A cross country study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 702-713.
    31. Tahvanainen, Kaisa & Honkapuro, Samuli & Partanen, Jarmo & Viljainen, Satu, 2012. "Experiences of modern rate of return regulation in Finland," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 32-39.
    32. Paul L. Joskow, 2006. "Incentive Regulation for Electricity Networks," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 4(2), pages 3-9, 07.
    33. Roland Meyer, 2012. "Vertical Economies and the Costs of Separating Electricity Supply--A Review of Theoretical and Empirical Literature," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4).
    34. Ajodhia, Virendra & Hakvoort, Rudi, 2005. "Economic regulation of quality in electricity distribution networks," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 211-221, September.
    35. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2008. "Liberalisation and R&D in network industries: The case of the electricity industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6-7), pages 995-1008, July.
    36. Lindemann, Henrik, 2015. "Regulatory Objectives and the Intensity of Unbundling in Electricity Markets," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-544, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    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. Philipp Steinbrunner, 2023. "I want a quiet life! On productivity and competition in the Central European energy sector," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(2), pages 403-428, April.
    2. Eckert, Sandra, 2020. "EU agencies in banking and energy between institutional and policy centralisation," SAFE Working Paper Series 278, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    3. Staudt, Philipp & Oren, Shmuel S., 2021. "Merchant transmission in single-price electricity markets with cost-based redispatch," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    4. Ribeiro, Beatriz Couto & Ferrero, Luciane Graziele Pereira & Bin, Adriana & Blind, Knut, 2023. "Effects of innovation stimuli regulation in the electricity sector: A quantitative study on European countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Juyong Lee & Youngsang Cho & Yoonmo Koo & Chansoo Park, 2018. "Effects of Market Reform on Facility Investment in Electric Power Industry: Panel Data Analysis of 27 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Philipp Steinbrunner, 2024. "Are governments bad entrepreneurs? On productivity and public ownership in Central European post‐Communist countries," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 33-66, March.
    7. Eckert, Sandra, 2022. "The limits of joint-institutional frameworks for sectoral governance in EU-Swiss bilateral relations: Lessons for future relations with the UK," SAFE Working Paper Series 341, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    8. Sugimoto, Kota, 2021. "Ownership versus legal unbundling of electricity transmission network: Evidence from renewable energy investment in Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    9. Sandra Eckert, 2022. "Sectoral Governance under the EU's Bilateral Agreements and the Limits of Joint Institutional Frameworks: Insights from EU‐Swiss Bilateralism for Post‐Brexit Relations with the UK," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1190-1210, July.

    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. Sugimoto, Kota, 2021. "Ownership versus legal unbundling of electricity transmission network: Evidence from renewable energy investment in Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Gugler, Klaus & Rammerstorfer, Margarethe & Schmitt, Stephan, 2013. "Ownership unbundling and investment in electricity markets — A cross country study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 702-713.
    3. Schreiner, Lena & Madlener, Reinhard, 2022. "Investing in power grid infrastructure as a flexibility option: A DSGE assessment for Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Yuan, Peng & Pu, Yuran & Liu, Chang, 2021. "Improving electricity supply reliability in China: Cost and incentive regulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    5. Schober, Dominik, 2013. "Static vs. dynamic impacts of unbundling: Electricity markets in South America," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-033, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Bastianin, Andrea & Castelnovo, Paolo & Florio, Massimo, 2018. "Evaluating regulatory reform of network industries: a survey of empirical models based on categorical proxies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 115-128.
    7. Poudineh, Rahmatallah & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2016. "Determinants of investment under incentive regulation: The case of the Norwegian electricity distribution networks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 193-202.
    8. Buchmann, Marius, 2017. "Governance of data and information management in smart distribution grids: Increase efficiency by balancing coordination and competition," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 63-72.
    9. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2007. "Incentive regulation of electricity distribution networks: Lessons of experience from Britain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6163-6187, December.
    10. Jamasb, Tooraj & Orea, Luis & Pollitt, Michael, 2012. "Estimating the marginal cost of quality improvements: The case of the UK electricity distribution companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1498-1506.
    11. Andrea Bastianin & Paolo Castelnovo & Massimo Florio, 2017. "The Empirics of Regulatory Reforms Proxied by Categorical Variables: Recent Findings and Methodological Issues," ETA: Economic Theory and Applications 257877, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    12. Saastamoinen, Antti & Kuosmanen, Timo, 2016. "Quality frontier of electricity distribution: Supply security, best practices, and underground cabling in Finland," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 281-292.
    13. Marius Buchmann, 2016. "Information Management in Smart Grids - Who Should Govern Information Management to Balance Between Coordination and Competition on the Distribution Grid Level?," Bremen Energy Working Papers 0022, Bremen Energy Research.
    14. Cambini, Carlo & Meletiou, Alexis & Bompard, Ettore & Masera, Marcelo, 2016. "Market and regulatory factors influencing smart-grid investment in Europe: Evidence from pilot projects and implications for reform," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 36-47.
    15. Summanen, Tuomo & Arminen, Heli, 2018. "Ownership unbundling in electricity distribution: The Russian experience," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 1199-1210.
    16. Lindemann, Henrik, 2015. "Regulatory Objectives and the Intensity of Unbundling in Electricity Markets," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-544, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    17. Nykamp, Stefan & Andor, Mark & Hurink, Johann L., 2012. "‘Standard’ incentive regulation hinders the integration of renewable energy generation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 222-237.
    18. Agrell, Per J. & Bogetoft, Peter & Mikkers, Misja, 2013. "Smart-grid investments, regulation and organization," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 656-666.
    19. Tooraj Jamasb & Rabindra Nepal & Govinda Timilsina & Michael Toman, 2014. "Energy Sector Reform, Economic Efficiency and Poverty Reduction," Discussion Papers Series 529, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    20. Klaus Heine, 2013. "Inside the black box: incentive regulation and incentive channeling on energy markets," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 17(1), pages 157-186, February.

    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:juipol:v:50:y:2018:i:c:p:13-25. 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: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/utilities-policy .

    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.