IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/enreec/v88y2025i7d10.1007_s10640-025-00989-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economies of Scope in the Water-Energy Nexus

Author

Listed:
  • Adam Fuller

    (Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI))

  • Steven M. Smith

    (Colorado School of Mines)

Abstract

Utilities provide essential services that underpin social welfare and economic activity. There is a robust literature on how to best organize the provision of these activities, but no consensus has emerged on the presence and extent of economies of scope in the utility sector. We consider how the scope of a utility relates to residential prices. In contrast to the existing literature, our study focuses on utilities within the US and that provide services across distinct sectors (water and electricity), and we directly consider price implications. Specifically, we draw on surveys in 2017 and 2021 of around 400 water utilities – 14 percent of which also provide electricity – to generate empirical evidence on where joint water-electric utilities tend to operate and their association with retail prices for water and electricity. We find significant evidence that water charges are 18 percent lower among the joint utilities than water only utilities. Ancillary data and analysis suggest electricity rates are also lower, indicating significant economies of scope are available. Our evidence addresses canonical gaps related to questions of the boundary of the firm and economies of scope in this important supply node of the water-energy nexus that can inform considerations of restructuring the provision of these services.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Fuller & Steven M. Smith, 2025. "Economies of Scope in the Water-Energy Nexus," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 88(7), pages 1831-1856, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:88:y:2025:i:7:d:10.1007_s10640-025-00989-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-025-00989-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10640-025-00989-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10640-025-00989-9?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mehdi Farsi & Aurelio Fetz & Massimo Filippini, 2008. "Economies of Scale and Scope in Multi-Utilities," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4), pages 123-144.
    2. Katrina Jessoe & Gabriel E. Lade & Frank Loge & Edward Spang, 2021. "Spillovers from Behavioral Interventions: Experimental Evidence from Water and Energy Use," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(2), pages 315-346.
    3. Worthington, Andrew C. & Higgs, Helen, 2014. "Economies of scale and scope in Australian urban water utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 52-62.
    4. Oliver Hart & Bengt Holmstrom, 2010. "A Theory of Firm Scope," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(2), pages 483-513.
    5. Bengt Holmstrom & John Roberts, 1998. "The Boundaries of the Firm Revisited," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 73-94, Fall.
    6. Céline Nauges & Caroline Berg, 2008. "Economies of density, scale and scope in the water supply and sewerage sector: a study of four developing and transition economies," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 144-163, October.
    7. A. Yatchew, 2000. "Scale economies in electricity distribution: a semiparametric analysis," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(2), pages 187-210.
    8. Werner Troesken, 2003. "Municipalizing American Waterworks, 1897--1915," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 373-400, October.
    9. Arunava Bhattacharyya & Elliott Parker & Kambiz Raffiee, 1994. "An Examination of the Effect of Ownership on the Relative Efficiency of Public and Private Water Utilities," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 70(2), pages 197-209.
    10. Emily Oster, 2019. "Unobservable Selection and Coefficient Stability: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 187-204, April.
    11. Andrea Guerrini & Giulia Romano & Bettina Campedelli, 2013. "Economies of Scale, Scope, and Density in the Italian Water Sector: A Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(13), pages 4559-4578, October.
    12. Philippe Aghion & Richard Holden, 2011. "Incomplete Contracts and the Theory of the Firm: What Have We Learned over the Past 25 Years?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(2), pages 181-197, Spring.
    13. Sing, Merrile, 1987. "Are Combination Gas and Electric Utilities Multiproduct Natural Monopolies?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 69(3), pages 392-398, August.
    14. Teece, David J., 1980. "Economies of scope and the scope of the enterprise," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 223-247, September.
    15. Alston, Lee J. & Gillespie, William, 1989. "Resource coordination and transaction costs : A framework for analyzing the firm/market boundary," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 191-212, March.
    16. Marques, Rui Cunha & De Witte, Kristof, 2011. "Is big better? On scale and scope economies in the Portuguese water sector," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 1009-1016, May.
    17. Smith, Steven M., 2022. "The effects of individualized water rates on use and equity," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    18. Youn Kim, H. & Clark, Robert M., 1988. "Economies of scale and scope in water supply," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 479-502, November.
    19. Lauren A Patterson & Sophia A Bryson & Martin W Doyle, 2023. "Affordability of household water services across the United States," PLOS Water, Public Library of Science, vol. 2(5), pages 1-17, May.
    20. Walter, Matthias & Cullmann, Astrid & von Hirschhausen, Christian & Wand, Robert & Zschille, Michael, 2009. "Quo vadis efficiency analysis of water distribution? A comparative literature review," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 225-232, September.
    21. Giovanni Fraquelli & Massimiliano Piacenza & Davide Vannoni, 2004. "Scope and scale economies in multi-utilities: evidence from gas, water and electricity combinations," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(18), pages 2045-2057.
    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. Adam Fuller & Steven M. Smith, 2024. "Economies of Scope in the Water-Energy Nexus," Working Papers 2024-02, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.
    2. Carvalho, Pedro & Marques, Rui Cunha & Berg, Sanford, 2012. "A meta-regression analysis of benchmarking studies on water utilities market structure," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 40-49.
    3. Guerrini, Andrea & Romano, Giulia & Leardini, Chiara, 2018. "Economies of scale and density in the Italian water industry: A stochastic frontier approach," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 103-111.
    4. Ferro, Gustavo & Lentini, Emilio & Mercadier, Augusto & Romero, Carlos A., 2010. "Retornos a escala en agua y saneamiento: estimaciones para América Latina [Returns to scale in water and sanitation: estimates for Latin Amercia]," MPRA Paper 20324, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jan 2010.
    5. Michael Zschille, 2015. "Consolidating the water industry: an analysis of the potential gains from horizontal integration in a conditional efficiency framework," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 97-114, August.
    6. Michael Zschille, 2014. "Nonparametric measures of returns to scale: an application to German water supply," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 1029-1053, November.
    7. Fetz, Aurelio & Filippini, Massimo, 2010. "Economies of vertical integration in the Swiss electricity sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1325-1330, November.
    8. Walter, Matthias & Cullmann, Astrid & von Hirschhausen, Christian & Wand, Robert & Zschille, Michael, 2009. "Quo vadis efficiency analysis of water distribution? A comparative literature review," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 225-232, September.
    9. Saal David S. & Arocena Pablo & Maziotis Alexandros & Triebs Thomas, 2013. "Scale and Scope Economies and the Efficient Vertical and Horizontal Configuration of the Water Industry: A Survey of the Literature," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 93-129, March.
    10. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp1576 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Anna Bottasso & Maurizio Conti, 2021. "Economie di integrazione verticale ed economie di scopo nel settore idrico e fognario: alcune considerazioni alla luce dell?evidenza empirica internazionale," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(3), pages 89-128.
    12. Andrea Guerrini & Giulia Romano & Bettina Campedelli, 2013. "Economies of Scale, Scope, and Density in the Italian Water Sector: A Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(13), pages 4559-4578, October.
    13. Karolis Andriuškevičius & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2021. "Developments and Trends of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Energy Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, April.
    14. Giacomo Calzolari & Carlo Scarpa, 2016. "Conglomerates And Regulation," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(3), pages 1648-1669, July.
    15. Mehdi Farsi & Aurelio Fetz & Massimo Filippini, 2007. "Economies of Scale and Scope in the Swiss Multi-Utilities Sector," CEPE Working paper series 07-59, CEPE Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich.
    16. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp1187 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Farsi, Mehdi & Filippini, Massimo, 2009. "An analysis of cost efficiency in Swiss multi-utilities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 306-315, March.
    18. Zschille, Michael, 2012. "Consolidating the Water Industry: An Analysis of the Potential Gains from Horizontal Integration in a Conditional Efficiency Fr," CEPR Discussion Papers 8737, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Romano, Giulia & Guerrini, Andrea, 2011. "Measuring and comparing the efficiency of water utility companies: A data envelopment analysis approach," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 202-209.
    20. Mydland, Ørjan & Kumbhakar, Subal C. & Lien, Gudbrand & Amundsveen, Roar & Kvile, Hilde Marit, 2020. "Economies of scope and scale in the Norwegian electricity industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 39-46.
    21. Klien, Michael & Michaud, David, 2019. "Water utility consolidation: Are economies of scale realized?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    22. Michael Zschille, 2014. "Marktstrukturen in der Trinkwasserversorgung," DIW Roundup: Politik im Fokus 43, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:kap:enreec:v:88:y:2025:i:7:d:10.1007_s10640-025-00989-9. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.