IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/enejou/v29y2008i2_supplp63-94.html

The Future of Electricity (and Gas) Regulation in a Low-carbon Policy World

Author

Listed:
  • Michael G. Pollitt

Abstract

This paper discusses whether a new paradigm is necessary for independent economic regulation of electricity (and closely associated natural gas) systems. We begin by summarizing the nature of the traditional model of electricity reform and the place of economic regulation within it. Next we outline the drivers for changing the current model of electricity regulation, namely, the maturity of the existing model, the reality of changing circumstances, and the coming of age of climate change concern. We go on to discuss the premises on which a new model of regulation should be based. These are: remembering the successes of the current system of regulation; a new focus on processes not just outcomes; a recognition of the economics of climate change; and the appropriate management of uncertainty. We then highlight the key elements of a new model for regulation: new processes of regulation; new models of competition and the issues raised by a focus on climate change. The paper draws heavily on the experience of the UK, but has direct implications for the rest of the European Union countries and for other countries whose regulatory systems mirror them.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael G. Pollitt, 2008. "The Future of Electricity (and Gas) Regulation in a Low-carbon Policy World," The Energy Journal, , vol. 29(2_suppl), pages 63-94, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:29:y:2008:i:2_suppl:p:63-94
    DOI: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol29-NoSI2-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol29-NoSI2-5
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol29-NoSI2-5?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Littlechild, Stephen C. & Ponzano, Eduardo A., 2008. "Transmission expansion in Argentina 5: The regional electricity forum of Buenos Aires province," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1491-1526, July.
    2. Pollitt, Michael, 2005. "The role of efficiency estimates in regulatory price reviews: Ofgem's approach to benchmarking electricity networks," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 279-288, December.
    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. Duma, Daniel & Pollitt, Michael G. & Covatariu, Andrei & Giulietti, Monica, 2024. "Defining and measuring active distribution system operators for the electricity and natural gas sectors," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(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. Littlechild, Stephen C. & Skerk, Carlos J., 2008. "Transmission expansion in Argentina 4: A review of performance," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1462-1490, July.
    2. Mehdi Farsi & Aurelio Fetz & Massimo Filippini, 2007. "Benchmarking and Regulation in the Electricity Distribution Sector," CEPE Working paper series 07-54, CEPE Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich.
    3. Cherchye, Laurens & De Rock, Bram & Kerstens, Pieter Jan, 2018. "Production with storable and durable inputs: Nonparametric analysis of intertemporal efficiency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 270(2), pages 498-513.
    4. Steele Santos, Paulo E. & Coradi Leme, Rafael & Galvão, Leandro, 2012. "On the electrical two-part tariff—The Brazilian perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 123-130.
    5. Ajayi, Victor & Anaya, Karim & Pollitt, Michael, 2022. "Incentive regulation, productivity growth and environmental effects: the case of electricity networks in Great Britain," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    6. Littlechild, Stephen C. & Skerk, Carlos J., 2008. "Transmission expansion in Argentina 6: Distribution companies, regulation and the Public Contest method," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1527-1535, July.
    7. Angel Arcos-Vargas & Fernando Núñez & Juan Antonio Ballesteros, 2017. "Quality, remuneration and regulatory framework: some evidence on the European electricity distribution," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 98-118, February.
    8. Hulya Dagdeviren, 2009. "Limits To Competition And Regulation In Privatized Electricity Markets," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 80(4), pages 641-664, December.
    9. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien, 2017. "Yardstick Regulation of Electricity Distribution—Disentangling Short-run and Long-run Inefficiencies," The Energy Journal, , vol. 38(5), pages 17-38, September.
    10. Littlechild, Stephen C. & Skerk, Carlos J., 2008. "Transmission expansion in Argentina 2: The Fourth Line revisited," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1385-1419, July.
    11. Richard Green, 2010. "Energy Regulation in a Low Carbon World," Discussion Papers 10-16, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    12. S P Santos & C A F Amado & J R Rosado, 2011. "Formative evaluation of electricity distribution utilities using data envelopment analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(7), pages 1298-1319, July.
    13. 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.
    14. Hess, Borge & Cullmann, Astrid, 2007. "Efficiency analysis of East and West German electricity distribution companies - Do the "Ossis" really beat the "Wessis"?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 206-214, September.
    15. Littlechild, Stephen C. & Skerk, Carlos J., 2008. "Transmission expansion in Argentina 3: The evolution of policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1420-1461, July.
    16. Strbac, Goran & Pollitt, Michael & Konstantinidis, Christos Vasilakos & Konstantelos, Ioannis & Moreno, Rodrigo & Newbery, David & Green, Richard, 2014. "Electricity transmission arrangements in Great Britain: Time for change?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 298-311.
    17. Paul Nillesen & Michael Pollitt, 2007. "The 2001-3 electricity distribution price control review in the Netherlands: regulatory process and consumer welfare," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 261-287, June.
    18. David P. Brown & David E. M. Sappington, 2023. "Designing Incentive Regulation in the Electricity Sector," Working Papers 2023-10, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    19. Afsharian, Mohsen & Ahn, Heinz & Lopes, Ana & Vilela, Bruno, 2019. "Pitfalls in estimating the X-factor: The case of energy transmission regulation in Brazil," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-9.
    20. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2008. "Reference models and incentive regulation of electricity distribution networks: An evaluation of Sweden's Network Performance Assessment Model (NPAM)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1788-1801, May.

    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:sae:enejou:v:29:y:2008:i:2_suppl:p:63-94. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.