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Productivity Growth and Technical Change in the Generation of Electricity

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  • Paul L. Joskow

Abstract

No student of the electric power industry and its regulation can help but be troubled by the industry's recent historical record on productivity and technical change. For many years the electric power industry was one of the leading sectors of the economy in terms of productivity growth and technological innovation. This is no longer true. By almost every measure, productivity growth and technical change have virtually ceased in the past decade (or even decreased, by some estimates).

Suggested Citation

  • Paul L. Joskow, 1987. "Productivity Growth and Technical Change in the Generation of Electricity," The Energy Journal, , vol. 8(1), pages 17-38, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:8:y:1987:i:1:p:17-38
    DOI: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol8-No1-2
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    1. Marcellus S. Snow, 1975. "Investment Cost Minimization for Communications Satellite Capacity: Refinement and Application of the Chenery-Manne-Srinivasan Model," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 6(2), pages 621-643, Autumn.
    2. Paul Joskow & Nancy L. Rose, 1985. "The Effects of Technological Change, Experience, and Environmental Regulation on the Construction Cost of Coal-Burning Generating Units," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, Spring.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Electricity generation; Productivity growth; Technology change; Thermal efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

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