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Strengths and Weaknesses of the British Market Model

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  • Newbery, D.

Abstract

The UK privatized the electricity supply industry from 1989 in the expectation that private ownership and incentive regulation would invest and operate sufficiently more efficiently to offset the higher cost of private finance. This was achieved in the first two decades, assisted by spare capacity, contract-based entry of new efficient and cheap CCGTs, and regulatory pressure on transmission and distribution companies. The climate change imperative to decarbonize requires massive durable and very capital-intensive investment that casts doubt on the liberalised financing model. In the past 30 years, much has been learned about mitigating market power, the failings of an energy-only market, and the potential distortions of poorly designed prices for renewables and tariffs for networks. Innovation has been successfully stimulated though competitions. Efficiency, falling renewable costs and the carbon tax have almost completely driven coal out of the system.

Suggested Citation

  • Newbery, D., 2019. "Strengths and Weaknesses of the British Market Model," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1917, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
  • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:1917
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Grubb and David Newbery, 2018. "UK Electricity Market Reform and the Energy Transition: Emerging Lessons," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 6).
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    3. Pollitt, M. & Dale, L., 2018. "Restructuring the Chinese Electricity Supply Sector - How industrial electricity prices are determined in a liberalized power market: lessons from Great Britain," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1871, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
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    6. David M. Newbery, 2012. "Reforming Competitive Electricity Markets to Meet Environmental Targets," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    7. Chi Kong Chyong, Bowei Guo, and David Newbery, 2020. "The Impact of a Carbon Tax on the CO2 Emissions Reduction of Wind," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    8. Preetum Domah & Michael G. Pollitt, 2001. "The restructuring and privatisation of the electricity distribution and supply businesses in England," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 107-146, March.
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    13. Blaise Allaz & Jean-Luc Vila, 1993. "Cournot Competition, Forward Markets and Efficiency," Post-Print hal-00511806, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gohdes, Nicholas & Simshauser, Paul & Wilson, Clevo, 2023. "Renewable investments, hybridised markets and the energy crisis: Optimising the CfD-merchant revenue mix," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    British electricity supply; reforms; financing; renewables; tariffs; nuclear;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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