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Better safe than sorry? Reliability policy in network industries

Author

Listed:
  • Rob Aalbers

    (CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis)

  • Victoria Shestalova
  • Sander Onderstal

Abstract

This report develops a roadmap for reliability policy in network industries. Based on economic theory, we analyse the relationship between reliability and various types of government policy: privatisation, liberalisation, regulation, unbundling, and 'commitment policy'. We let government policy depend on (1) the feasibility of competition between networks, (2) contractibility of reliability, and (3) the relation between profit maximisation and public interests. We test this roadmap on the basis of the empirical literature and case studies on electricity, natural gas, drinking water, wastewater, and railways.

Suggested Citation

  • Rob Aalbers & Victoria Shestalova & Sander Onderstal, 2004. "Better safe than sorry? Reliability policy in network industries," CPB Document 73, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpb:docmnt:73
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Machiel van Dijk & J. Poort & Bert Minne & Machiel Mulder & Henry van der Wiel, 2005. "Do market failures hamper the perspectives of broadband?," CPB Document 102, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    2. Machiel van Dijk & Bert Minne & Machiel Mulder & Henry van der Wiel & J. Poort, 2005. "Do market failures hamper the perspectives of broadband?," CPB Document 102.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    3. Scheele, Ulrich, 2007. "Privatisierung, Liberalisierung und Deregulierung in netzgebundenen Infrastruktursektoren," Forschungs- und Sitzungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Gust, Dieter (ed.), Wandel der Stromversorgung und räumliche Politik, volume 127, pages 35-67, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    4. Mark Lijesen & Victoria Shestalova, 2007. "Public and private roles in road infrastructure: an exploration of market failure, public instruments and government failure," CPB Document 146, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. Anna Ter-Martirosyan & John Kwoka, 2010. "Incentive regulation, service quality, and standards in U.S. electricity distribution," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 258-273, December.
    6. Machiel Mulder & Victoria Shestalova & Mark Lijesen, 2005. "Vertical separation of the energy-distribution industry; an assessment of several options for unbundling," CPB Document 84.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    7. Machiel Mulder & Gijsbert Zwart, 2006. "Market failures and government policies in gas markets," CPB Memorandum 143, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    8. Machiel Mulder & Victoria Shestalova & Mark Lijesen, 2005. "Vertical separation of the energy-distribution industry; an assessment of several options for unbundling," CPB Document 84, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities
    • L98 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Government Policy

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