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A (Re)Municipalization Trend among Energy Utilities: Truth or Myth?

Author

Listed:
  • Astrid Cullmann
  • Maria Nieswand
  • Stefan Seifert
  • Caroline Stiel

Abstract

In the 1990s, a number of municipalities started privatizing their energy utilities; in recent years, there has been an intensive debate about whether a paradigm shift has taken place since then. Cities and municipalities have considered putting the energy, water, gas and heat supply back into the hands of public companies; Berlin and Hamburg are two prominent examples. But is there really an overarching trend toward (re)municipalization? According to the present study, which evaluates newly available microdata from official statistics, there is no evidence of a comprehensive (re)municipalization. The increase in public enterprises appears to have more to do with general restructuring in the energy sector, and has in fact been less pronounced than has growth in the private sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Astrid Cullmann & Maria Nieswand & Stefan Seifert & Caroline Stiel, 2016. "A (Re)Municipalization Trend among Energy Utilities: Truth or Myth?," DIW Economic Bulletin, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 6(20), pages 227-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwdeb:2016-20-1
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    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.534111.de/diw_econ_bull_2016-20-1.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kozera, Agnieszka & Satoła, Łukasz & Standar, Aldona & Dworakowska-Raj, Małgorzata, 2022. "Regional diversity of low-carbon investment support from EU funds in the 2014–2020 financial perspective based on the example of Polish municipalities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    2. Massimiliano Agovino & Massimiliano Cerciello & Antonio Garofalo & Loris Landriani & Luigi Lepore, 2021. "Corporate governance and sustainability in water utilities. The effects of decorporatisation in the city of Naples, Italy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 874-890, February.
    3. Caroline Stiel, 2017. "Modern Public Enterprises: Organisational Innovation and Productivity," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1713, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Pohlmann, Angela & Colell, Arwen, 2020. "Distributing power: Community energy movements claiming the grid in Berlin and Hamburg," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public utilities; local government; energy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L98 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Government Policy

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