IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v62y2013icp267-281.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

International benchmarking of electricity transmission by regulators: A contrast between theory and practice?

Author

Listed:
  • Haney, Aoife Brophy
  • Pollitt, Michael G.

Abstract

Benchmarking of electricity networks has a key role in sharing the benefits of efficiency improvements with consumers and ensuring regulated companies earn a fair return on their investments. This paper analyses and contrasts the theory and practice of international benchmarking of electricity transmission by regulators. We examine the literature relevant to electricity transmission benchmarking and discuss the results of a survey of 25 national electricity regulators. While new panel data techniques aimed at dealing with unobserved heterogeneity and the validity of the comparator group look intellectually promising, our survey suggests that they are in their infancy for regulatory purposes. In electricity transmission, relative to electricity distribution, choosing variables is particularly difficult, because of the large number of potential variables to choose from. Failure to apply benchmarking appropriately may negatively affect investors’ willingness to invest in the future. While few of our surveyed regulators acknowledge that regulatory risk is currently an issue in transmission benchmarking, many more concede it might be. In the meantime new regulatory approaches – such as those based on tendering, negotiated settlements, a wider range of outputs or longer term grid planning – are emerging and will necessarily involve a reduced role for benchmarking.

Suggested Citation

  • Haney, Aoife Brophy & Pollitt, Michael G., 2013. "International benchmarking of electricity transmission by regulators: A contrast between theory and practice?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 267-281.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:62:y:2013:i:c:p:267-281
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.042
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030142151300685X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.042?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiro Nemoto & Mika Goto, 2006. "Measurement of technical and allocative efficiencies using a CES cost frontier: a benchmarking study of Japanese transmission-distribution electricity," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 31-48, March.
    2. Haney, Aoife Brophy & Pollitt, Michael G., 2011. "Exploring the determinants of “best practice” benchmarking in electricity network regulation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7739-7746.
    3. Paul Joskow & Jean Tirole, 2005. "Merchant Transmission Investment," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 233-264, June.
    4. Jamasb, Tooraj & Nillesen, Paul & Pollitt, Michael, 2004. "Strategic behaviour under regulatory benchmarking," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 825-843, September.
    5. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael & Triebs, Thomas, 2008. "Productivity and efficiency of US gas transmission companies: A European regulatory perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3398-3412, September.
    6. Doucet, Joseph & Littlechild, Stephen, 2009. "Negotiated settlements and the National Energy Board in Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4633-4644, November.
    7. Haney, Aoife Brophy & Pollitt, Michael G., 2009. "Efficiency analysis of energy networks: An international survey of regulators," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5814-5830, December.
    8. P. Nillesen & M. Pollitt, 2010. "Using Regulatory Benchmarking Techniques to Set Company Performance Targets: The Case of Us Electricity," Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, Intersentia, vol. 11(1), pages 50-85, March.
    9. Per J. Agrell & Mehdi Farsi & Massimo Filippini & Martin Koller, 2013. "Unobserved heterogeneous effects in the cost efficiency analysis of electricity distribution systems," Working Papers 0038, Swiss Economics.
    10. Yang, Hongliang & Pollitt, Michael, 2009. "Incorporating both undesirable outputs and uncontrollable variables into DEA: The performance of Chinese coal-fired power plants," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 197(3), pages 1095-1105, September.
    11. Morana, Claudio & Sawkins, John W, 2000. "Regulatory Uncertainty and Share Price Volatility: The English and Welsh Water Industry's Periodic Price Review," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 87-100, January.
    12. Pollitt, Michael G., 2012. "Lessons from the history of independent system operators in the energy sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 32-48.
    13. Philipp Geymueller, 2009. "Static versus dynamic DEA in electricity regulation: the case of US transmission system operators," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 17(4), pages 397-413, December.
    14. Francis Cronin & Stephen Motluk, 2007. "Flawed Competition Policies: Designing ‘Markets’ with Biased Costs and Efficiency Benchmarks," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 31(1), pages 43-67, August.
    15. Vogelsang, Ingo, 2001. "Price Regulation for Independent Transmission Companies," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 141-165, September.
    16. Bauer, Paul W. & Berger, Allen N. & Ferrier, Gary D. & Humphrey, David B., 1998. "Consistency Conditions for Regulatory Analysis of Financial Institutions: A Comparison of Frontier Efficiency Methods," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 85-114, March.
    17. Llorca, Manuel & Orea, Luis & Pollitt, Michael G., 2016. "Efficiency and environmental factors in the US electricity transmission industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 234-246.
    18. Michael G. Pollitt, 2008. "The Future of Electricity (and Gas) Regulation," Working Papers EPRG 0811, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    19. Per J. Agrell & Peter Bogetoft, 2010. "Network Regulation under Climate Policy Review," RSCAS Working Papers 2010/67, European University Institute.
    20. 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.
    21. Kuosmanen, Timo, 2012. "Stochastic semi-nonparametric frontier estimation of electricity distribution networks: Application of the StoNED method in the Finnish regulatory model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 2189-2199.
    22. Tim Coelli & Denis Lawrence (ed.), 2006. "Performance Measurement and Regulation of Network Utilities," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3801.
    23. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    24. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2003. "International benchmarking and regulation: an application to European electricity distribution utilities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 1609-1622, December.
    25. Sanyal, Paroma & Bulan, Laarni T., 2011. "Regulatory risk, market uncertainties, and firm financing choices: Evidence from U.S. Electricity Market Restructuring," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 248-268, June.
    26. Greene, William, 2005. "Reconsidering heterogeneity in panel data estimators of the stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 269-303, June.
    27. 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)

    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. Llorca, Manuel & Orea, Luis & Pollitt, Michael G., 2014. "Using the latent class approach to cluster firms in benchmarking: An application to the US electricity transmission industry," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 6-17.
    2. Llorca, Manuel & Orea, Luis & Pollitt, Michael G., 2016. "Efficiency and environmental factors in the US electricity transmission industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 234-246.
    3. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien, 2017. "Yardstick Regulation of Electricity Distribution Disentangling Short-run and Long-run Inefficiencies," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 5).
    4. Romano, Teresa & Cambini, Carlo & Fumagalli, Elena & Rondi, Laura, 2022. "Setting network tariffs with heterogeneous firms: The case of natural gas distribution," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 297(1), pages 280-290.
    5. Núñez, F. & Arcos-Vargas, A. & Villa, G., 2020. "Efficiency benchmarking and remuneration of Spanish electricity distribution companies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    6. Xie, Bai-Chen & Zhang, Zhen-Jiang & Anaya, Karim L., 2021. "Has the unbundling reform improved the service efficiency of China's power grid firms?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Nieswand, Maria & Seifert, Stefan, 2018. "Environmental factors in frontier estimation – A Monte Carlo analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 265(1), pages 133-148.
    8. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    9. Llorca, Manuel & Orea, Luis & Pollit, Michael G., 2013. "Using in the latent class approach as a supervised method to cluster firms in DEA: An application to the US electricity transmission industry," Efficiency Series Papers 2013/03, University of Oviedo, Department of Economics, Oviedo Efficiency Group (OEG).
    10. Anaya, Karim L. & Pollitt, Michael G., 2017. "Using stochastic frontier analysis to measure the impact of weather on the efficiency of electricity distribution businesses in developing economies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 263(3), pages 1078-1094.
    11. 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.
    12. Karim L. Anaya & Michael G. Pollitt, 2014. "Does Weather Have an Impact on Electricity Distribution Efficiency? Evidence from South America," Working Papers EPRG 1404, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    13. Andor, Mark A. & Parmeter, Christopher & Sommer, Stephan, 2019. "Combining uncertainty with uncertainty to get certainty? Efficiency analysis for regulation purposes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(1), pages 240-252.
    14. Liu, Xiao-Yan & Pollitt, Michael G. & Xie, Bai-Chen & Liu, Li-Qiu, 2019. "Does environmental heterogeneity affect the productive efficiency of grid utilities in China?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 333-344.
    15. Nepal, Rabindra & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2015. "Incentive regulation and utility benchmarking for electricity network security," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 117-127.
    16. Neumann, Anne & Nieswand, Maria & Schubert, Torben, 2016. "Estimating Alternative Technology Sets in Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis: Restriction Tests for Panel and Clustered Data," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 35-51.
    17. Stephen Littlechild, 2012. "Merchant and regulated transmission: theory, evidence and policy," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 308-335, December.
    18. Saastamoinen, Antti & Kuosmanen, Timo, 2016. "Quality frontier of electricity distribution: Supply security, best practices, and underground cabling in Finland," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 281-292.
    19. Mark Andor & Christopher F. Parmeter & Stephan Sommer, 2018. "Combining Uncertainty with Uncertainty to Get Certainty? Efficiency Analysis for Regulation Purposes," Working Papers 2018-02, University of Miami, Department of Economics.
    20. Elvira Silva & Pedro Macedo & Isabel Soares, 2019. "Maximum entropy: a stochastic frontier approach for electricity distribution regulation," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 237-257, June.

    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:eee:enepol:v:62:y:2013:i:c:p:267-281. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    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.