IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juipol/v19y2011i3p142-151.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Vertical relationships in China’s electricity industry: The quest for competition?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Vanessa Yanhua
  • Chen, Yongjun

Abstract

In this paper we revisit the debate on the role of vertical integration in the energy sectors: whether vertical integration between coal and electricity sectors is a path to create a competitive electricity market in China. We discuss coal-power conflict and potential anti-competitive concerns related to vertical integration, such as raise rival’s cost and collusion, and suggest that regulators and policy makers should pay more attention to the behavior of integrated companies. In particular, they should balance the tradeoff of vertical integration between coal and electricity companies and ensure that efficiency gains should offset anti-competitive effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Vanessa Yanhua & Chen, Yongjun, 2011. "Vertical relationships in China’s electricity industry: The quest for competition?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 142-151.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:19:y:2011:i:3:p:142-151
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2011.01.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178711000038
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jup.2011.01.001?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. Joskow, Paul L, 1985. "Vertical Integration and Long-term Contracts: The Case of Coal-burning Electric Generating Plants," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 33-80, Spring.
    2. Riordan, Michael H, 1998. "Anticompetitive Vertical Integration by a Dominant Firm," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(5), pages 1232-1248, December.
    3. Chen, Yongmin, 2001. "On Vertical Mergers and Their Competitive Effects," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 32(4), pages 667-685, Winter.
    4. Wang, Bing, 2007. "An imbalanced development of coal and electricity industries in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 4959-4968, October.
    5. Ordover, Janusz A & Saloner, Garth & Salop, Steven C, 1990. "Equilibrium Vertical Foreclosure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 127-142, March.
    6. Xu, Shaofeng & Chen, Wenying, 2006. "The reform of electricity power sector in the PR of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(16), pages 2455-2465, November.
    7. Volker Nocke & Lucy White, 2007. "Do Vertical Mergers Facilitate Upstream Collusion?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(4), pages 1321-1339, September.
    8. Yongmin Chen & Michael H. Riordan, 2007. "Vertical integration, exclusive dealing, and expost cartelization," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 38(1), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Kerkvliet, Joe, 1991. "Efficiency and Vertical Integration: The Case of Mine-Mouth Electric Generating Plants," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 467-482, September.
    10. Russell Pittman & Vanessa Yanhua Zhang, 2010. "Electricity Restructuring In China: How Competitive Will Generation Markets Be?," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 55(02), pages 377-400.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zeng, Ming & Yang, Yongqi & Wang, Lihua & Sun, Jinghui, 2016. "The power industry reform in China 2015: Policies, evaluations and solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 94-110.
    2. Wang, Jiexin & Wang, Song, 2023. "The effect of electricity market reform on energy efficiency in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    3. Cheng, Y.S. & Wong, W.K. & Woo, C.K., 2013. "How much have electricity shortages hampered China's GDP growth?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 369-373.
    4. Cui, Herui & Wei, Pengbang, 2017. "Analysis of thermal coal pricing and the coal price distortion in China from the perspective of market forces," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 148-154.
    5. Li, Hong-Zhou & Tian, Xian-Liang & Zou, Tao, 2015. "Impact analysis of coal-electricity pricing linkage scheme in China based on stochastic frontier cost function," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 296-305.
    6. Sumei Chen & Lingyun He, 2013. "Deregulation or Governmental Intervention? A Counterfactual Perspective on China's Electricity Market Reform," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 21(4), pages 101-120, July.

    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. Zanchettin, Piercarlo & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2017. "Vertical integration and product differentiation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 25-57.
    2. Normann, Hans-Theo, 2009. "Vertical integration, raising rivals' costs and upstream collusion," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 461-480, May.
    3. Simon Loertscher & Markus Reisinger, 2014. "Market structure and the competitive effects of vertical integration," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 45(3), pages 471-494, September.
    4. Milliou, Chrysovalantou, 2020. "Vertical integration without intrafirm trade," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    5. Biancini, Sara & Ettinger, David, 2017. "Vertical integration and downstream collusion," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 99-113.
    6. Mariana Cunha & Paula Sarmento, 2014. "Does Vertical Integration Promote Downstream Incomplete Collusion? An Evaluation of Static and Dynamic Stability," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-38, March.
    7. Johan Hombert & Jérôme Pouyet & Nicolas Schutz, 2019. "Anticompetitive Vertical Merger Waves," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3-4), pages 484-514, September.
    8. Volker Nocke & Lucy White, 2003. "Do Vertical Mergers Facilitate Upstream Collusion? Second Version," PIER Working Paper Archive 05-013, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 08 Mar 2005.
    9. Liu, Xingyi, 2016. "Vertical integration and innovation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 88-120.
    10. Markus Reisinger & Emanuele Tarantino, 2015. "Vertical integration, foreclosure, and productive efficiency," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 46(3), pages 461-479, September.
    11. Awi Federgruen & Ming Hu, 2016. "Technical Note—Sequential Multiproduct Price Competition in Supply Chain Networks," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(1), pages 135-149, February.
    12. Pouyet, Jérôme & Trégouët, Thomas, 2016. "Vertical Mergers in Platform Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 11703, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Éric Avenel & Stéphane Caprice, 2018. "Collusion et possibilité d’entrée en aval dans une industrie verticalement intégrée," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 69(1), pages 5-28.
    14. Loertscher, Simon & Reisinger, Markus, 2009. "Competitive E?ects of Vertical Integration with Downstream Oligopsony and Oligopoly," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 278, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
    15. Pouyet, Jérôme & Thomas, Trégouët, 2021. "The Competitive Effects of Vertical Integration in Platform Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 16545, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Ali Hortaçsu & Chad Syverson, 2007. "Cementing Relationships: Vertical Integration, Foreclosure, Productivity, and Prices," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 115(2), pages 250-301.
    17. Marc Bourreau & Johan Hombert & Jerome Pouyet & Nicolas Schutz, 2011. "Upstream Competition between Vertically Integrated Firms," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 677-713, December.
    18. Yongmin Chen & Michael H. Riordan, 2007. "Vertical integration, exclusive dealing, and expost cartelization," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 38(1), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Hang Gao & Johannes Van Biesebroeck, 2014. "Effects of Deregulation and Vertical Unbundling on the Performance of China's Electricity Generation Sector," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 41-76, March.
    20. Éric Avenel & Stéphane Caprice, 2012. "Collusion and downstream entry in a vertically integrated industry," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 201208, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.

    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:juipol:v:19:y:2011:i:3:p:142-151. 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: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/utilities-policy .

    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.