IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/enp/wpaper/eprg1030.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

New Models of Public Ownership in Energy

Author

Listed:
  • Aoife Brophy Haney

    (ESRC Electricity Policy Research Group and Judge Business School University of Cambridge)

  • Michael G. Pollitt

    (ESRC Electricity Policy Research Group and Judge Business School University of Cambridge)

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the new and continuing ways in which the public sector is involved in the electricity / energy sector around the world. This involvement continues to be significant in spite of the longrunning trend towards privatisation, competition and independent regulation in the energy sector. We discuss why the theoretical case for public ownership might be more attractive now than in the recent past. We then discuss six case studies of modern public ownership drawn from the UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Denmark, New Zealand, Finland and Chile. The investments covered include wind and nuclear power, LNG facilities, electricity and gas distribution investments and energy service companies for combined heat and power. We conclude with some outstanding questions raised by the apparently favourable conditions for increased public involvement in energy.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Aoife Brophy Haney & Michael G. Pollitt, 2010. "New Models of Public Ownership in Energy," Working Papers EPRG 1030, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:enp:wpaper:eprg1030
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/eprg-wp1030.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kelly, S. & Pollitt, M.G., 2009. "Making Combined Heat and Power District Heating(CHP-DH) networks in the United Kingdom economically viable: a comparative approach," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0945, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    2. David M. Newbery & Michael G. Pollitt, 1997. "The Restructuring and Privatisation of Britain's CEGB—Was It Worth It?," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3), pages 269-303, September.
    3. Michael G. Pollitt, 2009. "Electricity Liberalisation in the European Union: A Progress Report," Working Papers EPRG 0929, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    4. Jean-Jacques Laffont & Jean Tirole, 1993. "A Theory of Incentives in Procurement and Regulation," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262121743, April.
    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. Lange, Marcus & O'Hagan, Anne Marie & Devoy, Robert R.N. & Le Tissier, Martin & Cummins, Valerie, 2018. "Governance barriers to sustainable energy transitions – Assessing Ireland's capacity towards marine energy futures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 623-632.
    2. Elisa Borghi & Chiara Del Bo & Massimo Florio, 2016. "Institutions and Firms' Productivity: Evidence from Electricity Distribution in the EU," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 78(2), pages 170-196, April.
    3. Hyland, Marie, 2016. "Restructuring European electricity markets – A panel data analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 33-42.
    4. Piotr Żuk & Paweł Żuk, 2021. "Increasing Energy Prices as a Stimulus for Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energies: Ownership Structure, Company Size and Energy Policy in Companies in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    5. George C Homsy, 2016. "Powering sustainability: Municipal utilities and local government policymaking," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(6), pages 1076-1094, September.
    6. Koirala, Binod Prasad & van Oost, Ellen & van der Windt, Henny, 2018. "Community energy storage: A responsible innovation towards a sustainable energy system?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 570-585.
    7. Gui, Emi Minghui & Diesendorf, Mark & MacGill, Iain, 2017. "Distributed energy infrastructure paradigm: Community microgrids in a new institutional economics context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1355-1365.
    8. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.
    9. Fiorio, Carlo V. & Florio, Massimo, 2013. "Electricity prices and public ownership: Evidence from the EU15 over thirty years," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 222-232.
    10. Meade, Richard & Söderberg, Magnus, 2020. "Is welfare higher when utilities are owned by customers instead of investors? Evidence from electricity distribution in New Zealand," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Somosi, Sarolta, 2012. "Winners or losers?: State measures in crisis management and the energy markets," MPRA Paper 40370, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Mertzanis, Charilaos, 2018. "Institutions, development and energy constraints," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 962-982.
    13. Brinker, Laura & Satchwell, Andrew J., 2020. "A comparative review of municipal energy business models in Germany, California, and Great Britain: Institutional context and forms of energy decentralization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    14. Avri Eitan & Gillad Rosen & Lior Herman & Itay Fishhendler, 2020. "Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs: A Conceptual Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
    15. Sarolta Somosi & Eszter Megyeri, 2022. "A Moving Target: Changing Priorities in the Energy Policy of the European Union," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(4), pages 542-552, July.
    16. Richard Meade & Magnus Soderberg, 2017. "Welfare-Maximising Investors? – Utility Firm Performance with Heterogeneous Quality Preferences and Endogenous Ownership," Working Papers 2017-09, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Economics.
    17. Roberto CARDINALE, 2017. "The Political-Economy Implications of the Transition from State-Owned to Mixed-Owned Enterprises: Evidence from the European Gas Sector," Departmental Working Papers 2017-10, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    18. Vagliasindi, Maria, 2012. "Key drivers of PPPs in electricity generation in developing countries : cross-country evidence of switching between PPP investment in fossil fuel and renewable-based generation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6118, The World Bank.
    19. Chiara F. DEL BO & Massimo FLORIO, 2012. "Electricity investment: an evaluation of the new British energy policy and its implications for the European Union," Departmental Working Papers 2012-15, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    20. Rajavuori, Mikko & Huhta, Kaisa, 2020. "Investment screening: Implications for the energy sector and energy security," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    21. Pompei, Fabrizio, 2013. "Heterogeneous effects of regulation on the efficiency of the electricity industry across European Union countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 569-585.
    22. Eitan, Avri & Herman, Lior & Fischhendler, Itay & Rosen, Gillad, 2019. "Community–private sector partnerships in renewable energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 95-104.

    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. Anastassios Gentzoglanis, 2002. "Privatization, Investment and Efficiency in the Telecommunications Industry: Theory and Empirical Evidence from MENA Countries," Working Papers 0230, Economic Research Forum, revised 10 Oct 2002.
    2. Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer, 2013. "Privatization of postal operators: old arguments and new realities," Chapters, in: Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer (ed.), Reforming the Postal Sector in the Face of Electronic Competition, chapter 1, pages 1-19, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Christian Wolf & Michael G. Pollitt, 2008. "Privatising national oil companies: Assessing the impact on firm performance," Working Papers EPRG 0805, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    4. Catherine Waddams & Ruth Hancock, 1998. "Distributional effects of liberalising UK residential utility markets," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 19(3), pages 295-319, August.
    5. Auriol, Emmanuelle & Blanc, Aymeric, 2009. "Capture and corruption in public utilities: The cases of water and electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 203-216, June.
    6. Erdogdu, Erkan, 2010. "Electricity Market Reform: Lessons for developing countries," MPRA Paper 27317, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. repec:ces:ifodic:v:4:y:2006:i:2:p:14567496 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Michael Hellwig & Dominik Schober & Luis Cabral, 2018. "Incentive Regulation: Evidence From German Electricity Networks," Working Papers 18-03, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    9. Christian Wolf & Michael G. Pollitt, 2009. "The Welfare Implications of Oil Privatisation: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Norway's Statoil," Working Papers EPRG 0905, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    10. Torriti, Jacopo, 2014. "Privatisation and cross-border electricity trade: From internal market to European Supergrid?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 635-640.
    11. Jeffry M. Netter & William L. Megginson, 2001. "From State to Market: A Survey of Empirical Studies on Privatization," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 321-389, June.
    12. Renjie Yu & Peng Yuan & Fandi Yang & Gongxiong Jiang, 2023. "Effects of Vertical Unbundling on the Operational and Environmental Efficiency of Chinese Thermal Power Firms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-22, October.
    13. Mou, Dunguo, 2014. "Understanding China’s electricity market reform from the perspective of the coal-fired power disparity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 224-234.
    14. Richard Disney & Christopher J. Ellis & Bulent Nomer, 2005. "Privatization and Strategic Monitoring with Gaussian Priors," Public Finance Review, , vol. 33(3), pages 318-342, May.
    15. David Hawdon & Lester C. Hunt & Paul Levine & Neil Rickman, 2007. "Optimal sliding scale regulation: an application to regional electricity distribution in England and Wales," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 59(3), pages 458-485, July.
    16. Chan, H. Ron & Fell, Harrison & Lange, Ian & Li, Shanjun, 2017. "Efficiency and environmental impacts of electricity restructuring on coal-fired power plants," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-18.
    17. rukai, gong, 2014. "市场化改革促进了电力行业的增长吗？ [Electricity Sector Reform in China：an Econometric Assessment of the Effects of Competition, Ownership and Regulation]," MPRA Paper 56818, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Paul L. Joskow, 2006. "Incentive Regulation for Electricity Networks," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 4(2), pages 3-9, 07.
    19. Corrado Di Maria & Ian A. Lange & Emiliya Lazarova, 2014. "A Look Upstream: Electricity Market Restructuring, Risk, Procurement Contracts and Efficiency," CESifo Working Paper Series 5124, CESifo.
    20. Fiorio, Carlo V. & Florio, Massimo, 2013. "Electricity prices and public ownership: Evidence from the EU15 over thirty years," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 222-232.
    21. Paul L. Joskow, 2006. "Incentive Regulation for Electricity Networks," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 4(02), pages 3-9, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    public ownership; electricity; gas;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:enp:wpaper:eprg1030. 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: Ruth Newman (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/jicamuk.html .

    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.