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Electricity prices as signals for the evaluation of reforms: an empirical analysis of four European countries

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  • Massimo Florio

Abstract

The paper considers price trends as signals for the evaluation of reforms leading to ownership or market structure changes in public services. In order to do so, we focus on a specific example: electricity prices in four countries, namely UK, France, Germany and Italy. We consider that these countries offer a natural experiment in different patterns of public/privateownership and liberalisation of electricity industry. We use price changes as a signal and observe that there is no clear dominance of one pattern in terms of welfare change for the representative consumer. This conclusion tends to reject the widely held idea that one specific "orthodox" pattern should bepreferred: privatisation with liberalisation and vertical disintegration. The empirical evidence does not sustain any strong claim of superiority of such a pattern.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimo Florio, 2003. "Electricity prices as signals for the evaluation of reforms: an empirical analysis of four European countries," Departmental Working Papers 2003-14, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    • Handle: RePEc:mil:wpdepa:2003-14
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    Cited by:

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    2. Enriquez, Alejandra & Ramirez, Jose Carlos & Rosellon, Juan, 2019. "Costos De Generación, Inversión Y Precios Del Sector Eléctrico En México [Generation Costs, Investment And Prices In The Electricity Sector In Mexico]," MPRA Paper 98084, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Hyland, Marie, 2016. "Restructuring European electricity markets – A panel data analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 33-42.
    4. Judith Clifton & Daniel Díaz‐Fuentes, 2010. "Evaluating Eu Policies On Public Services: A Citizens' Perspective," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 81(2), pages 281-311, June.
    5. Keita Yamane, 2018. "Mixed duopoly and the indirect effect in linear supply function competition," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 45(4), pages 519-532, December.
    6. Ahmed, Tauqir & Bhatti, Arshad Ali, 2019. "Do power sector reforms affect electricity prices in selected Asian countries?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 1253-1260.
    7. Poggi, Ambra & Florio, Massimo, 2010. "Energy deprivation dynamics and regulatory reforms in Europe: Evidence from household panel data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 253-264, January.
    8. Juyong Lee & Youngsang Cho & Yoonmo Koo & Chansoo Park, 2018. "Effects of Market Reform on Facility Investment in Electric Power Industry: Panel Data Analysis of 27 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
    9. Ute Dubois & Roxana Saplacan, 2010. "Public Service Perspectives On Reforms Of Electricity Distribution And Supply: A Modular Analysis," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 81(2), pages 313-356, June.
    10. Erdogdu, Erkan, 2011. "The impact of power market reforms on electricity price-cost margins and cross-subsidy levels: A cross country panel data analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1080-1092, March.
    11. Erdogdu, Erkan, 2013. "Essays on Electricity Market Reforms: A Cross-Country Applied Approach," MPRA Paper 47139, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. del-Río, Belén & Fernández-Sainz, Ana & Martinez de Alegria, Itziar, 2019. "Industrial electricity prices in the European Union following restructuring: A comparative panel-data analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-1.
    13. Gugler, Klaus & Rammerstorfer, Margarethe & Schmitt, Stephan, 2013. "Ownership unbundling and investment in electricity markets — A cross country study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 702-713.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Electricity Industry; Tariffs; Public Services; Utilities Reforms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • L43 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Legal Monopolies and Regulation or Deregulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities

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