Electricity Reform In Europe

. . . this volume comes across as one of the most profound sources on the specifics of European electricity market restructuring. Competition and Regulation in Network Industries The SESSA study on the Internal Energy Market was an important and influential contribution towards the Commission s proposal for a third package of proposals, intending to bring more effective competition and better security of supply to Europe s energy markets. This volume, based on the results of the study is an important and welcome contribution to the ongoing debate on these proposals. Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Energy at the European Commission The chapters in this book are written by the leading European scholars who have studied the structure, behavior and performance of liberalised electricity markets in many European countries as well as in other regions of the world. Both the analyses and the policy recommendations contained in this volume are well worth careful consideration by policymakers in Europe, as well as by policymakers in other countries that are seeking to adopt successful electricity sector liberalisation programs. From the foreword by Paul L. Joskow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US Dynamism or dissipation? Competition or national champions? Will enlargement promote or delay reform? Energy economists contemplate the challenges posed by the restless and discontent European Commission. Stephen Littlechild, University of Birmingham and Judge Institute for Management Studies, University of Cambridge, UK The challenge of European electricity reform is being met, although gradually, delays notwithstanding. This book provides precious help in spotting where the necessary further efforts should be directed. In the US mistakes and delays have occurred, no less than in Europe, but an aggressive federal regulator (absent in Europe) is working to overcome them. Electricity markets do not happen, they have to be built. Here are suggestions for a workable European market design. No ideology, just competence and wisdom from both theory and experience. Will Europe learn? Pippo Ranci, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy The realisation of a European internal market for energy is still a work in progress. Written by leading European scholars and discussed with major energy stakeholders, this book presents a thorough analysis of the motives and methods needed to achieve a single European energy market. The authors discuss the critical issues surrounding an internal European energy market including: market design, competition and market power, sustainable energy versus the market, regulation and harmonisation, benchmarking and indicators, modelling of competition, market prices and energy forecasts. They provide a multi-disciplinary assessment of the best way to build the market base of a future European energy policy. Electricity Reform in Europe will be of great interest to decision makers and managers in the energy industry or business sector as they will be able to see the whole European energy policy picture beyond their own corporate interests. The book will also appeal to national and European energy administrations, regulatory bodies and policy makers providing a synthesis of all relevant policy issues.

Introduction. Restructuring electricity systems in transition (L. Mez et al.). Regulation beyond market and hierarchy: an excursion into regulation theory (A. Midttun). Varieties of Liberal Reform. The British market reform: a centralistic capitalist approach (S. Thomas). The Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish reforms: competitive public capitalism and the emergence of the Nordic internal market (A. Midttun). Systems in Negotiated Transition. Energy efficiency and the political economy of the Danish electricity system (F. Hvelplund). The Dutch electricity reform: reorganisation by negotiation (M.J. Arentsen et al.). Public Service Oriented and Cartellised Monopolies. The French electricity regime (M. Poppe, L. Cauret). The German electricity reform attempts: reforming co-optive networks (L. Mez). Comparative Analysis. Electricity policy within the European Union: one step forward, two steps back (A. Midttun). Regulation paradigms and regulation practice: a comparative rev ...

The electricity generation and supply industry is undergoing rapid changes in the 1990s. As demands for economic power continue to increase, governments throughout Europe are contemplating a reformation of electricity policy for the 21st century. This book discusses the current state of the European electricity generation and supply industry and the options for improvement in the future. Written by renowned experts in the field of energy policy and economics, the book includes detailed case studies of national electricity regulation from around Europe, and a timely overview of European Union electricity policy on liberalisation and deregulation. Given that the changes to the European electricity industries will provide valuable pointers to change in other areas, this book is essential reading for industry analysts, policy makers, utility companies and others with an interest in the future of energy generation and transmission worldwide.

This book is a sociological account of the historical trajectory of feed-in tariffs (FITs) as an instrument for the promotion of renewable energy in Europe. Chapters analyse the emergence and transformations of feed-in tariffs as part of the policy arsenal developed to encourage the creation of markets for RES-E in Europe. The authors explore evolving conceptions of renewable energy policy at the intersection between environmental objectives, technological change and the ambition to liberalise the internal electricity market. They draw conclusions on the relationships between markets and policy-making as it is instituted in the European Union, and on the interplay between the implementation of a European vision on energy and national politics. Distinctive in both its approach and its methods the books aim is not to discuss the design of feed-in tariffs and their evolution, nor is it to assess their efficiency or fairness. Instead, the authors seek to understand what makes feed-in tariffs what they are, and how this has changed over time.

Empirical insights on household behavior and electricity consumption patterns in this book reveal that, in Europe and Central Asia, the erosion of tariff based subsidies has disproportionately affected the poor, while direct transfers through social benefit systems have often been inadequately targeted. The book suggests alternative strategies for achieving cost-recovery in the electricity sector in a socially and politically acceptable manner, providing lessons that are equally relevant for other utilities and regions.

This work traces the development of the European electricity market and EC reforms. It shows how EC policy came about and considers what future direction it might take - competition or co-operation, integration or subsidiary. It addresses some typical questions. How will the policy affect consumers, suppliers, and the industry itself? Will a European electricity industry require a European regulator? And, what scope will there be for national policies?

This book focuses on the diversity of electricity reforms in Western Europe, drawing evidence from ten European Union memberstates plus Norway and Switzerland as associate members.