Pub Date : 2025-12-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102120
Josep-Maria Arauzo-Carod
The transition to a sustainable energy model requires a broad social consensus to succeed. However, there is currently limited research on the factors influencing individual acceptance of specific energy transition tools, such as Energy Communities (ECs), a gap this paper aims to address. Specifically, we examine whether the determinants of current willingness to join ECs are the same as those influencing future willingness. This question is particularly relevant, as some individuals delay their participation in pro-environmental actions in anticipation of better future conditions, a behaviour that ultimately slows the energy transition. Using survey data from 1840 individuals in Catalonia (Spain), our findings reveal that the same factors do not necessarily shape current and future intentions to join ECs. This insight suggests the need for policy measures that address current dissatisfaction with ECs and promote future acceptance.
{"title":"An unrealized desire: what slows the implementation of energy communities in Catalonia?","authors":"Josep-Maria Arauzo-Carod","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition to a sustainable energy model requires a broad social consensus to succeed. However, there is currently limited research on the factors influencing individual acceptance of specific energy transition tools, such as Energy Communities (ECs), a gap this paper aims to address. Specifically, we examine whether the determinants of current willingness to join ECs are the same as those influencing future willingness. This question is particularly relevant, as some individuals delay their participation in pro-environmental actions in anticipation of better future conditions, a behaviour that ultimately slows the energy transition. Using survey data from 1840 individuals in Catalonia (Spain), our findings reveal that the same factors do not necessarily shape current and future intentions to join ECs. This insight suggests the need for policy measures that address current dissatisfaction with ECs and promote future acceptance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"99 ","pages":"Article 102120"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102119
Ramith Wimalaratna, Alexandr Akimov, Shyama Ratnasiri
This study estimates the total cost of ownership of corporate battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in Australia across a range of charging scenarios. It finds that time-varying tariffs have the potential to drive down the costs of vehicle ownership if charging is done at a time when greener and (often) cheaper electricity is available. The degree of benefit varies with several key parameters and operational characteristics, so efficient charging requires careful planning. With the right incentives and infrastructure in place, BEV fleets can serve as a valuable resource for load flexibility for grid operators.
{"title":"Corporate transitioning to electric vehicle fleets: charging tariffs, total cost of ownership, and the potential for load flexibility","authors":"Ramith Wimalaratna, Alexandr Akimov, Shyama Ratnasiri","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study estimates the total cost of ownership of corporate battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in Australia across a range of charging scenarios. It finds that time-varying tariffs have the potential to drive down the costs of vehicle ownership if charging is done at a time when greener and (often) cheaper electricity is available. The degree of benefit varies with several key parameters and operational characteristics, so efficient charging requires careful planning. With the right incentives and infrastructure in place, BEV fleets can serve as a valuable resource for load flexibility for grid operators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"99 ","pages":"Article 102119"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145692669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading among residential prosumers requires incentive mechanisms that adapt to dynamic grid conditions and emergencies. We propose a novel Time Value of Money (TVM) based incentive model that adjusts rewards and penalties over time to promote early energy transactions, ensuring fairness and resilience. Under normal grid conditions, our TVM scheme achieves an average fairness index of 0.91 (10% higher than a conventional double-auction approach) and increases total energy shared by 12%. During a 24-hour resilience event, fairness increases by 0.94 (versus 0.85) and energy shared grows by 18%, while average per-prosumer incentives rise by 25%. Sensitivity analysis across community sizes (33-200 prosumers) demonstrates that the TVM model maintains fairness above 0.87 and scales energy sharing linearly with network size, even under 20% higher demand. These results confirm that our TVM mechanism consistently outperforms traditional methods in efficiency, equity, and emergency responsiveness.
{"title":"Incentive model for fair and resilient peer-to-peer energy trading based on the time value of money","authors":"Mayank Arora , Gururaj Mirle Vishwanath , Ankush Sharma , Naveen Chilamkurti","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading among residential prosumers requires incentive mechanisms that adapt to dynamic grid conditions and emergencies. We propose a novel Time Value of Money (TVM) based incentive model that adjusts rewards and penalties over time to promote early energy transactions, ensuring fairness and resilience. Under normal grid conditions, our TVM scheme achieves an average fairness index of 0.91 (10% higher than a conventional double-auction approach) and increases total energy shared by 12%. During a 24-hour resilience event, fairness increases by 0.94 (versus 0.85) and energy shared grows by 18%, while average per-prosumer incentives rise by 25%. Sensitivity analysis across community sizes (33-200 prosumers) demonstrates that the TVM model maintains fairness above 0.87 and scales energy sharing linearly with network size, even under 20% higher demand. These results confirm that our TVM mechanism consistently outperforms traditional methods in efficiency, equity, and emergency responsiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"99 ","pages":"Article 102122"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145645929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102116
Wutthipum Kanchana, Jai Govind Singh, Weerakorn Ongsakul
The growing integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Thailand is primarily driven by declining system costs and incentive schemes. This trend has concurrently led to the challenge of “invisible” PV installations. These installations fall into two categories: (1) exceeding the contracted specification, and (2) unnotified behind-the-meter connections that result in unintended meter reversal (‘meter-run-backward’). This study examines the financial evaluation of invisible PV installations by comparing their profitability with that of business-as-usual (BAU) projects. The analysis focuses on both centralized and residential PV systems under various incentive schemes, including Net Billing and Net Energy Metering.
Our finding reveals a significant economic distortion that the Net Present Value (NPV) of a centralized PV project incorporating hidden (invisible) capacity can increase by as much as 20.54 % relative to a baseline scenario, representing an average 6.53 % improvement over BAU compliance. Similarly, residential systems integrating invisible PV capacity achieve an average NPV enhancement of 26 % compared to BAU projects. To mitigate this issue, this research proposes a minimization strategy featuring an on-top penalty fee. Sensitivity analysis shows that the proposed fee structure, when strategically set within the 0.07–0.08 USD/kWh range, achieves the reduction in unauthorized project returns. This range is set explicitly below the average retail tariff rate but above the system's Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), thereby promoting fairness while effectively disincentivizing invisible PV adoption and addressing a critical gap in energy policy.
{"title":"The financial impact and minimization strategy of invisible photovoltaic installations in Thailand","authors":"Wutthipum Kanchana, Jai Govind Singh, Weerakorn Ongsakul","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Thailand is primarily driven by declining system costs and incentive schemes. This trend has concurrently led to the challenge of “invisible” PV installations. These installations fall into two categories: (1) exceeding the contracted specification, and (2) unnotified behind-the-meter connections that result in unintended meter reversal (‘meter-run-backward’). This study examines the financial evaluation of invisible PV installations by comparing their profitability with that of business-as-usual (BAU) projects. The analysis focuses on both centralized and residential PV systems under various incentive schemes, including Net Billing and Net Energy Metering.</div><div>Our finding reveals a significant economic distortion that the Net Present Value (NPV) of a centralized PV project incorporating hidden (invisible) capacity can increase by as much as 20.54 % relative to a baseline scenario, representing an average 6.53 % improvement over BAU compliance. Similarly, residential systems integrating invisible PV capacity achieve an average NPV enhancement of 26 % compared to BAU projects. To mitigate this issue, this research proposes a minimization strategy featuring an on-top penalty fee. Sensitivity analysis shows that the proposed fee structure, when strategically set within the 0.07–0.08 USD/kWh range, achieves the reduction in unauthorized project returns. This range is set explicitly below the average retail tariff rate but above the system's Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), thereby promoting fairness while effectively disincentivizing invisible PV adoption and addressing a critical gap in energy policy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102116"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102118
Min Liu , Jianzhong Huang , Shuai Liu
Energy market stability is vital for global economic growth, yet increasing financial, geopolitical, and climate uncertainties have heightened cross-market risks. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative driver of technology and energy systems, its financial connections to energy markets remain underexplored. Existing studies primarily focus on traditional assets or clean energy linkages, overlooking AI as a distinct asset class in global risk transmission. This study investigates the dynamic risk correlations between AI assets and energy markets using a mixed-frequency DCC-MIDAS(-X) framework over the period March 2018 to December 2023, encompassing major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 energy crisis. The results reveal four key findings. (1) AI assets act as an effective hedge for natural gas and China's INE crude oil and a moderate diversifier for WTI, Brent, gasoline, and gas oil. (2) A persistently strong correlation exists between AI and clean energy, reflecting deep technological and investment integration. (3) Pronounced regional heterogeneity is identified: Western benchmarks exhibit stronger AI linkages than Asian and Middle Eastern markets. (4) Dollar fluctuation, climate policy uncertainty, and economic policy uncertainty significantly strengthen AI-energy correlations, while trade and geopolitical risks have weak effects. Overall, the findings highlight the growing financial interconnectedness between the technology and energy sectors. The study contributes by incorporating a regional comparative perspective and identifying macro-policy drivers of AI-energy linkages, offering implications for coordinated policy design and strategic portfolio diversification.
{"title":"Artificial intelligence assets and energy markets: Risk correlation dynamics and determinants","authors":"Min Liu , Jianzhong Huang , Shuai Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energy market stability is vital for global economic growth, yet increasing financial, geopolitical, and climate uncertainties have heightened cross-market risks. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative driver of technology and energy systems, its financial connections to energy markets remain underexplored. Existing studies primarily focus on traditional assets or clean energy linkages, overlooking AI as a distinct asset class in global risk transmission. This study investigates the dynamic risk correlations between AI assets and energy markets using a mixed-frequency DCC-MIDAS(-X) framework over the period March 2018 to December 2023, encompassing major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 energy crisis. The results reveal four key findings. (1) AI assets act as an effective hedge for natural gas and China's INE crude oil and a moderate diversifier for WTI, Brent, gasoline, and gas oil. (2) A persistently strong correlation exists between AI and clean energy, reflecting deep technological and investment integration. (3) Pronounced regional heterogeneity is identified: Western benchmarks exhibit stronger AI linkages than Asian and Middle Eastern markets. (4) Dollar fluctuation, climate policy uncertainty, and economic policy uncertainty significantly strengthen AI-energy correlations, while trade and geopolitical risks have weak effects. Overall, the findings highlight the growing financial interconnectedness between the technology and energy sectors. The study contributes by incorporating a regional comparative perspective and identifying macro-policy drivers of AI-energy linkages, offering implications for coordinated policy design and strategic portfolio diversification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102118"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The paper examines the significance of sustainable development and energy efficiency, particularly in household energy conservation. The research focuses on household energy efficiency, including purchases related to solar panel adoption. The motivation for this research was to raise awareness of the importance of utilizing renewable energy sources in Serbia. In this context, a dynamic approach to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was applied to analyze differences in the influence of psychological determinants on the intention to purchase solar panels, depending on the phase of behavior change (pre-decision phase, pre-action phase, and action phase) in which the decision-maker is currently situated. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first application of the dynamic TPB approach to understanding the intention to adopt the use of solar panels in the Republic of Serbia. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that in the pre-decision and action phases, attitudes have a statistically significant effect on the intention to purchase solar panels, while in the pre-action phase, all three TPB determinants exhibit a statistically significant influence. The paper also presents managerial implications and policy recommendations to motivate citizens and businesses to use energy more efficiently and adopt products powered by renewable energy sources.
{"title":"The role of consumer behavior in the market for solar panels in Serbia","authors":"Dragana Nikolić Ristić , Nenad Đokić , Suzana Đukić","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paper examines the significance of sustainable development and energy efficiency, particularly in household energy conservation. The research focuses on household energy efficiency, including purchases related to solar panel adoption. The motivation for this research was to raise awareness of the importance of utilizing renewable energy sources in Serbia. In this context, a dynamic approach to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was applied to analyze differences in the influence of psychological determinants on the intention to purchase solar panels, depending on the phase of behavior change (pre-decision phase, pre-action phase, and action phase) in which the decision-maker is currently situated. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first application of the dynamic TPB approach to understanding the intention to adopt the use of solar panels in the Republic of Serbia. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that in the pre-decision and action phases, attitudes have a statistically significant effect on the intention to purchase solar panels, while in the pre-action phase, all three TPB determinants exhibit a statistically significant influence. The paper also presents managerial implications and policy recommendations to motivate citizens and businesses to use energy more efficiently and adopt products powered by renewable energy sources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102113"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102117
Zhangyang Huang , Yang Yang , Xin Lu , Zurui Wang , Youlin Li , Shiji Wang , Xiangyu Yang
Evaluating Natural Gas Pipeline Integrity Management (NGPIM) efficiency is essential for ensuring pipeline performance and continuous improvement. Traditional evaluation methods typically concentrate on assessing historical efficiencies at the enterprise level of operators and are unable to forecast future efficiency. This study proposes a DEA–Malmquist–ML model to evaluate and predict NGPIM efficiency across 42 U.S. states. From 2010 to 2023, 18 states recorded average annual static efficiency above 1, showing an “eastern high, western low” spatial pattern, while 37 states exhibited dynamic efficiency above 1, mainly driven by technological progress and scale efficiency change. Overall, U.S. NGPIM efficiency remains high and shows a gradual upward trend. Panel Tobit regression identifies factors influencing static and dynamic efficiency. The proposed SACBi-LSTM model—integrating Convolutional neural network, bi-directional long and short-term memory network, and sparse attention—achieves 90 % average accuracy across 11 indicators, with prediction errors for 33 states within 0.1, confirming strong model adaptability. This regional efficiency evaluation and forecasting framework supports evidence-based policymaking and rational resource allocation.
{"title":"Natural gas pipeline integrity management efficiency evaluation and prediction: A DEA-Malmquist-ML approach","authors":"Zhangyang Huang , Yang Yang , Xin Lu , Zurui Wang , Youlin Li , Shiji Wang , Xiangyu Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evaluating Natural Gas Pipeline Integrity Management (NGPIM) efficiency is essential for ensuring pipeline performance and continuous improvement. Traditional evaluation methods typically concentrate on assessing historical efficiencies at the enterprise level of operators and are unable to forecast future efficiency. This study proposes a DEA–Malmquist–ML model to evaluate and predict NGPIM efficiency across 42 U.S. states. From 2010 to 2023, 18 states recorded average annual static efficiency above 1, showing an “eastern high, western low” spatial pattern, while 37 states exhibited dynamic efficiency above 1, mainly driven by technological progress and scale efficiency change. Overall, U.S. NGPIM efficiency remains high and shows a gradual upward trend. Panel Tobit regression identifies factors influencing static and dynamic efficiency. The proposed SACBi-LSTM model—integrating Convolutional neural network, bi-directional long and short-term memory network, and sparse attention—achieves 90 % average accuracy across 11 indicators, with prediction errors for 33 states within 0.1, confirming strong model adaptability. This regional efficiency evaluation and forecasting framework supports evidence-based policymaking and rational resource allocation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102117"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-29DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102112
Malia Mohamed , Nor Hamisham Harun , Amar Hisham Jaaffar , Nor Diana Mohd Idris
The sustainability of water supply represents a critical global challenge. A pivotal factor in addressing this challenge is the implementation of water tariffs, which function as an indispensable mechanism for securing the long-term availability of this invaluable resource. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the essential dimensions that underpin effective tariff design across diverse sectors remains conspicuously absent, thereby impeding the formulation of effective policy development. This study aims to bridge the gap by conducting a systematic literature review that identifies and analyzes the fundamental dimensions of water tariffs from a supply-side sustainability perspective, as articulated in contemporary literature spanning domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors across various countries and regions. These insights have the potential to enhance the supply-side approach to water management. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and a Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), we scrutinized 16 studies. Through thematic analysis, we discerned six key interconnected dimensions of water tariffs: affordability, efficiency, financial sustainability, regulatory framework, conservation incentives, and the sustainability of water resources, which were further delineated into 11 sub-themes. The originality of this study resides in articulating these supply-side conceptual dimensions, synthesizing disparate themes into a cohesive framework, and illuminating critical trade-offs, particularly between affordability and financial sustainability. This study serves as a vital reference for policymakers and water utilities, providing an evidence-based tool for devising multi-objective water pricing strategies that are effective in managing demand and ensuring the long-term security of the water supply.
{"title":"Every drop counts: a systematic literature review on the role of tariffs in sustainable water supply services","authors":"Malia Mohamed , Nor Hamisham Harun , Amar Hisham Jaaffar , Nor Diana Mohd Idris","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sustainability of water supply represents a critical global challenge. A pivotal factor in addressing this challenge is the implementation of water tariffs, which function as an indispensable mechanism for securing the long-term availability of this invaluable resource. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the essential dimensions that underpin effective tariff design across diverse sectors remains conspicuously absent, thereby impeding the formulation of effective policy development. This study aims to bridge the gap by conducting a systematic literature review that identifies and analyzes the fundamental dimensions of water tariffs from a supply-side sustainability perspective, as articulated in contemporary literature spanning domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors across various countries and regions. These insights have the potential to enhance the supply-side approach to water management. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and a Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), we scrutinized 16 studies. Through thematic analysis, we discerned six key interconnected dimensions of water tariffs: affordability, efficiency, financial sustainability, regulatory framework, conservation incentives, and the sustainability of water resources, which were further delineated into 11 sub-themes. The originality of this study resides in articulating these supply-side conceptual dimensions, synthesizing disparate themes into a cohesive framework, and illuminating critical trade-offs, particularly between affordability and financial sustainability. This study serves as a vital reference for policymakers and water utilities, providing an evidence-based tool for devising multi-objective water pricing strategies that are effective in managing demand and ensuring the long-term security of the water supply.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102112"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2025.102114
Alesi Teixeira Mendes , Conceição de Maria Albuquerque Alves
Achieving universal access to water and sanitation services (WSS) is one of the most significant public challenges in Brazil. The WSS are encompassed within the concept of ‘basic sanitation,’ which includes a comprehensive approach to policy interventions aimed at protecting public health and the environment. This broader definition incorporates potable water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste management, and urban drainage and stormwater management (UDSM). However, these services have evolved disproportionately, with a focus on water supply and wastewater treatment. As a result, despite the critical importance of UDSM in urban areas, many Brazilian cities lack these services, leaving both populations and the environment vulnerable to adverse impacts. Although the reasons for this imbalance among services might be justified according to the priority of indispensable services, the UDSM has also proved essential to a broader concept of urban security, health, and sustainability. This article explores the asymmetries between UDSM and other WSS within Brazil's new regulatory framework, following the enactment of Law No. 14,026/2020. The findings reveal that, in the absence of institutional drivers rooted in the historical asymmetries observed during the consolidation of the National Water and Sanitation Policy (NWSP), UDSM services remain marginalized and face inertia in public policy. If this trend persists, UDSM services are unlikely to follow the same trajectory of improvement seen in other WSS, ultimately undermining the goal of achieving universal access to basic sanitation.
{"title":"Asymmetries in water and sanitation services and how they are shaping urban drainage and stormwater management in Brazil","authors":"Alesi Teixeira Mendes , Conceição de Maria Albuquerque Alves","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving universal access to water and sanitation services (WSS) is one of the most significant public challenges in Brazil. The WSS are encompassed within the concept of ‘basic sanitation,’ which includes a comprehensive approach to policy interventions aimed at protecting public health and the environment. This broader definition incorporates potable water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste management, and urban drainage and stormwater management (UDSM). However, these services have evolved disproportionately, with a focus on water supply and wastewater treatment. As a result, despite the critical importance of UDSM in urban areas, many Brazilian cities lack these services, leaving both populations and the environment vulnerable to adverse impacts. Although the reasons for this imbalance among services might be justified according to the priority of indispensable services, the UDSM has also proved essential to a broader concept of urban security, health, and sustainability. This article explores the asymmetries between UDSM and other WSS within Brazil's new regulatory framework, following the enactment of Law No. 14,026/2020. The findings reveal that, in the absence of institutional drivers rooted in the historical asymmetries observed during the consolidation of the National Water and Sanitation Policy (NWSP), UDSM services remain marginalized and face inertia in public policy. If this trend persists, UDSM services are unlikely to follow the same trajectory of improvement seen in other WSS, ultimately undermining the goal of achieving universal access to basic sanitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102114"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Even if in Italy district heating and cooling (DHC) accounts for only a small share of thermal energy demand, the sector, primarily based on fossil fuels, is expected to grow. Therefore, increasing the share of DHC and decarbonising the DHC sector are crucial for Italy's climate targets. This paper identifies the main barriers and drivers for Italy's DHC sector through a hybrid approach combining a normative review with direct engagement. Among others, the EU-funded SupportDHC project includes activities to highlight technical and non-technical barriers, supported by a structured capacity-building programme with key Italian operators and stakeholders, such as local administrators, associations, and authorities. Results underscore regulatory uncertainty, fragmented planning processes, insufficient economic incentives, technical integration issues, and limited public awareness as major obstacles. Stakeholders' collaboration proved effective in shaping consensus-based solutions, such as clearer policy frameworks, streamlined procedures, and enhanced investment mechanisms. The study concludes that integrating structured stakeholders' participation into policy and planning processes can substantially accelerate the expansion and decarbonisation of Italy's DHC systems.
{"title":"Decarbonising Italy's district heating and cooling sector: drivers, barriers, and opportunities from stakeholder perspectives","authors":"Paola Caputo , Giulio Ferla , Benedetta Mura , Nicola Cesare Di Nunzio","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Even if in Italy district heating and cooling (DHC) accounts for only a small share of thermal energy demand, the sector, primarily based on fossil fuels, is expected to grow. Therefore, increasing the share of DHC and decarbonising the DHC sector are crucial for Italy's climate targets. This paper identifies the main barriers and drivers for Italy's DHC sector through a hybrid approach combining a normative review with direct engagement. Among others, the EU-funded SupportDHC project includes activities to highlight technical and non-technical barriers, supported by a structured capacity-building programme with key Italian operators and stakeholders, such as local administrators, associations, and authorities. Results underscore regulatory uncertainty, fragmented planning processes, insufficient economic incentives, technical integration issues, and limited public awareness as major obstacles. Stakeholders' collaboration proved effective in shaping consensus-based solutions, such as clearer policy frameworks, streamlined procedures, and enhanced investment mechanisms. The study concludes that integrating structured stakeholders' participation into policy and planning processes can substantially accelerate the expansion and decarbonisation of Italy's DHC systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102115"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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