Utilities Policy最新文献

Inter-provincial barriers hinder the optimization process of power resource allocation, resulting in a coexistence of idle low-cost power plants and high-cost power plants within the region. This paper investigates the size measurement and elimination of interprovincial barriers. It also proposes a specific program for regional unified electricity market clearing and eliminating inter-provincial barriers. The results indicate that this mechanism enables power supply substitution without causing harm to market players and overcomes inter-provincial barriers to optimal resource allocation. It promotes the rational allocation of power resources and reduces power supply costs within the region.

Using household data, we estimate the price and budget elasticities of utility services (electricity, natural gas, and water) during the Great Recession in Spain. A nearly ideal quadratic demand system is estimated by controlling censorship and endogeneity problems, where households are split into two groups depending on their vulnerability. We observe differences in the consumption preferences depending on their vulnerability condition, but the relationship between vulnerability and demand sensitivity for utility services is unclear. Then, energy poverty policies such as the social discount rate for electricity would not be justified in terms of economic efficiency but rather for other reasons.

We evaluated the effectiveness of the tariff flags system (TFS) on electricity consumption in Brazil. Tariff flags represent a demand-side management (DSM) mechanism used in the Brazilian electricity sector and act as a signal sent to agents about electricity production costs. The effectiveness of the flags in reducing electricity consumption is assessed using monthly consumption data from 26 Brazilian states between 2015 and 2022, and panel data models with fixed effects were estimated. The results indicate that only the water scarcity flag effectively reduced electricity consumption by 2.89%. When the Yellow, Red I, and Red II flags were in operation, there was a median increase in electricity consumption of 0.61%, 4.24%, and 1.47%, respectively. In addition, the other variables indicate that the higher the temperature and income of the States, the higher the consumption, and the higher the electricity tariff, the lower the consumption. We also observed persistence in the consumption of electricity in the States, possibly related to consumer habits.

The impact of organizational characteristics of waste collection services on efficiency was analyzed. The characteristics under scrutiny included the contractual status of personnel, the age and type of waste collection vehicles employed, and the management modality of the system.

A dataset encompassing 1783 municipal waste collection systems in Mexico was analyzed utilizing double bootstrap data envelopment analysis. Findings suggest that the contractual status of personnel significantly influences efficiency, with systems characterized by greater employment flexibility having higher efficiency levels. Furthermore, the characteristics of the vehicles employed impact efficiency, with the utilization of compactor and newer vehicles displaying a positive correlation with efficiency. Additionally, the managerial modality emerged as a determinant factor in waste collection performance, with privately managed systems exhibiting superior efficiency compared to fully public systems or public-private partnerships. Conversely, waste collection systems operated by non-governmental organizations exhibited comparatively lower levels of efficiency.

This research evaluates the effects of performance benchmarking for public utilities using the Australian experience, providing empirical support for the significance of mechanism design in implementing revenue-cap regulation. We estimate the efficiency and productivity of Australian electricity distribution providers by utilizing the meta-frontier framework with panel data covering the period from 2007 to 2021. Our findings indicate that introducing benchmarking has facilitated technological progress and reduced efficiency gaps among companies. However, there is no statistically significant difference in the average efficiency between the periods before and after the reform, potentially due to strategic behavior exhibited by network service providers.

Forward-looking strategies for Demand Side Management (DSM) can accelerate the clean energy transition and reduce carbon emissions if electricity load can be shaped to be better matched to the hourly availability of renewable resources. Time-varying rates are increasingly used to motivate load shifting, capitalizing on the increasing size of loads that can be easily shifted, such as electric vehicle charging and electric heat pumps. This study analyzes the hourly availability of current and renewable resources for two representative electricity grids in the USA. While many demand-management programs are currently designed to shift load to nighttime when demand is low, to use low-cost PV the opposite shift into daytime will be preferred. Given that investments in electricity generation capacity shape the grid for decades, generation capacity planning should proactively anticipate how DSM programs (and associated load shapes) will change as the generation mix changes. These future load shapes determine the optimal resources to be acquired and can be modified by DSM to facilitate variable renewable integration. Ongoing regulatory proceedings in Colorado are described as a case study for an existing decision-making process.

A recent regulatory framework reform implemented in Brazil aims to universalize water and sanitation services by 2033. For financing and speeding up the construction of infrastructure, the new law encourages private sector participation through auctions promoted with the support of the Brazilian National Development Bank. However, the first auctions, with billions of dollars in price and investment effects, have raised concerns among practitioners over the impact on vulnerable families. We analyze the concessions in Alagoas and Rio de Janeiro states in Brazil to demonstrate how low-income families will struggle to pay their bills based on auction prices via the tariff, which may invite discontent. This research can inform subsequent water and sanitation auctions by highlighting that awards should not be based exclusively on auction prices, and affordability assessments should be mandatory.

Photovoltaic panels, electric vehicles, and vehicle-to-grid technologies are becoming more common and hold significant promises to improve the grid and foster the energy transition. However, significant questions remain unanswered with respect to who should invest in this equipment and what tariff should be used. This paper examines whether the distribution company or prosumer should invest in and manage Distributed Energy Resources (DER), the ideal combination of DER to utilize, and the appropriate tariff to implement. Central to this analysis is the assessment of different stakeholder objectives, particularly from the investor's perspective, where net present value is used as the primary criterion for evaluating the different investment scenarios. Additionally, the impact of these scenarios on the annual system cost is calculated. A mathematical scenario analysis model is developed to simulate the operation of DER and energy management systems. This model utilizes the Vermont electricity grid's real-world consumption, generation data, and cost structures. The results underscore the significance of incorporating vehicle-to-grid technology to enhance the profitability of DER investments. This inclusion of specific data sources and stakeholder criteria aims to provide insight into the complex dynamics of smart-home deployment.

Pakistan's power distribution utilities (DISCOs) face significant challenges, including outdated infrastructure, theft, and financial constraints, leading to inefficiencies and higher costs. A new framework proposes a strategy for operational enhancement and sector reforms, focusing on modernizing management, increasing capacity, improving network reliability, and implementing advanced metering and automated solutions. It aims to bolster transactional accuracy, safety, and inventory management, recalibrate subsidies, and ensure rigorous IT oversight for loss reduction and maintenance optimization. The framework promotes sustained investment and professional development, striving for financial stability and accountability while empowering DISCOs with the autonomy to maintain efficiency and engage consumers more effectively.

This study quantifies the value of lost load (VoLL) for the manufacturing sector in South Korea using stated preference methods. VoLL represents the cost of a stable electricity supply, which serves as a public good without a market price to compensate for flexible resources in the electricity market. The contingent valuation and choice experiment showed VoLL ranges from 0.35 to 0.80 USD per kWh unserved, below the industrial VoLL estimates in the existing literature. This finding suggests that outages may have lower costs for electricity consumers than investing in flexible resources. Using the correct estimate of outage costs is required to ensure capacity adequacy.