The end of the twentieth century was accompanied by a concerted worldwide push towards competitive reform of the electricity supply industry (ESI).  Until that stage, few countries would have questioned the economic efficiency of publicly owned vertically integrated utilities and their role as monopoly service providers in the ESI (the main exceptions being the privately … Continue Reading ››

As China evolves towards a market economy the long-standing, command and control apparatus of regulation is becoming increasingly ineffective. This is the case in many sectors of the economy, but especially in the energy sector where the central government seeks to maintain a high degree of control. One of the principal reasons for this regulatory … Continue Reading ››