TY - JOUR
T1 - Caught between theory and practice
T2 - Government, market, and regulatory failure in electricity sector reforms
AU - Nepal, Rabindra
N1 - This article was published before R Nepal was a CDU staff member.
PY - 2015/6
Y1 - 2015/6
N2 - Electricity sector in many developing countries since the early 1990s have revealed the complexities of introducing market-based reforms in network and infrastructure industries. This paper reflects on the experience to date with the process and outcomes of electricity reforms in smaller electricity systems of less-developed and transition economies. In particular, we use case studies of Belarus and Nepal, two countries that in many respects reflect the current state of reform efforts but have not received much scrutiny in the literature. The evidence suggests similarities in the electricity sectors of less-developed and transition economies, even though the contexts vary significantly. The need to balance economic efficiency, sustainability and social equity, and to maintain adequate investment, remains challenging despite more than two decades of experience with reforms. The dynamics of the electricity supply industry and policy objectives imply that reforms evolve continuously and thus remain work in progress, and their success or failure is a complex function of micro- and macro-economic as well as institutional factors.
AB - Electricity sector in many developing countries since the early 1990s have revealed the complexities of introducing market-based reforms in network and infrastructure industries. This paper reflects on the experience to date with the process and outcomes of electricity reforms in smaller electricity systems of less-developed and transition economies. In particular, we use case studies of Belarus and Nepal, two countries that in many respects reflect the current state of reform efforts but have not received much scrutiny in the literature. The evidence suggests similarities in the electricity sectors of less-developed and transition economies, even though the contexts vary significantly. The need to balance economic efficiency, sustainability and social equity, and to maintain adequate investment, remains challenging despite more than two decades of experience with reforms. The dynamics of the electricity supply industry and policy objectives imply that reforms evolve continuously and thus remain work in progress, and their success or failure is a complex function of micro- and macro-economic as well as institutional factors.
U2 - 10.1016/j.eap.2015.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.eap.2015.03.001
M3 - Article
VL - 46
SP - 16
EP - 24
JO - Economic Analysis and Policy
JF - Economic Analysis and Policy
SN - 0313-5926
ER -