We review the evolution of the concept of utility in economics, addressing the conceptual and terminological fragmentation that characterises the interdisciplinary debate. This study adopts the scoping review framework to systematically analyse the main theoretical approaches, ranging from...

Electricity sectors in many developing countries are stuck in a vicious cycle of low prices, financial insolvency, and unreliable service. India’s state-owned utilities are emblematic of this problem, costing the government billions in bailouts while delivering poor electricity reliability....

Regulation 1370/2007, as amended by the Fourth Railway Package, set the date of 25 December 2023 for the opening to competition of services subject to public service obligations. As opposed to the model of "competition in the market" for commercial services, the model for PSO services is that of...

Socialized pricing mechanisms are common in utility services like electricity because it is critical for daily activities and therefore, considered vital for economic growth. The aim of such mechanisms is to redistribute financial resources from well-off to marginalized consumers. This is seen...

The process of the liberalisation of services of general economic interest (SGEI) in the EU adopted the universal service (US) regulatory model. The objectives of the process were to strengthen free competition and improve social welfare. SGEIs have the characteristic of networked services and,...

This document outlines the Utility of the Future (UoF) program's methodology, which is divided into two main phases: the UoF Standard and UoF Advanced. The UoF Standard phase focuses on establishing a solid foundation for transformation through initial analysis, action planning, and strategic...

This study considers a mixed downstream market wherein a vertically-integrated public utility competes with a private firm that purchases inputs from an upstream firm under output subsidies. We construct an endogenous competition mode game and find that not only do pure Cournot and Bertrand...

The setting of public utility prices involves balancing various competing government policy objectives, from equity concerns to ensuring the financial sustainability of providers and balancing public finances. In practice, public utility pricing often departs significantly from government...

The setting of public utility prices involves balancing various competing government policy objectives, from equity concerns to ensuring the financial sustainability of providers and balancing public finances. In practice, public utility pricing often departs significantly from government...

Many US states have set ambitious renewable portfolio standards (RPS) that require utilities to switch from fossil fuels toward renewables by 2030. In order to fund investments in solar and wind capacity, we find that investor-owned utilities subject to RPS issue more debt and pay higher...

Rate regulated public utilities own and operate one-third of U.S generators and nearly all the transmission and distribution system. These firms receive special regulatory treatment because they are protected from competition and subject to rate caps. In the past decade, they also have been at...

Space technology keeps innovating and giving us the benefit to make our life easier, including satellite banking. However, BRI become the first bank that own satellite and claims it could improve efficiency. Therefore, this research aims to look at the efficiency of selected banks in Indonesia...

A near-catastrophic drought in Cape Town, South Africa illustrates three general implications of climate change for publicly-provided utility services. First, to reduce aggregate water demand, the public utility increased prices, leading to large demand reductions by richer households. Prior to...

Blockchain applications for the energy and utilities industry has a far-reaching impact, fostering knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the advancement of blockchain technology across the energy and utilities industry. It develops informed policies and frameworks for the technology's adoption...

[Background and aims of this position paper] Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has become ever clearer that it poses an enormous challenge for society. The lockdown imposed on large parts of public life, which hit all social groups and institutions relatively abruptly with a wide range of...

Utility tokens are digital currencies that serve as the only accepted means of payment for services and products provided through a blockchain-based platform. They finance the development of their product or service, reward and incentivize early adopters and network promoters, align economic...

This paper estimates the distribution-led regime of the US economy for the period 1947–2019. We use a time varying parameter model, which allows for changes in the regime over time. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper that has attempted to do this. This innovation is...

This paper estimates the distribution-led regime of the US economy for the period 1947–2019. We use a time varying parameter model, which allows for changes in the regime over time. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper that has attempted to do this. This innovation is...

A critical aspect of public utility regulation is the determination of the allowed return on equity (“ROE”) incorporated in rates which is intended to match the utility’s cost of equity required to finance its assets. This is one of the more contentious parts of ratemaking as the cost of...

Previous scholars have noted the increase in negotiated agreements as a means of resolving utility regulatory disputes in the United States. These agreements allow policy actors to make their own decisions instead of receiving orders from a regulatory agency. Through a natural gas utility case...

The dividend (Gordon) growth model (DGM) is a simple stock valuation equation in four variables: (1) price; (2) next-period cash flow; (3) a perpetual and constant rate of growth in the periodic cash flow; and (4) a perpetually-constant discount rate. The DGM can be expressed to equate the...

Regulators act as “market referees”, balancing the often-competing interests of stakeholders such as governments, current and future actors in the markets, and consumers. At the same time, markets are rapidly changing due to new technologies, the international drive toward carbon-neutral...

Digital platforms publicly offering utility tokens to consumers and investors or listing tokens on a trading platform within the EU need to comply with the “Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation” (MiCAR) beginning in 2024, which results in significant direct and indirect costs for issuers. The...