The crisis precipitated by the flawed restructuring of California's electric power industry focused national attention on the questin of whether to allow utility companies-highly regulated by government-to operate in a deregulated energy market. This symposium examines the issues involved in...

Does the manner in which public utility commissioners are selected influence the kinds of decisions they render regarding electric rates and other factors pertaining to electricity services? This article examines the impact and implications of different methods of regulator selection and how...

The economic productivity of publicly funded wood preservatives research from 1950 to 1980 exemplifies public research in the forest product industries. We find a high internal rate of return for wood preservatives, nearly 300 percent. The research investments would not have been made by private...