A primary aim of deregulation is to reduce the customer cost of electricity. In this paper, we examine the degree of success in reaching that goal using a variety of methods. We examine rates for each of four customer classes; for regulated, deregulated and publicly owned utilities; and for...

The sale of “green power” (electricity generated using renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or geothermal power) to non-residential customers at a premium is one of several market-based approaches for supporting renewables. Why would profit-maximizing firms or budget-conscious...

It is widely believed that rural forest and agricultural resources in Southern Africa are overused, in the sense that both biomass and harvest levels are significantly below levels of maximum sustainable yield. However, economic theory suggests that high interest and time preference rates cause...