Under economies of scale, Demsetz's (1968) proposal of franchise bidding results, at best, in uniform prices approaching average cost. This article questions the accepted belief that the auctioneer always needs to know the market demand function, if the concept is modified so as to allow for...

With a given static market demand and given static cost functions of all potential suppliers as well as sufficient competition, Demsetz' (1968) concept of franchise bidding leads to the selection of the welfare-maximizing supplier. However, with differences in demand among bidders, franchise...

Faulhaber's (1975) concept of cross-subsidization is of crucial importance for regulatory activities. Its basic idea that customers demanding a good should not pay more than they would if they "stood alone" is a fundamental fairness rule which can be applied by independent regulators in...