This paper examines the performance of several panel data models to measure cost and scale efficiency in network industries. Network industries are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity, much of which is network-specific and unobserved. The unaccounted-for heterogeneity can create bias...

The purpose of this study is to analyze the cost efficiency of electricity distribution systems in order to enable regulatory authorities to establish price- or revenue cap regulation regimes. The increasing use of efficiency analysis in the last decades has raised serious concerns among...

This paper analyzes the cost structure of the French electricity distribution sector prior to the re-structuring reforms that have been initiated in 2005 and gradually implemented in the form of re-grouping certain activities across distribution units. The aim of this study is to assess the...

This paper explores the economies of scale and scope in the electricity, gas and water utilities. These issues have a crucial importance in the actual policy debates about unbundling the integrated utilities into separate entities, a policy which has often been supported by the ongoing reforms...

This paper examines the application of different parametric methods to measure cost efficiency of electricity distribution utilities. The cost frontier model is estimated using four methods: Displaced Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects, Random Effects and Maximum Likelihood Estimation. These...

This paper applies an ordered logit model to fuel choices and patterns of cooking fuels in urban Indian households. A large microeconomic dataset is employed to carry out the analysis. The results show that in addition to income, there are several socio-demographic factors such as education and...

In the last two decades electricity distribution sector have witnessed a wave of regulatory reforms aimed at improving efficiency through incentive regulation. Most of these regulation schemes use benchmarking namely measuring a company’s efficiency and rewarding them accordingly. The...

The purpose of this study is to analyze the cost structure of a sample of Swiss multi-modal urban transport operators in order to assess economies of scale and scope. The results suggest that the industry is characterized by increasing returns to scale and economies of scope. Several European...

This study presents an empirical analysis of the cost efficiency of a sample of Swiss multi-utilities operating in the distribution of electricity, natural gas and water. The multi-utilities that operate in different sectors are characterized by a strong unobserved heterogeneity. Therefore the...

We analyze the technical efficiency of German and Swiss urban public transport companies by means of SFA. In transport networks we might face different network structures or complexities, not observed, but influencing the production process. The unobserved factors are typically modeled as...