The Financial and Operational Impacts of FERC Order 636 on the Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Industry

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order 636 fundamentally altered the regulatory and operational environment of the natural gas industry in 1992, as the culmination of several directives aimed at relaxing regulation and fostering competition. We hypothesize that gas pipeline firms subsequently changed their operational and financial behavior in ways consistent with reduced balkanization, increased competition, and reduced expense preference behavior. Our results indicate that these firms have become more homogeneous financially but less so operationally. We find evidence that the marginal profitability of various pipeline activities has responded more to financial market conditions than to the regulatory environment.     

OPEN ACCESS AND THE EMERGENCE OF A COMPETITIVE NATURAL GAS MARKET

Recent regulatory changes permitted natural gas pipelines to become "open access" transporters. This change in pipeline carrier status dissolved regulatory barriers to markets. This paper describes the institutions that were developed to support exchange in gas markets and observes and evaluates their emergence, evolution, and performance. The institutional and empirical evidence reveals that gas markets rapidly emerged with the dissolution of regulatory barriers. Spot gas prices converged and became highly correlated. A national market for natural gas developed within four years.     

Pricing flexibility under rate-of-return regulation: Effects on network infrastructure investment

When a commodity market relies upon a regulated network service industry—e.g., telecommunications, electricity, or natural gas transmission—economic efficiency in that commodity market is a crucial consideration for regulatory design. This is because insufficient infrastructure investment relative to network demand results in congestion. The extraction of associated rents has distortionary effects on commodity spot market prices. Greater regulatory flexibility in network pricing can alleviate such issues by cultivating the incentives needed for stakeholders to invest in transmission capacity. To illustrate this effect I derive and numerically solve stylized optimality conditions for access and usage prices for a gas pipeline operator under alternative regulatory models. My results have general implications for regulation in network infrastructure industries, as energy and telecommunications markets are expected to expand considerably over the coming decades.     

REGULATORY REFORM OF INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

This paper assesses the historic nature of regulation of the interstate natural gas pipeline industry and examines two recently proposed reforms, "mandatory" contract carriage and open entry. Empirical evidence that bears on the desirability of each of these reforms is cited or developed. It is argued that the reforms increase competition in gas transportation, thereby diminishing the need for traditional regulation, and that they increase economic efficiency in the transport of natural gas.     

Applying a third party access model for China’s gas pipeline network: an independent pipeline operator and congestion rent transfer

This paper investigates third party access regulatory issues in China’s natural gas industry. We study the development of China’s gas market-oriented reform and how third party access becomes a pressing issue in that context. This paper aims to report stakeholders’ benefit and distributional effects during a hypothetical third party access process. To that end, we apply an oligopolistic equilibrium model, based on the mixed complementarity problem, to China’s gas pipeline network. We compare two scenarios: a scenario without third party access and the other scenario where an independent pipeline operator optimizes flows. This latter scenario aims to guarantee that the maximum social benefit is achieved. In addition, the latter scenario transfers the congestion rent to former integrated gas companies to compensate their actual loss control of the pipeline operation, in order to minimize the adverse distributional effects for pipeline companies. The solution of the model indicates that operational separation is feasible with Pareto improvement in China’s context. Moreover, it merits particular attention from policy makers in China that pipeline capacity scarcity should be properly evaluated and managed.     

Gas Utility Prices in a Restructured Industry

The natural gas industry has witnessed significant policy changes since 1978. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has undertaken a number of policy initiatives designed to promote competition in the natural gas industry. These initiatives have affected both natural gas pipeline and local gas distribution companies. This study provides an empirical examination of the impact of restructuring on local gas distribution utilities' residential, commercial, and industrial prices.     

网络型能源产业融合动因与改革进程

回顾网络产业融合理论以及电力产业和天然气产业的市场化改革历程,分析网络产业分拆式改革后融合化发展的动因,结果显示:放松规制、信息技术发展、市场竞争因素以及消费者需求是网络型能源产业分拆后再融合的主要动因.市场化改革历程表明在各种因素的推动下,我国网络型能源产业正在逐步形成融合化发展趋势.     

Scale,scope, and regulation in the Texas gas transmission industry

This article describes and analyzes the Texas Railroad Commission's regulatory policies for the intrastate gas transmission industry, paying special attention to the impact of direct utility competition on scale and scope economies. Our econometric results suggest that most firms operate at substantial decreasing returns to scale, and the largest firms suffer the biggest diseconomies of scale. There are economies of scope between types of gas sales, but diseconomies of scope when a pipeline combines transportation with multiple categories of gas sales. These results suggest that the Texas Railroad Commission's liberal policies on entry and private contracting have not resulted in inefficient entry.     

我国国有企业竞争中立制度框架及其改革路径*

国有企业竞争中立制度的构建是未来深化国有企业改革的必然方向。改革开放以来,中国国有企业一直坚持进行市场导向性改革,高度契合竞争中立宗旨与理念。本文系统梳理了改革开放以来国有企业市场导向性改革脉络,总结目前国有企业竞争中立改革面临的问题。在此基础上,本文构建了我国竞争中立制度框架的体制基础和具体构成。最后,本文提出从深化国有企业改革和扶持民营企业发展两方面来塑造中国国有企业竞争中立改革的制度框架,并根据九大制度安排构建了竞争中立制度改革的路径。现有研究多从法学和贸易视角质性分析竞争中立定义、原则内容和中国应对措施,尚未提出我国竞争中立改革的制度框架和实践路径,本文所建立的国有企业竞争中立制度框架与改革路径对建立中国特色的国有企业制度与社会主义市场经济体系具有一定借鉴意义。     

The duration of new firms in banking: an application of Cox regression analysis

This paper studies the duration of two cohorts of entrants in the Italian financial intermediation industry. Using the Cox (1972) Proportional Hazards Model, it analyses the link between duration of each newborn firm and its start-up size, as well as a series of industry-specific characteristics. It emerges that not only did regulatory reform in 1990 result in a process of branch proliferation and industry concentration, but it also set in motion a pre-entry selection mechanism. Conversely, before completion of the regulatory reform, in 1989, entry was possible even for very small firms, and larger new entrants survived longer than their smaller counterparts, and this independently of the features of spatial and structural competition. First version received: Nov. 98/final version received: Oct. 99     

垄断、竞争与管制、中国铁路改革

西方产烽组织理论中的SCP基本框架对中国铁路行业的市场结构，企业行为经济进行证分析有很有效。中国铁路行业相当高的行业集中度、规模经济性以及进入退出障碍表明中国铁路行业是一个高度垄断的产业；其政企合一、运输质量低下，运价不合理等为弊端亟待解决，从主要技术指标和经济效益指标来看，中国铁路改革空间很大，兼顾竞争与管制，从政企分离，非自然垄断与自垄断业务相分离的原则出发，网络分离是中国铁路运输管理体制改革的必然选择。     

Merger and optimal number of firms: an integrated simulation approach

In a market where imperfect competition occurs as a result of mergers, this study proposes a framework consisting of both efficiency and risk analyses that allow the simulation of pro forma mergers and hence the determination of the optimal number of firms in the industry. This is valuable policy information for regulators concerned with possible intervention in the case of competition and anti-trust violations, and also for business managers seeking acquisition targets. The framework is applied to the banking industry in Taiwan. Results reveal the potential for industrial restructuring in a sector where the optimal number of Bank Holding Companies (BHCs) is between four and six, subject to whether partial control is assumed.     

Competition in gas markets

This paper discusses some of the current regulatory issues that arise in gas markets under perfect or imperfect competition. It first presents a benchmark model of gas transportation pricing, when all markets are competitive. Optimal prices and capacities are characterized both without and with a break-even constraint for the transportation operator. Elaborating on this framework, it then studies the appropriate dimensioning of the transportation network when an otherwise unregulated supplier exerts market power. Specifically, it points to the possibility of building up “excess” transmission capacity in order to mitigate local market power.     

经济转轨中自然垄断行业规制改革——竞争、所有制与激励机制选择

竞争与所有制改革是目前自然垄断行业规制改革的主要趋势.但原有的理论和经验都是针对发达国家而言,对于转轨国家如何协调经济转轨与自然垄断行业改革却没有现成的理论与经验.所以,本文从转轨国家自然垄断行业引入竞争可能性以及所有制改革模式的选择入手,研究在加入策略性激励机制后竞争与所有制模式的不同组合对自然垄断企业绩效的影响.研究发现,转轨国家自然垄断行业改革进程取决于转轨国家市场发育程度以及改革的初始条件;混合所有制的企业竞争模式比完全私有化的社会福利水平要高,也更适合于转轨国家自然垄断行业改革的所有制选择模式.     

我国水务产业市场准入问题研究

随着公用事业改革和城市化进程的推进,国内外民营资本进入供水和污水处理产业的期望越来越大。如何根据水务产业的特点和我国水务产业的实际状况,借鉴国外引入竞争机制的经验,寻求我国水务产业引入竞争机制和民营化的途径,是当前推进水务产业改革和发展的关键。从水务产业市场准入的角度探讨我国水务产业引入竞争机制和民营化途径,对我国水务产业市场准入改革具有重要意义。     

市场竞争不完全与企业内部工资差距*——基于产品与劳动力市场融合视角的分析

理解工资差距的形成机制是在新时期破解发展不平衡不充分问题，进而实现共享发展的关键。本文从产品与劳动力市场竞争不完全相融合的视角，扩展了中国企业内部技能员工与非技能员工工资差距形成机制的研究，兼论消除竞争不完全的效率提高。基于中国企业数据并在统一的框架下构建市场竞争不完全的测算指标，本文发现：中国的市场化改革并不必然带来收入差距的扩大，不完全的市场化改革形成的产品与劳动力市场竞争不完全才是引发企业内部收入差距的重要原因。当存在市场竞争不完全时，企业会将产品市场势力扩展到劳动力市场，形成劳动力市场竞争不完全对工资差距的更大影响。这意味着单一的市场化改革不能有效缓解收入差距，只有产品与劳动力市场的同步改革才能达到最优的政策效果。中国的市场化改革可以在初次分配中通过发挥市场机制兼顾效率与公平。     

希腊构建多元化能源结构值得借鉴

希腊是一个缺乏能源的小国家,但其构建东南欧能源共同体、构建石油、天然气和输电网络的框架计划、放开能源市场鼓励竞争、制定法律促进替代能源发展等措施值得我们借鉴.     

The new long-term trend in the price of natural gas

A significant negative trend in the long-term price of natural gas at the wellhead is revealed from simulations with a partial equilibrium model of the industry in the United States. The model framework consists of a simultaneous equations system for production from reserves and for demands for production in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. We utilize a wide range of historical data to calibrate the model and then develop two sets of scenarios for future prices, one based on further industry development under current regulation, and the other based on deregulation and development of an open market for gas services. The key variables — price of natural gas, level of production and inground gas reserves — for the next 10 years improve for the consumer whether or not there is deregulation but the second scenario leaves the consumer better off sooner.     

美国金融监管改革对中国的启示

2010年奥巴马签署的《美国金融改革法案》旨在解决此次金融危机中所暴露出来的金融市场系统性风险,在不断推进金融创新的同时,加强对金融业的监管,最大限度的保护广大投资者的利益。该法案是近年来对美国未来金融业发展以及金融机构监管较为深远的一项改革法案。它将给中国金融市场提供有益的借鉴,要求我们既要尊重金融市场化发展规律,推进金融创新,加强市场透明度,同时也要在统一监管方面做足功课,并积极促进国内监管改革向国际接轨。     

流通产业组织结构优化中的自然垄断趋势

流通产业的组织结构是产业经济学关注的重要理论问题之一,人们或是根据产业组织学理论从商品流通企业的市场关系对其进行分析,或是从流通产业内部的资源配置结构及关联对其展开考察,或是在"结构、行为、绩效"框架下对其进行研究.其实,产业的组织结构涉及的层面很复杂,它与自然垄断之间有可能存在的关联尚未引起学者们应有的关注.本文认为,依据产业经济学对自然垄断的理解或定义,流通产业组织结构的优化与自然垄断之间存在着关联,这种关联可以通过流通产业运行的内部性和外部性予以揭示,对这种关联的分析,可以发现在流通产业组织结构的优化中蕴含着自然垄断的趋势.