Price-Cost Margins and Profit Rates in New Zealand Electricity Distribution Networks Since 1994: the Cost of Light Handed Regulation

From 1994 to 2003, New Zealands corporatized electricity lines networks operated with no industry regulator, but under the spotlight of mandatory information disclosure. As a result there exists a large body of detailed, audited and publicly available accounting data on the financial performance of these businesses. Using that data, this paper finds that price-cost margins have widened substantially since deregulation. We estimate the extent to which light-handed regulation has allowed profits to exceed the levels which would have been acceptable under the old rate-of-return regulatory framework, and find that the answer is about $200 million per year, on an ongoing basis.We thank colleagues at Victoria University, and two anonymous referees for this journal, for constructive comments on this paper. Any remaining errors are entirely our responsibility.JEL classification: D21; K23; L11; L43; L51     

由临街地价推算区片价的方法探讨

如何利用临街样点地价推算区片平均地价及基准地价始终是城镇基准地价评估的一个难点。文章利用赤峰市的实际调查数据,分别采用临街贡献率和面积加权两种方法推算区片平均地价,并采用回归分析方法探讨区片价与临街地价之间的关系,结果证明两种方法所推算的区片平均价是基本一致的,而且区片价与临街地价之间呈“反S”曲线关系。     

Two-settlement Systems for Electricity Markets under Network Uncertainty and Market Power

We analyze welfare and distributional properties of a two-settlement system consisting of a spot market over a two-node network and a single energy forward contract. We formulate and analyze several models which simulate joint dispatch of energy and transmission resources coordinated by a system operator. The spot market is subject to network uncertainty, which we model as a random capacity derating of an important transmission line. Using a duopoly model, we show that even for small probabilities of congestion (derating), forward trading may be substantially reduced, and the market power mitigating effect of forward markets (as shown in Allaz and Vila 1993) may be nullified to a great extent. There is a spot transmission charge reflecting transportation costs from location of generation to a designated hub whose price is the underlying for the forward contract. This alleviates some of the incentive problems associated with the forward market in which spot-market trading is residual. We find that the reduction in forward trading is due to the segregation of the markets in the constrained state, and the absence of natural incentives for generators to commit to more aggressive behavior in the spot market (the strategic substitutes effect). In our analysis, we find that the standard assumption of no-arbitrage across forward and spot markets leads to very little contract coverage, even for the case with no congestion. We present an alternative view of the market where limited intertemporal arbitrage enables temporal price discrimination by competing duopolists. In this framework, we assume that all of the demand shows up in the forward market (or that the market is cleared against an accurate forecast of the demand), and the forward price is determined using a market clearing condition.     

中国实施绿色GDP的困难与对策

为克服现行GD核P算体系的局限性,作为替代方案之一的绿色GD具P有相应的优势。本文从绿色GD的P内涵、面临的困难、国内外的理论与实践等角度进行了分析,并提出了相应对策。     

中、美政府在物流发展中的作用比较

从20世纪90年代开始,物流受到中国政府的高度重视,尤其是进入21世纪以来,中国政府出台了一系列的政策法规来促进中国物流的发展,对物流产业起到了积极的推动作用。但是,学习和借鉴美国政府在物流发展中的经验可使我们取长补短,实现跨越式发展。     

加快苏北发展的三项区域经济政策

加速苏北发展是江苏实施“区域共同发展战略”的必由之路。吸引区域外投资是苏北快速工业化的重要途径，加速南北产业转移将成为苏北经济发展的重要政策。加速苏北经济发展应优先重点发展江苏沿海以及内陆中心区域，完善城镇规划，建立网络状经济增长极。     

环境意识的内涵及其作用

环境意识的概念是随着人与自然的矛盾加剧而产生的。环境意识反映的是人们的一种心理,是对环境的认同感。在这种心理的作用下,人们会有意识地去关注环境变化和生态平衡,并且会自觉地维护生态系统的良性发展。环境意识包括环境认识观、环境价值观、环境伦理观、环境法制观和环境参与观五部分,分为感性认识、知识、态度、评价和行为五个层次。对环境意识的研究在人与自然的发展中具有巨大的实践指导意义。     

高等教育大众化与高等教育可持续发展问题探析

高等教育大众化是实现高等教育可持续发展的必然选择.我国在推进高等教育大众化的进程中取得了巨大成绩,也出现了不少矛盾和问题.其中,教育质量能否保障,高校能否持续发展等成为全社会关注的焦点.正确处理高等教育大众化与可持续发展的关系和选择、建立高等教育大众化的发展战略及运行机制是问题的关键所在.     

城市性质与酒店业发展模式关系

伴随着中国旅游产业化和市场化进程的加速,中国城市酒店的发展模式正面临着整体变革,酒店业发展的本质属性使得不同性质城市酒店发展出现不同模式。文章以三类性质的城市为基础,深入研究了中国不同职能城市的酒店发展模式,即东部特大城市的"两极化总部"发展模式、中西部省会和新兴旅游城市的"经济型"发展模式以及专业镇经济发展起来的特殊城市的"东莞"发展模式,并对其模式产生原因及其演变进行了研究。     

东部地区在区域经济协调发展中要发挥更大作用

“八五”以来，我国东部沿海地区充分利用区位优势和现实经济条件，依靠科技力量，致力于产业结构升级换代，积极转变经济增长方式，形成了一批现代化的企业集团和企业家队伍，经济增长方式上完成了由劳动密集型向资本、技术密集型的转变，积累了大量的资本，为东西部地区协调发展创造了条件。