Multiproduct Outputs and Scale Economies in Electric Power Production: Some New Estimates

The present study offers an argument, through a technical exposition, which suggests that there are cost differences inherent in serving different types of buyers in the electric utilities industry. To this end, we employ a translog joint cost function (for electricity production) with three outputs, which allows for the examination of the cost differences between wholesale and retail trade for vertically integrated, investor-owned companies in the industry. The regression estimates suggest different costs at the means, however the estimated marginal cost curve for wholesale power is not as robust as those for low-voltage and industrial power.     

Optimal Local Exchange Carrier Size

Optimal firm size and patterns of returns to scaleamong the local exchange companies in the U.S.telecommunications industry are estimated for theyears: 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1990. Theindependent companies display increasing returns toscale, while the Baby Bells display constant ordecreasing returns to scale. The independentcompanies operate at a scale smaller than optimalsize, while the Baby Bells operate at a scale greaterthan optimal size. Efficiencies can be gained byindustry restructuring, by allowing independents toexpand their size while the Baby Bells can bedownsized to create smaller units.     

The Effects of Acuity and Utilization on Nursing Home Costs

Recent proposals aim to relocate relatively healthy residents from nursing homes to lower-cost assisted care facilities. Such a move would have impacts on nursing home costs for two main reasons. It would decrease utilization rates and increase patient care needs, or acuity. A translog cost model is used to examine the impact that acuity and utilization have on nursing home costs. Results indicate that decreasing utilization will reduce total costs for nursing homes. However, increasing acuity will increase total costs. The total effect on nursing home costs of the change in policy is to decrease nursing home total costs but increase nursing home average costs per patient day.     

石家庄市生活垃圾分类收集现状与对策

对石家庄市生活垃圾构成与处理现状、垃圾分类的必要性及存在问题进行了研究,认为分类收集是垃圾综合利用的前提,是保护环境的必要措施,并对石家庄市生活垃圾分类收集提出了4条对策:1)引导公众积极参与;2)完善垃圾分类收集的措施;3)加快回收利用的产业化进程;4)加强分类收集的配套设施建设。     

Free speech and the challenge of efficiency

Radical transformation has come to speech platforms in the Information Society 2.0, typified by the migration from newspapers to social media. The change has been spurred by disruptive efficiencies in digital platforms. First, information distribution has been altered by near-costless electronic reproduction. Second, traditional bundles -- packaging editorial content of publications or broadcast networks with general-interest advertising messages -- have been eclipsed by competitively superior news aggregation hubs. Third, specialized content, including advertising, has become more easily targeted and better supplied via “long tails.” Fourth, the democratization of “publishing” has transformed “editing” into “platform mediation.” The resulting changes in market organization have made vastly higher volumes of news and public affairs information – from exponentially more sources – easily available to mass market consumers. In so doing, they have rendered the “Walter Cronkite” consensus obsolete, creating social controversy and considerable backlash. Demands to regulate, or re-regulate, are frequently voiced across the political spectrum. Such policies as “public interest” licensing, public utility regulation, and the Fairness Doctrine are here evaluated.     

Media substitution and economies of scale in advertising

Two important issues in the economics of advertising are media substitutability in generating sales and scale economies in advertising. If media are substitutes then partial bans, e.g., broadcast bans on cigarettes or alcoholic beverages, may be ineffective; and mergers among radio and TV firms, currently widespread in the U.S. and Mexico, are unlikely to result in market power in setting advertising rates. If there are scale diseconomies in advertising, concerns that advertising increases entry barriers may be unfounded. Using U.S. beer firm data over 1983:Q1–1993:Q4 for three media categories, we find evidence of high substitutability and diseconomies of scale.     

Economies of scale versus intellectual curiosity

Many researchers, especially during the early stage of their career, focus on a narrow topic so as to achieve economies of scale in their research activities. The research path that I have followed during the last ten years or so is, to a significant extent, guided by intellectual curiosity and has led to several distinct streams of research. My own experience shows that this alternative research path can be more intellectually stimulating. It is a worthwhile long-term investment that researchers may like to consider.     

Cost reductions or reputation enhancement as motives for mergers: The logic of multihospital systems

This paper examines two motives for the formation of local multihospital systems: cost reduction and reputation enhancement. Systems may reduce costs by eliminating redundancies and reducing administrative costs. Integration may also lower costs for consumers seeking consistently high qualiiy. We hypothesize that if systems achieve either cost or reputation benefits, then member hospitals will ‘look’ different from random collections of hospitals. We find that local systems do not appear to have lower costs but do appear to enjoy reputation benefits over nonsystem hospitals. Our findings challenge the assumptions behind popular health reform initiatives.     

Reliability evaluation and adjustment of supply chain network design with demand fluctuations

This study focuses on supply chain network design problems by considering economies of scale and demand fluctuations. A reliability evaluation method is developed to evaluate the performance of plants under demand fluctuations. In addition, two mathematical programming models are developed to determine the optimal adjustment decisions regarding production reallocation among plants under different fluctuating demands. The judgments to adjust or to do-nothing are investigated by comparing the results if the adjustment is made or not made. Results show that making adjustments benefits the manufacturers by reducing total production cost and avoiding revenue loss, which outweighs the extra costs, especially for high value-added products. Results also suggest that the manufacturer should ignore a short period abnormal state, since the benefits to respond to it might not compensate the high allocation costs. The results of this study provide a reference for the manufacturer in their decision making process of network planning with demand fluctuations, when they have to cope with benefits and costs during abnormal states.     

Market Power and/or Efficiency: A Structural Approach

This article separates oligopoly-power and cost-efficiency effects ofchanges in industrial concentration and assesses their impact on output prices in 32 food-processing industries. Empirical results indicate that although concentration inducescost efficiency in one-third of the industries, oligopoly-power effects either dominate cost efficiencyor reinforce inefficiency, resulting in higher output prices in most industries. The articlealso provides fresh econometric estimates of oligopoly power and economies of size for the industriesin question.     

电力产业重组中的规制和放松规制

基于经济学理论,介绍了电力市场建设阶段的竞争和规制理论,探讨了中国电力市场的规制制度和规制效率,有助于更好地理解电力市场建设、审批权等一系列当前电力工业界热门论题的经济学本质,时仍处于探索阶段的中国电力产业重组是具有现实意义的。     

The sufficiency of product and variable costs for production-related decisions when economies of scope are present

This article examines the usefulness of product and variable costs for pricing, product mix, and capacity expansion decisions when economies of scope are present. A numerical example demonstrates that the sufficiency of product and variable costs are diminished when economies of scope are present, even under economic conditions that are the most conducive for product and variable costs to lead to an optimal decision. Further analysis of production-related decisions with hard constraints indicates that the usefulness of variable costing incorporating the effect of a bottleneck activity is also diminished when economies of scope are present. Since economies of scope are one of the primary conditions necessary for firms to produce multiple products in a competitive economy [Panzar, J., Willig, R., 1981. Economies of scope. American Economic Review 71 (2), 268–272], the findings of this article bring into question the sufficiency of product and variable costs for production-related decisions.     

钻井队柴油机余热回收利用技术

井队柴油机余热回收利用作为一项节能技术,在塔里木油田钻井队冬季保温过程中取得了突出的节能效果,同时还创造了较大的经济效益。对塔里木油田钻井队柴油机现状、冬季保温情况及采用余热回收利用装置实施冬季保温取得的效果等方面进行了论述。     

中国电力产业规制效果的实证研究

本文利用1978--2005年相关数据对中国电力规制效果进行了全面的实证检验。计量结果表明，改革开放以来，明确的规制框架、独立规制机构和不断成熟的规制对象在统计意义上显著地提高了电力产业总量和效率，降低了价格水平和垄断利润．但在改善服务质量方面尚未发挥有效作用。总体看，中国电力产业规制效果是明显的．良好的规制设计不仅在理论上有利于电力产业提高绩效，在实践中也是电力产业绩效改善的推动力。     

油田污水处理技术的发展

对油田污水现有的处理技术发展状况包括装置和工艺进行了分析，指出本领域技术发展的重点，其中涉及的工艺技术、设备、药剂的研发可能成为今后发展的方向。     

我国废物犯罪立法初探

随着我国经济的发展,环境问题越来越严重,尤其是废物处理问题,成为我们所面临的一个迫切需要解决的问题。对废物处理中的一般的违法行为,可以追究行为人的民事责任、行政责任,对于那些严重的违法行为即废物犯罪问题则应由刑法加以规制。我国刑法规定了废物犯罪．但是仍然存在不足,难以有效地惩治和预防废物犯罪,在刑事立法方面,对废物犯罪需要加以完善。     

企业规模、规模经济与产业集群

企业规模问题一直存在着截然相反的观点和主张,造成冲突的原因在于“企业规模”是一个各取所需的含混的概念。具有经济学意义的企业规模应该从两个相互正交的维度上———企业的横向规模和纵向规模———来度量。规模经济来自于横向规模的扩张,而纵向规模的扩张可能会带来规模不经济。产业集群是观察企业横向、纵向规模一个好的样本。区分企业规模的不同性质,将会使与规模经济相关的理论研究出现明晰的路径。     

Estimating Size and Scope Economies in the Portuguese Water Sector Using the Most Appropriate Functional Form

Contrary to the usual method of most studies that apply parametric methodologies, the current study does not assume a priori a functional form to represent the cost function. Instead, a large number of functional forms are tested in order to find the most appropriate functional form for the true cost structure of utilities. The sample focuses on water utilities operating in Portugal during the period 2002–2008. The results show that there are substantial economies of output density, economies of size, and economies of scope (in the joint supply of water supply and wastewater services) and, therefore, there are huge advantages in utilities merging.