Utilities Policy最新文献

{"title":"Building stakeholder trust in regulatory governance: Evidence from Ghana's public utilities regulatory commission","authors":"Tia Abdulai Robert Aziz ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Kems Bigodza ,&nbsp;Albert Ahenkan ,&nbsp;James Kwame Mensah","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the determinants of stakeholder trust in the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) of Ghana by investigating the influence of five (5) governance constructs <em>(independence, transparency, effectiveness, regulatory responsiveness, and accountability</em>). Drawing on the stakeholder theory and literature on regulatory governance, the study employed cross-sectional data using a sample of 280 stakeholders from various sectors. The findings provide strong empirical support for the hypothesized relationships between stakeholder trust and four of the constructs: independence, transparency, regulatory responsiveness, and effectiveness. However, accountability did not emerge as a statistically significant predictor. Perceived independence and effectiveness consistently demonstrate a statistically significant positive association with stakeholder trust, highlighting the centrality of institutional autonomy and performance in shaping confidence in regulatory institutions. Transparency and responsiveness are also relevant, albeit with relatively smaller effect sizes, indicating that while openness and attentiveness enhance stakeholder confidence, they do not outweigh the foundational importance of independence and institutional effectiveness. Taken together, these results advance both theoretical understanding and practical implications of how regulatory bodies in developing country contexts build and sustain trust among diverse stakeholders. Theoretically, the study contributes to scholarship on governance and stakeholder trust by reinforcing the salience of independence and effectiveness as essential qualities of regulatory legitimacy in developing countries. Practically, these findings carry important implications for regulatory policy and practice in Ghana and similar developing country contexts. PURC must strengthen its institutional independence from political interference and improve the perceived effectiveness of its regulatory mandate to improve stakeholder trust.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102082"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Water Safety Plan outcomes and impacts in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Uganda","authors":"Christopher Kanyesigye ,&nbsp;Giuliana Ferrero ,&nbsp;Sara J. Marks ,&nbsp;Charles B. Niwagaba ,&nbsp;Robinah N. Kulabako ,&nbsp;Frank Kansiime","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The World Health Organization recommends Water Safety Plans (WSP) as the most effective means of ensuring safe drinking-water supply. WSP performance evaluation is necessary for improving water service delivery, scaling up, and motivating the roll out of WSP. In this study, the evaluation of WSP development and implementation was done in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, a mid-sized semi-rural town in southwestern Uganda. Training of operations staff and the WSP team was done. Performance indicator data were collected before, during, and after 18 months of WSP implementation to determine the changes attributable to this intervention. Structured semi-quantitative questionnaires were used for data collection, which consisted of 11 progressive outcome indicators categorized under operational and institutional changes, and 14 short-term impact indicators categorized under water supply change. Results showed that WSP implementation enabled improvement in infrastructure, operational monitoring, customer engagement meetings, and training. Implementation of WSP did not result in improved catchment management, development and review of standard operating procedures and holding of internal meetings. Regarding short-term impacts, there was a significant improvement in compliance levels with drinking water quality standards, continuity of water supply, and customer satisfaction, as assessed by the frequency of complaints. There was, however, a significant reduction in the revenue-cost ratio (<em>p = 0.001</em>), likely due to an inadequate budget for implementing service expansion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102106"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A synthesis of distributed energy resource impacts and regulatory responses with a focus on soft law","authors":"Josh A. Dippenaar ,&nbsp;Bernard Bekker ,&nbsp;Kevin Foster ,&nbsp;Megan Davies","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar PV, battery storage, and electric vehicles, is fundamentally transforming power systems worldwide. Regulatory frameworks for the grid integration of DERs have struggled to keep pace, resulting in widespread non-compliance and a range of technical and financial challenges. This paper introduces a novel, penetration-based synthesis that maps DER impacts – including distribution grid constraints, utility revenue pressures, system flexibility, and stability concerns according to the level of DER adoption. We foreground the role of soft law – non-binding guidelines, voluntary standards, and stakeholder coalitions – and the concept of transition work as critical mechanisms for adaptive regulation. Drawing on a systematic literature review and international case studies, we identify how these impacts emerge at different penetration levels and demonstrate how timely, flexible regulatory responses can mitigate risks. Our analysis shows that adaptive, equitable tariff design and collaborative institutional reform are essential for sustainable DER integration. We argue that soft law and transition work enable more responsive, anticipatory regulation than traditional hard law alone. These findings offer actionable pathways for policymakers, regulators, and utility managers seeking to address the evolving technical and institutional challenges of DER integration and accelerate the energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102104"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sectoral and macroeconomic implications of reducing implicit power sector subsidies in developing countries: Insights from Ethiopia","authors":"Amsalu Woldie Yalew","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Policy reforms targeting implicit subsidies to public power utilities are expected to have repercussions on the electricity sector, as well as the rest of the economy. This study aims to glean insights into the potential direct and indirect effects of reforming implicit power sector subsidies in the context of low-income countries. Using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, it is demonstrated that a hypothetical reduction in implicit subsidies in Ethiopia would increase the share of off-grid sources in the total electricity supply and enhance production efficiency in the grid electricity sector, with no substantial impact on GDP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102110"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial intelligence assets and energy markets: Risk correlation dynamics and determinants","authors":"Min Liu ,&nbsp;Jianzhong Huang ,&nbsp;Shuai Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energy market stability is vital for global economic growth, yet increasing financial, geopolitical, and climate uncertainties have heightened cross-market risks. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative driver of technology and energy systems, its financial connections to energy markets remain underexplored. Existing studies primarily focus on traditional assets or clean energy linkages, overlooking AI as a distinct asset class in global risk transmission. This study investigates the dynamic risk correlations between AI assets and energy markets using a mixed-frequency DCC-MIDAS(-X) framework over the period March 2018 to December 2023, encompassing major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 energy crisis. The results reveal four key findings. (1) AI assets act as an effective hedge for natural gas and China's INE crude oil and a moderate diversifier for WTI, Brent, gasoline, and gas oil. (2) A persistently strong correlation exists between AI and clean energy, reflecting deep technological and investment integration. (3) Pronounced regional heterogeneity is identified: Western benchmarks exhibit stronger AI linkages than Asian and Middle Eastern markets. (4) Dollar fluctuation, climate policy uncertainty, and economic policy uncertainty significantly strengthen AI-energy correlations, while trade and geopolitical risks have weak effects. Overall, the findings highlight the growing financial interconnectedness between the technology and energy sectors. The study contributes by incorporating a regional comparative perspective and identifying macro-policy drivers of AI-energy linkages, offering implications for coordinated policy design and strategic portfolio diversification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102118"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shaping electricity end-user behaviour for demand response using the COM-B model","authors":"Daniele Stampatori ,&nbsp;Sanchayan Banerjee ,&nbsp;José Pablo Chaves Ávila","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electricity end users can contribute to the secure operation of the future power system by aligning their electricity consumption with the overall system's needs. To facilitate this, end users should receive economic signals that are economically optimal and behaviourally salient to guide their decisions. In fact, end users may not respond to economic signals solely based on economic evaluations. We propose a conceptual framework that describes ways in which key stakeholders can influence end-user behaviour in demand response programmes. We do this in two steps. First, we identify key stakeholders by examining demand response contracts. Second, we categorise literature on end-user behaviour in electricity demand response through the established Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour (COM-B) model. We extend this model by integrating behaviourally informed tools that stakeholders can employ to facilitate end-user participation in demand response programmes. Our setup enables policymakers to better understand key behavioural determinants, allowing them to design behaviourally informed energy policies for demand response.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102087"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145569022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergy or conflict? Assessing the combined emission reduction effects of environmental taxation and carbon trading in China's power sector","authors":"Song Chai ,&nbsp;Jin Yang ,&nbsp;Xintian Bi ,&nbsp;Lin Tang ,&nbsp;Maiyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Jie Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As environmental policies continue to proliferate, growing attention has turned to how one instrument may unintentionally offset or undermine the effectiveness of another. In China's power sector, for example, the Environmental Protection Tax (ET) may reduce emissions independently, but in doing so, it alters baseline conditions, depresses carbon prices, and weakens the incentive function of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). This form of indirect policy interference has received limited empirical scrutiny. To address this gap, we develop a policy interaction framework to empirically assess the combined effects of ET and ETS in China's power sector. Leveraging a multi-period difference-in-differences model and variation in pilot policy implementation across provinces, we estimate the heterogeneous impacts of individual and joint policy treatments on carbon intensity. We also examine the transmission mechanism through which ET affects the carbon market by influencing allowance price dynamics. Our results show that both ETS and ET independently reduce carbon intensity, and that the effectiveness of ET increases with higher tax rates. However, when implemented concurrently, elevated tax rates suppress carbon prices and erode the market incentives intended by ETS. Mechanism analysis reveals that overlapping compliance costs can distort price signals and lead to suboptimal abatement behavior. These findings highlight a critical trade-off in hybrid environmental governance and underscore the need for better coordination between fiscal and market-based instruments to improve policy coherence and climate mitigation effectiveness, particularly in developing economies undergoing institutional transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102084"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One hundred and eighty years of capital expenditure for equitable and climate-resilient water and sanitation in England and Wales","authors":"Richard Franceys ,&nbsp;Sam Kayaga","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>For adequate water and sanitation services, it is necessary to consider the level of capital and capital maintenance expenditure for ongoing systems to deliver SDG-6 and now climate resilience. This study of utility capital expenditure over 180 years found that in England and Wales, UK, it took an average annual investment of $49 per capita (USD$ PPP, 2020 prices) to achieve ‘SDG-6’ equivalence after the first 125 years, at $22,800 GDP pc; $137pc to maintain and enhance service quality over the following 50 years to 2025; with regulatory approval for $228pc annually to 2030 ($50,000 GDP pc).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102100"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Techno-economic optimization of PV-battery systems in five Australian states","authors":"Omid Motamedisedeh ,&nbsp;Sara Omrani ,&nbsp;Robin Drogemuller ,&nbsp;Geoffrey Walker ,&nbsp;Faranak Zagia ,&nbsp;Zahra Motamedi Sedeh","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic optimization model to examine how optimal configurations of residential PV-battery systems have evolved across five Australian states over a twelve-year period (2013/14 to 2024/25), driven by changes in policy, electricity tariffs, and technology costs. As the global leader in rooftop solar adoption, Australia offers a valuable case for understanding the long-term dynamics of distributed energy systems. Unlike previous studies that focus on a single metric or static analysis, this research provides three key contributions: (a) a multi-indicator framework that evaluates financial and technical performance using metrics such as Net Present Value, Selfe-Consumption and Selfe-Sufficiency ratios, Cost of Electricity, and Curtailed-Supply Fraction; (b) a long-term temporal analysis that compares optimal system configurations and performance indicators across twelve consecutive years; and (c) a geographically diverse case study across Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania to capture regional variation. Results show that PV systems consistently delivered substantial financial benefits across most states, with average IRRs of ∼20 % and household electricity costs reduced by around 35 %. The highest savings were observed in Queensland, where PV-battery systems cut household electricity costs by up to 72 % in 2023. In the early years, optimal PV sizes ranged from 4 to 6 kW but expanded to 15–16 kW in recent years due to declining technology costs. Battery adoption, which became financially viable only from 2023 onward, increased household self-sufficiency to an average of 60 % and up to 76 % in South Australia, although self-consumption fell to 30–40 % in some oversized systems. Tasmania was an outlier, where PV adoption was not financially attractive until after 2015, and batteries remained non-viable throughout the study period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102103"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145569024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-sectoral effects of regulatory uncertainty: Lessons from Brazil","authors":"Elias Cavalcante-Filho ,&nbsp;Rodrigo De-Losso ,&nbsp;Felipe Sande ,&nbsp;José Roberto Savoia","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.102105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the multifaceted impact of regulatory changes on systemic risk within the affected sector and their contagion effects on other regulated industries. Using the sudden implementation of Brazilian legislation (Provisional Act No. 579/2012, which restructured the electricity sector) as a natural experiment, we assess whether such a policy shock increased market risk exposure for directly and indirectly affected firms. To estimate causal effects, we combine the Synthetic Control Method and Difference-in-Differences approaches, using CAPM betas as the measure of systemic risk for publicly traded firms between 2005 and 2018. The results indicate that PA579 significantly increased the systemic risk of electricity companies and also raised market risk in other regulated sectors, including highways, healthcare, gas, telephony, sanitation, and aviation. These findings highlight that abrupt regulatory interventions can propagate credibility shocks beyond their target sector, underscoring the importance of transparency and predictability in regulatory policy design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"98 ","pages":"Article 102105"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}