Ch 11 – Regulated Monopolies
Electric Power Companies (1 of 1)
Electric power is made available to the consumer through a production process characterized by 3 stages
Power is generated in generating plants
Power is transmitted from the generating site to the locality where it is used
The power is distributed to individual users
Integrated firms that carry out all 3 stages of production are usually regulated by state public utility commissions
These commissions set the rates to be charged to consumers
The firms normally receive exclusive rights to serve localities through franchisees granted by local governing bodies
As a result, electric power firms have well-defined markets within which they are the sole provider of output
Finally, the FERC has the authority to set rates on power that crosses state lines, and on wholesale power sales
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What Went Right? ● What Went Wrong?
The Public Service Company of New Mexico
This firm provides electric power service and natural gas distribution services to most of New Mexico’s population
Although PNM was authorized to earn a return of 12.5% on common equity, it was unable to do so
Faced with high growth in demand, PNM joined other regional utilities in the construction of several large coal-fired plants and a nuclear power plant, but load growth did not materialize as expected
The projects were plagued by cost overruns, delays and costly safety modifications
At completion, PNM found itself with a capacity in excess of 80% of peak demand for which it could not recover
The regulatory process does not ensure that a firm will earn its authorized return
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© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
Ch 11 – Regulated Monopolies
Natural Gas Companies (1 of 1)
This highly regulated industry is also a 3-stage process
Production of the gas in the field
Transportation to the consuming locality through pipelines
Distribution to the final user
FERC historically set the field price of natural gas, but regulation at the wellhead has been effectively phased out
Today, FERC overseas the interstate transportation of gas by approving pipeline routes and by controlling the wholesale rates charged by pipeline firms to distribution firms
The distribution function may be carried out by a private firm or a municipal government agency
In either event, the rates charged to final users are also subject to regulatory control
© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
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Ch 11 – The Economic Rationale for Regulation
Natural Monopoly Argument (1 of 1)
Firms operating in the regulated sector are often natural monopolies in which a single supplier emerges because of a production process characterized by massive economies of scale
Natural monopoly - An industry in which maximum economic efficiency is obtained when the firm produces, distributes, and transmits all of the commodity or service produced in that industry. The production of natural monopolists is typically characterized by increasing returns to scale throughout the relevant range of output
© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
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Figure 11.7 – The Price-Output Determination of a Natural Monopoly
© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
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