Workshop Energy Regulation

On December 3, 2008, the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) organizes a workshop on the regulation of innovation and investments. At the same day the PhD defense of Paul Nillesen will be held.

Background

In the past decades, the central focus for network industry regulators around the world has been to reduce tariffs for end-users by stimulating and enforcing efficiency savings in former monopoly utilities. After the harvest of low-hanging fruit, the drive for further efficiency savings and tariff reductions is really starting to bite. This "bite" however comes at a moment in the investment cycle when many networks - dating from the 60s and 70s - need replacing. At the same time the networks are seen as a vital link in realizing the transition to an economy relying on sustainable energy sources. For example, networks will need to cope with decentralized production feeding the electrical system at household level rather than large-scale production feeding the system at centralized points, or, perhaps more urgently,with the introduction of smart metering and smart grids. All those challenges require a regulatory framework that is forward-looking, rather than retrospective, and provides incentives to innovate and invest, rather than focusing solely on cost reductions.

Workshop: Energy regulation going forward: From cost efficiency to innovation and investment

In the workshop four prominent speakers will discuss the challenges facing policy-makers and regulators around the world using examples from transmission investment and regulation, lessons from telecommunications regulation - a sector that has faced continuous innovation, and practical advice on how to put a new regulatory framework in place.

PhD defense: On the future of electricity distribution regulation - lessons from international experience

Paul Nillesen will defend his thesis on the regulation of the electricity distribution sector. In his thesis Paul provides a management perspective on regulation and draws lessons from the international experience that can be applied by both policy makers and utility management.