Heavy Current Electricity in the United Kingdom: History and Development focuses on the history and development of the electricity supply industry in the United Kingdom. The laws passed by Parliament, including those governing gas or other public companies supplying light by electricity, are considered, along with the nationalization of the electric power industry. This book consists of six chapters and opens with a discussion on Michael Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction that paved the way for the development of electric power, along with some major engineering achievements that contributed to advances in electricity generation. The next chapter looks at some of the laws enacted in Britain to regulate the use of electricity, including the Public Health Act of 1875 and the Gas Act of 1847. The debate over the merits of direct current vs. alternating current is also examined, together with attempts to remove legislative restrictions regarding the supply of electricity; Thomas Edison's establishment of Electric Light Company in America; and the emergence of the British manufacturing industry. The final chapter is devoted to the nationalization of the British electricity industry and the role played by the Central Electricity Board. This monograph will be of interest to energy policymakers as well as those in the electricity industry.
. . . it s a valuable and laudable work. . . I found it interesting and helpful to have an account of the parallel developments in the other two countries. . . An analysis of important aspects of British and French energy policy development based on primary sources is a worthwhile contribution. A broad comparative synthesis of energy policy in the three countries is also a worthwhile contribution. John Neufeld, EH.NET The main objective of this very interesting book is to analyse from economic history and political economy perspectives the similarities and differences in the forms that the electricity sector has been organized and the ways that energy policy has developed in Britain, France, and the US. The book s organization and the clarity of the writing make for a highly rewarding read. . . Chick has dedicated many years to studying the electricity sector, and this book demonstrates his mastery of this complex industry. . . Chick s book will be of decided interest to energy specialists, but it will also appeal to a broader readership including economic historians, political economists, and other social scientists who wish to understand the crucial role that energy has played in international politics, economic growth, and human welfare during the period since the Second World War. Judith Clifton, The Economic History Review Chick s superb study of this crucial sector goes right to the heart of a number of problems associated with markets and government, casting light on each. It also sheds light in unexpected areas, and in particular on the history of economic thought. Above all, this volume succeeds admirably in fusing the best techniques of business and economic history to show why history matters for present-day policy. Roger Middleton, Business History This history of the post-WWII electricity supply industry in France, Great Britain and the US is well researched and well written. . . The author draws on newly available archival material to develop a sophisticated, deeply informed portrayal of the evolutionary process in each nation. . . This well-crafted industrial history should be of interest to practitioners and policy makers as well as students and scholars. Highly recommended. R.C. Singleton, Choice Nationalisation, regulation, privatisation: beyond polemics, history lessons by Martin Chick. Alain Beltran, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne, France International economic history is not just concerned with flows of capital and goods. It involves comparisons of the economic policy and organisation of specific economic sectors. In this excellent book, Martin Chick examines energy policy issues, policy formation, policy makers and their advisers, in USA, France and Britain, drawing on original archive sources. He brings out the importance of strategic issues, including security, in the switch from coal to oil and natural gas, the European debate on coal and steel, pricing in electricity supply and finally privatisation and liberalisation of markets. It is a fine exercise in political economy and will appeal to scholars and students of politics as well as of history, economics and business studies. Robert Millward, University of Manchester, UK Analyzing the work of economic theorists and policy practitioners from the 1840s to the present, this sophisticated historical account helps scholars understand better the profound obstacles to making successful energy policy today. In particular, the cross-national study highlights the primacy of social, political, and historical forces over rational economic theory, demonstrating that energy policy making has never been (and will likely never become) a pure science based on cherished academic principles such as marginal-cost pricing. Richard Hirsh, Consortium on Energy Restructuring, Virginia Tech, US Martin Chick s overview of the formation and implementation of energy policy in three countries since 1945 is a remarkable achievement. Writing clearly, confidently a
Semiannual, with semiannual and annual indexes. References to all scientific and technical literature coming from DOE, its laboratories, energy centers, and contractors. Includes all works deriving from DOE, other related government-sponsored information, and foreign nonnuclear information. Arranged under 39 categories, e.g., Biomedical sciences, basic studies; Biomedical sciences, applied studies; Health and safety; and Fusion energy. Entry gives bibliographical information and abstract. Corporate, author, subject, report number indexes.
ÿIn Britain, most of us take electricity for granted. When there are power cuts, we are shocked by the gloom and the silence and how dependent on electricity we have become. Critics predicted that the privatisation of electricity supply in 1990 would lead to power shortages. Elsewhere in Europe it was sometimes dismissed contemptuously as ?The British Experiment?. But the plan worked. Private investment flowed and customers reaped the benefits. Then it began to go wrong. Governments wanted more and more say, but their policies were often confusing and sometimes merely vote-catching The confidence of investors was damaged. Power stations closed faster than they were replaced. The risk of power shortages increased.ÿIn 1987, David Porter found himself at the centre of the energy supply revolution when he helped to form a new body created to fight for the UK?s independent electricity producers. Soon he was also speaking for the companies that had once been state-owned. Battles were fought and often won, but government intervention grew relentlessly. The ideals of the privatisation were forgotten. Politics, rather than the paying customers, drove the industry.ÿThis book is David?s story of those eventful years.
The electricity market has experienced enormous setbacks in delivering on the promise of deregulation. In theory, deregulating the electricity market would increase the efficiency of the industry by producing electricity at lower costs and passing those cost savings on to customers. As Electricity Deregulation shows, successful deregulation is possible, although it is by no means a hands-off process—in fact, it requires a substantial amount of design and regulatory oversight. This collection brings together leading experts from academia, government, and big business to discuss the lessons learned from experiences such as California's market meltdown as well as the ill-conceived policy choices that contributed to those failures. More importantly, the essays that comprise Electricity Deregulation offer a number of innovative prescriptions for the successful design of deregulated electricity markets. Written with economists and professionals associated with each of the network industries in mind, this comprehensive volume provides a timely and astute deliberation on the many risks and rewards of electricity deregulation.
One of the most significant resource-development and industrial-policy issues facing the United States today is the continued decline of domestic production and processing of metallic minerals and the associated dependence on foreign supplies for our needs. Domestic mining and processing industries have suffered from various economic problems and i
