Electricity reform: Social and environmental challenges

Countries across the globe have been changing the structure of their electricity utility industries since the 1970s and the process continues to grow apace. Reform has in many cases been justified in the developing countries by the unsatisfactory performance of regulated, state-led power regimes, while in the developed countries increasing competition and consumer choice are major drivers.

The overall direction entails commercialization, privatisation, deregulation (or re-regulation) and competition as key elements of the reform initiatives, often nested within broader economic restructuring. This book documents processes, and social and environmental implications of power reforms across the globe.

The social issues considered relate to employment, access to electricity, quality of service delivery, and general welfare. Environmental indicators relate to generation source and energy management. The contributions are partly developed from selected papers presented at a brainstorming forum organised by the International Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris in May 2002 that was aimed at establishing a comprehensive understanding of how power sector reform affects environment and society. (BA).