Conference details (NOTE: Conference is fully booked)
The theme of this year's conference is "evaluating the effectiveness of regulation".
International speakers include:
Professor Paul Kleindorfer, Editor, Journal of Regulatory Economics Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Professor William G Shepherd, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Economics University of Massachusetts at Amherst, former General Editor Review of Industrial Organisation
Professor Frank Wolak, Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Chairman of the Market Surveillance Committee for the Independent System Operator of the California Electricity Supply Industry
Professor Martin Cave, Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
Dr Glenn Booth, Chief Economist, National Energy Board, Canada.
Topics to be addressed include:
Market Power in Utility Industries – What is meant by market power and how can it be measured? What are the pros and cons of different indicators of market power. Are utility industries prone to the exercise of market power? If so, why? What are the primary factors which mitigate market power? What policy actions can be taken to mitigate market power?
Dynamic Efficiencies and Workable/Effective Competition – What is meant by ‘dynamic efficiency’, ‘effective competition’ and ‘workable competition’, both in general and as they may apply in regulatory rate making? How can these concepts be given more substance and applicability? These ideas will be considered particularly in the context of a number of current regulatory controversies.
Competition Regulation and Communication via the Internet – What can be learnt from a consideration of the economics of Internet carriage of services? For example, what are the implications of a move away from circuit switched networks? What will be the impact of progressive introduction of voice over IP services? What principles should guide the pricing for Internet interconnection?
Transmission, Investment & Regulation in electricity - transmission covering unregulated investment (entrepreneurial links) the case for a national transmission planner and regulation issues including improving incentives for new investment and regulator scrutiny of new investment.
Towards Effective Competition in Postal Services - A discussion of issues related to the promotion of competition in postal services. Topics to be discussed may include access to postal networks, competition in upstream & downstream markets, bundling of competitive and contestable services, and the relationship between the USO and competition.
Benefits and costs of regulating gas pipelines - This session will explore the benefits and costs of regulating gas transmission pipelines. If will explore the experience in Canada and any lessons to be learnt from that experience. What are the benefits and costs from regulating gas pipelines in Australia.
The New Zealand experience in utility regulation - A discussion of issues related to the “light-handed” approach to regulation of infrastructure industries in New Zealand, and more recent moves away from it. Topics to be discussed may include an evaluation of light-handed regulation, the effectiveness of general competition law in dealing with natural monopolies, and design and implementation of regulatory frameworks.
