Remedying Undue Discrimination through Open Access Transmission Service and Standard Electricity Market Design

Paul Joskow analyzes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Notice of Proposed rulemaking (NOPR) regarding Network Access Service and Standard Market Design. This analysis focuses on two sets of issues. First, Joskow comments on the proposed regional long-term resource adequacy obligations. Second, he comments on several components of the proposed framework for stimulating efficient levels of transmission investment. He outlines an alternative approach to transmission investment and pricing, including a workable approach to pricing based on beneficiaries pay principles. Joskow's analysis provides theoretical and empirical support for and constructive criticisms of important components of the NOPR.

Draft project document, March 21, 1999

A draft project document recommending "that the UNPD focus on the courts and the legislative drafting process as strategic entry points for strengthening the legal order.

The transfer of money claims in Scots law

The transfer of money claims (debts) is of the utmost practical importance. In Scots law this is achieved by an 'assignation' (also known as 'assignment' or 'cession'). The first part of the thesis (chapters 2 and 3) places the Scots law of assignation in its comparative and historical context. At the outset, the differences between an assignation and other juridical institutions are highlighted. Assignation is but one - albeit important - method whereby a debt relationship may be utilised. With these distinctions in mind the accepted history of the law of assignment is considered. The development of the law, from Roman law through the jus commune, and the apparent reception of the French approach in Scots law, is traced.The following three chapters deal with three important elements in a modern assignation. The constitutive role that debtor notification plays in Scots law is the subject of chapter 4. Chapter 5 looks as at the so-called 'assignatus utitur jure auctoris'1 rule, i.e. the defences available to the debtor in an assignation against the assignee. Particular reference is made to the set-off pleas of compensatio and retention. Finally, chapter 6 is concerned with issues of validity. Does Scots law subscribe to the abstract theory of transfer? If so, what are the consequences? Particular reference is made to the effect of a contractual prohibition on assignment (pactum de non cedendo), including its effect on creditors, and the so-called 'offside goals' rule.It will become apparent that, despite the relative paucity of recent litigation on the subject, the Scottish jurisprudence on assignment is rich. The sources show an unbroken path of legal development stretching over half a millennium. Although often characterised as unnecessarily formal, Scots law has a strikingly liberal attitude to the assignability of claims and other incorporeal assets. Clear general principles have been distilled. On matters of detail the position is less certain. The thesis identifies the relevant sources of the law of Scotland, many of which have been ignored. These are critically analysed, often from a comparative perspective

Towards a pricing strategy for the South African electricity supply and distribution industry

Bibliography: leaves 253-260.The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a strategy for electricity pricing in the South African electricity supply and distribution industry. To achieve this, the thesis focuses on three specific areas: Electricity pricing theory; past and present electricity pricing in South Africa; and a review of electricity pricing in the United Kingdom, France and Zimbabwe. Using this research as a basis, various thoughts are presented on a pricing strategy for the South African electricity industry. The essence of the strategy is that optimal pricing will occur in a truly competitive industry. The thesis does not seek to prove this hypothesis. Instead a three phase development process is proposed whereby electricity pricing in the South African industry may be transformed from its currently fragmented and decentralised position, to a state in which the force of fair competition will be the prime determinant of the pricing policy of the competing suppliers and distributors

Pro-poor intervention strategies in irrigated agriculture in Asia: poverty in irrigated agriculture: issues and options: India

Irrigated farming / Poverty / Institutions / Irrigation programs / Performance evaluation / Irrigation management / Water distribution / Water rates / Cost recovery / India

Proceedings of EVA-TREN’s 1st Experts’ Workshop on Transport and Energy Infrastructure Appraisal in Europe : Theoretical Basis in Perspective

The European Union needs harmonised guidelines to improve the appraisal of large-scale infrastructure dedicated to the Trans-European Networks (TEN); in order to contribute to such guidelines, EU-funded EVA-TREN analyses ex-ante studies and projects outcomes at European level. EVA-TREN’s First Experts’ Workshop has gathered experts of large-scale infrastructure planning and operation of the domain of transport and energy. Investigation of their practices highlights the following issues: first, the appraisal frameworks EU countries apply for transport and energy projects differ considerably in scope, sophistication, methodology and parameter values; second, the EU Member States share only a small part of all research results; and third, transnational projects are still problematic within the Union. As a result, cost overruns appear in the majority of projects. Investigation of the EU Cohesion Fund programme reveals that one project in four costs more than 20% above budget, while only one in five stands below + 10%. The main problems are modifications to the project (30%) and delays (25%); inadequate cost estimates and technical reasons are quoted in only 20% of overcosts. Sustainability does not explicitly appear in the appraisal process, even though it is repeatedly quoted as a central aspect of the decision whether an infrastructure should be built or not. Transport and energy projects essentially differ in finance and elasticity: most infrastructure investments in the transport sector require public funding, whereas those in the energy sector usually do not need any; the situation is similar for operation at regional level. In the transport sector, provision of new road capacities induces additional transport demand, while provision of new electricity lines has very little effect on demand. In terms of methodology, the quality of evaluations would benefit from increased transparency and from improved feed-back, as would provide for instance peer review of ex-ante assessment and more systematic ex-post evaluations. Combination of methods may as well contribute to better appraisal. Two approaches based on Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) look promising: Netherlands’ Overview Effects Infrastructure (OEI) and Japan’s combination of CBA and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). OEI puts emphasis on the exploration of the problem and on the survey of effects, while Japan’s procedure relies on MCA for ranking projects amongst those that score sufficiently well in CBA outcome and it allows other projects to be reassessed considering intangible values, which gives them a second chance. Experts consider macroeconomic models very bad at providing data that are meaningful for CBA; in the case spatial dynamics is tackled at national level only, and therefore produces data that are not detailed enough for assessments at regional or local level, the missing data should be generated through regional/local scenarios. In practice, the match between evaluation results and project outcomes would be improved if authorities take actions on four topics: to start with, they should use masterplans; then, they should only select mature projects - for which they request measurable and quantified goals, results and impacts; third, they should establish a clear managerial body; and fourth, they should provide assistance on administrative and financial matters as well as methodological support on assessment procedure

Analysis of World Food Programme operations in the Somali region of Ethiopia

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2009."June 2009."Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-82).The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations food agency, has recently acquired the difficult task of transporting aid into the Somali region of Ethiopia. The political instability, rebel activity, ethnic tensions, and poor infrastructure in the area endanger and delay the flow of commodities through the WFP's supply chain. In this thesis, we explore and analyze the role that these threats play in the WFP's aid distribution in the Somali region. Specifically, we measure the impact of insecurity in the WFP's distribution system, study the current methods that the WFP employs to mitigate risks, and investigate possible precautionary technologies to improve security in this resource constrained environment. Our research suggests that while many tools can enhance security, the organizational measures aiming to increase responsibility and trust between all involved supply chain stakeholders ultimately prove to have a stronger impact on the overall safety of aid-distribution. Finally, though our research has focused mainly on the WFP, we believe that all similarly situated humanitarian organizations will find our analysis applicable.by Vidya Chander and Lauren Shear.M.Eng.in Logistic

Leveraging Paraguay’s Hydropower for Sustainable Economic Development

While internationally Paraguay is known for being the largest hydropower exporter in the world, the domestic economy suffers from regular outages and high system losses. The country is largely dependent on agricultural production, which has led to volatile economic performances in the past resulting from climatic circumstances and commodity price fluctuations. To address these two key policy challenges, the Government of Paraguay has approached The Earth Institute to: 1) explore the potential of a climate risk management system and sustainable agriculture activities to mitigate environmental vulnerability and 2) develop a high-level strategic plan to use Paraguay’s vast hydropower resources for sustainable economic development and the diversification of its economy. Together with the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development, the CCSI has drafted this report, which: outlines the current challenges faced by the electricity sector and recommends how these could be addressed provides suggestions for how Paraguay could use its excess electricity to diversify its economy and reduce its fossil fuel dependency, and analyzes past revenue streams from electricity exports, suggests ways to maximising future export revenues and provides management system tools that could be considered to allocate these revenues efficiently in the future