Businessmen, conservationists join to urge marginal pricing

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Electr. Light Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6729245

Businessmen and conservationists, agreeing that utility rates should reflect true costs, are calling for electric utilities to use marginal-cost pricing. The unusual compromise by the Committee for Economic Development and the Conservation Foundation is based on economic principles and rejects other schemes for including construction work in progress, declining block rates, and inverted and lifeline rates. The groups concede some problems with profit windfalls, but suggest that utilities can invest some of the profits in new metering systems and the rest can be taxed. They also concede that welfare provisions must be made to ease the added burden on the poor, and suggest that a $5 billion annual increase in welfare payments is a small fraction of the annual $500 billion energy portion of the economy. (DCK)

• OSTI ID: 6729245
• Journal Information: Electr. Light Power; (United States), Journal Name: Electr. Light Power; (United States) Vol. 60:9; ISSN ELLPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
296000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320603 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY EXPENSES
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FINANCING
HUMAN POPULATIONS
LOW INCOME GROUPS
MARGINAL-COST PRICING
MINORITY GROUPS
POPULATIONS
POWER
PRICES
PROFITS
PUBLIC POLICY