Economics

Draft Report to Congress on Wholesale and Retail Competition in Electricity

4 Comments / Economics, Electricity, Energy markets / By

Lynne Kiesling Yesterday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released the draft Report to Congress on Competition in the Wholesale and Retail Markets for Electric Energy on behalf of the Electric Energy Market Competition Task Force. This report, required by Section 1815 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, provides an overview and summarizes the progress …

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Don’t Hire An Mba, Hire A Philosopher

11 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling Matthew Stewart, philosopher-turned management consultant-turned philosophy writer, has an essay in the Atlantic on “management science” (subscription required) that is amusing and interesting. [full text available here] Stewart goes through the origins of scientific management, its justifiable place in the dustbin of ideas (although it certainly scared the bejeesus out of Josef Schumpeter, …

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Martin Feldstein in Wsj on “Tradeable Gasoline Rights”

6 Comments / Economics, Energy markets, Environmental policy / By

Lynne Kiesling Martin Feldstein has a column in today’s WSJ (subscription required) in which he recommends that the government issue tradeable gasoline rights (TGRs) instead of either raising CAFE standards or imposing a gasoline tax. In a system of tradeable gasoline rights, the government would give each adult a TGR debit card. The gasoline pumps …

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Fuel Cell Laptops Still Clunky, But Getting There

4 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling This BBC article from last Wednesday provides some good information about methanol fuel cell-powered laptops. The technology promises to supplement or replace today’s batteries in laptops. Instead of storing power, fuel cells generate electricity by breaking down methanol via an electrochemical process. The cells can be recharged by topping them up with methanol …

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Regulatory Hurdles to Electricity Mergers Persist

2 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling I saw an interesting article over the weekend about M&A activity in electricity. Currently there are two large electricity mergers that are receiving both federal and state regulatory review (Exelon/PSEG and Constellation/FPL), and the reviews are causing a lot of contentious political machinations because they are occurring at the same time as fuel …

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Restaurant-customized Coca-Cola Drinks

4 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling When you sell products globally with the volume that Coca-Cola does, how much additional profit do they really think they can earn from restaurant-customized beverages? Coca-Cola has partnered with the Culinary Institute of America, the nation’s preeminent culinary school, to develop specialty drinks for restaurants using Coke products and other sweet and savory …

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England: Winemaking Powerhouse of the Future?

Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling Regardless of whether climate change is anthropogenic or not, when it happens adaptation occurs. Is one beneficial future adaptation likely to be winemaking in England? Yes, according to a Telegraph article cited by Jonathan Pearce in this Samizdata post. Stranger things have happened … And happy belated birthday to Jonathan.

So We’re Finally Done Paying for the Spanish-American War!

6 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling I’ve been complaining about this for so long, what will I do with myself … ? The long-reviled excise tax to pay for the Spanish-American War will finally be eliminated: The Treasury Department, conceding that it has no right to continue collecting a 108-year-old tax on long-distance telephone calls, announced yesterday that it …

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