ABSTRACT
In this chapter we discuss some general facts about the electricity market. We cover the basic background of the electricity market and investigate how the market is changing from a comparative perspective worldwide. The outcome of this change is illustrated in the form of simple descriptive statistics. We elaborate with issues of how the industry works by analyzing factors like demand, consumption, ownership, and organization of the industry. We also describe some previous studies regarding the key factors discussed here, in particular the trend of “reorganization” of the industry in some industrialized countries. We look at principles of reorganization, study principal elements of the electricity market, and make a comparative analysis about reorganization. Finally we provide a summary of the evidence of success and failure in reorganization activities and evidence of reorganization effects on producers’ performance.
