The Spatiality and Temporality of Electricity Reform: A Comparative and Critical Institutional Perspective

The main objective of this paper is to develop an institutional perspective on the reasons for rising disparity between expected and actual outcomes of electricity reform. This objective is premised on our contention about the narrowness of the existing, industry-centric, approach to understanding the reasons for disparity, and the superiority of institutional perspective for facilitating such an understanding. The analytical framework employed in this paper is informed by core tenets of institutional economics. The reform experience of twelve countries', over three distinctive time phases (namely, 1880s to 1930s, 1940s to 1970s, and 1980s to the present) provides the contextual backdrop for this paper. The results of the analysis in this paper suggest that the contours of electricity reform have historically been shaped by the underlying institutions for governing socioeconomic development. Further, the underlying institutions of a time predominantly reflect the dominant, 'politically-powerful', socio-economic interests of the time. In such environments, issues of specific models of reform, processes of reform, and industry performance assume a dormant role. Significant disparity between expected and actual outcomes of reform is therefore a natural outcome. Clearly, existing policy discourse which tends to ascribe disparity to flaws in the reform model and its implementation - is deficient. A much more insightful understanding of the reasons for the disparity can instead be gained through an institutional perspective on reform - this paper argues.