A Welfare Approach to Energy Pricing: A Case Study for India

Abstract

Because oil crises or other supply constraints distort energy production and demand management, energy pricing remains an important policy instrument of economic management. Moreover, for many developing countries, the problem of energy management includes the pricing of energy products within a framework of planning, as well as questions of supply. In many countries energy production and distribution are now publicly managed. Such public operations have to account for both efficiency in production and equity in distribution. The pricing of energy inputs thus emerges as a key planning parameter.