THE TARIFF REGULATION SYSTEM OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY: A NEW STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

One of the main results of the reform of the electric power industry, which was completed in 2008, is the allocation of potentially competitive businesses, as well as natural monopoly (the activities of electric grid companies), against which the state regulation is applied. As a result of implementation of the reform of the electric power industry, the following main conversion goals were achieved: increasing efficiency and reliability of the electric power industry, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to consumers. However, the process of any reform is iterative, therefore, for the further development of the electric power sector it is necessary to solve at least the following tasks: increasing transparency of the tariff regulation, creating incentives for reducing the costs of electric grid companies and solving the problem of under-financing of the operational budget. To solve the problems of tariff formation, the authors present the key principles of benchmarking (comparative analysis) aimed at forming a quasi-competitive environment between natural monopoly organizations, which ultimately contributes to resource saving and encouraging companies to increase the efficiency of their activities. It is assumed that with the introduction of the benchmarking mechanism when regulating the operation of the power grid complex, effective territorial grid companies will have the opportunity to increase the necessary gross output for the next year during the regulatory period (3–5 years), which will lead to a solution of the problem of under-financing of the operational budget. The necessary gross proceeds of inefficient companies, on the contrary, will be reduced by the value of the efficiency index of operating expenses (as with the existing tariff regulation system). Thus, the implementation of the principles of benchmarking in terms of tariff regulation of TCO provides, on the one hand, the interests of consumers in terms of limiting tariffs for services of monopoly companies, on the other, creates incentives for increasing efficiency of the economic activity of electric grid organizations.

power engineering, regulation of natural monopolies, electricity distribution company, tariff formation, gross revenue requirement, tariff, benchmarking, benchmarking methods, efficiency, incentive based control, operating cost, comparative analysis.

Schekoldin V. Yu., Kolkova N. A. The tariff regulation system of electricity distribution company: a new stage of development // Business. Education. Law. 2018. No. 2 (43). P. 206–210. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2018.43.260.