Asian Electricity Reform in Historical Perspective

The laws and institutions governing electric power in Asia are in the midst of an uncertain transition. After decades of state control of electricity, in the 1990s Asian nations began transforming their power sectors to align with globally prevalent neoliberal trends. Following an initial burst of m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pacific affairs 2004-10, Vol.77 (3), p.411-436
Main Authors: Williams, James H., Dubash, Navroz K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asia
Cold War
Dams
Developing countries
Economic aspects
Economic development
Economic history
Economic liberalism
Economic policy
Economic reform
Electric industries
Electricity
Electricity distribution
Electrification
Energy
Government
History
Industrial development
Industrial regulation
International finance
Laws, regulations and rules
LDCs
Political economy
Politics
Postcolonialism
Postwar reconstruction
Power supply
Privatization
Public utilities
Reform
Reforms
Regional studies
Regulatory reform
Rural areas
Rural electrification
Utilities
World Bank
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Summary:The laws and institutions governing electric power in Asia are in the midst of an uncertain transition. After decades of state control of electricity, in the 1990s Asian nations began transforming their power sectors to align with globally prevalent neoliberal trends. Following an initial burst of market-oriented reforms, electricity liberalization in Asia has slowed and sometimes dramatically changed course, responding to international events and to country-specific battles over the sector's future. The struggle over the institutional arrangements of electricity is of fundamental economic, political and symbolic importance in Asian societies, and also constitutes an important specific instance of Asia's response to globalization. This paper describes the broad regional context of Asian electricity, with emphasis on the international forces that have shaped the sector's evolution. It starts with an historical sketch of the electricity industry in Asia during the Cold War, followed by a discussion of the origins of electricity reform as a global phenomenon. It then describes the course of electricity reform within Asia, with particular attention to the role of international actors such as foreign investors and the World Bank, and catalytic events such as the Asian financial crisis and the California electricity crisis. The paper shows how, from origins to outcomes, the trajectory of electricity reform in Asian countries has reflected the complex interactions of international and domestic political economy.
ISSN:0030-851X
1715-3379