Price Discrimination and the Adoption of the Electricity Demand Charge

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic History
Year: 1987
Volume: 47
Issue: 3
Pages: 693-709

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Between 1905 and 1915, as state price regulation became widespread, electric utilities in the United States faced severe competition. The primary source of electricity for industry then was not utilities but self-generation by the user in an “isolated plant.” The demand-charge rate structure first became widespread during this period. The demand-charge rate structure has been interpreted as a misapplication of the peak-load pricing principle, a view which has made its popularity a puzzle. Instead it was adopted as a sophisticated mechanism which institutionalized profit-maximizing price discrimination given the competition from isolated plants.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:cup:jechis:v:47:y:1987:i:03:p:693-709_04
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26