The electricity generation and supply industry is undergoing rapid changes in the 1990s. As demands for economic power continue to increase, governments throughout Europe are contemplating a reformation of electricity policy for the 21st century. This book discusses the current state of the European electricity generation and supply industry and the options for improvement in the future.Written by renowned experts in the field of energy policy and economics, the book includes detailed case studies of national electricity regulation from around Europe, and a timely overview of European Union electricity policy on liberalisation and deregulation.Given that the changes to the European electricity industries will provide valuable pointers to change in other areas, this book is essential reading for industry analysts, policy makers, utility companies and others with an interest in the future of energy generation and transmission worldwide.

"...is a good book for those interested in delving deeper into the political rationale behind Europe's power reforms." --Energy Economist "This is a wide ranging and informative book about progress towards liberal markets in electricity in the EU. The theoretical framework gives it a strong intellectual coherence - Midttun is an economic sociologist - and the individual chapters contain a wealth of country detail. This book is an authoritative source of country information on the period immediately leading up to the implementation of the EU Electricity Directive. The chapters on Denmark, Netherlands, France and the EU are particularly valuable because of the relative lack of good analysis (in English) of electricity industry developments in these states." --Michael Pollitt, The Journal of Energy Literature