The electric energy bill for the end consumer decreased especially when nuclear
energy came into play and when France exported to the British market large
quantities of electric power. Between 1984 and 1994, the number of coal miners
decreased from 250,000 to 7,000 because of the decrease in the consumption of coal,
a fact that skyrocketed the social cost (Newbery and Pollit 1997). Another example
is the British Gas, which was a privatized company that remained a monopoly after
privatization; its status quo was maintained, and all the financial burden was shifted
toward the end consumer. The National Grid Corporation and British Energy
controlled the market, but not as monopolies but more like a pseudo-cartel. One
peculiar situation was seen in the transportation industry, because the industry itself
reduced its efficiency, but one key global player was born, British Airways.
Great Britain’s economy was healthy before the privatization era, but evolved
beautifully under Margaret Thatcher’s hybrid ruling, including here the UK Monopolies and Merger Commission, an entity that was the opposite of the laissez-faire
economic evolution. Emerging economies could learn from the privatization of
Great Britain some lessons regarding development of economic models for their
national economy, by using regulation and privatization as paths toward creating
deregulated-like outputs for the economy; this way foreign investors will be attracted
in investing in the periphery of the economic model of the European Union.
9.4.2 The Energy “Drive”: The Sustainable Future Offered
to Our Next Generations
The importance of the energy field in the future evolution of ecological crisis has
been demonstrated in the second and third parts of this chapter and, at the same time,
by international organizations proposing new sustainable energy policies to mitigate
the negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment to overcome constraints on
resource depletion and centralization of energy systems characterized by local
dependence on the national grid and lack of flexibility in access to energy (Midili
et al. 2006). In this context, this chapter aims to discuss sustainable energy policies
implemented at the European Union level to overcome the paradox generated by the
relationship between economic progress and worsened natural environment by
investigating major energy issues related to climate change on the global stage
within/due to the energy sector.
As a natural consequence of the research initiated in the third part of this chapter,
the EU targets and their outlook are assessed in order to highlight the possible risks
of nonfulfillment, as well as the benefits to social welfare. This objective is overcome
by the following questions: Are the aspirations of the EU Member States to develop
green energy to reduce GHG emissions, considering the increasing demand for
global energy, sufficiently ambitious in the context of the current challenges?
What is the status and evolution of Romania in this context? The importance of
responding to these questions arises precisely from the need to design and implement
150
D.-A. Bodislav et al.
energy came into play and when France exported to the British market large
quantities of electric power. Between 1984 and 1994, the number of coal miners
decreased from 250,000 to 7,000 because of the decrease in the consumption of coal,
a fact that skyrocketed the social cost (Newbery and Pollit 1997). Another example
is the British Gas, which was a privatized company that remained a monopoly after
privatization; its status quo was maintained, and all the financial burden was shifted
toward the end consumer. The National Grid Corporation and British Energy
controlled the market, but not as monopolies but more like a pseudo-cartel. One
peculiar situation was seen in the transportation industry, because the industry itself
reduced its efficiency, but one key global player was born, British Airways.
Great Britain’s economy was healthy before the privatization era, but evolved
beautifully under Margaret Thatcher’s hybrid ruling, including here the UK Monopolies and Merger Commission, an entity that was the opposite of the laissez-faire
economic evolution. Emerging economies could learn from the privatization of
Great Britain some lessons regarding development of economic models for their
national economy, by using regulation and privatization as paths toward creating
deregulated-like outputs for the economy; this way foreign investors will be attracted
in investing in the periphery of the economic model of the European Union.
9.4.2 The Energy “Drive”: The Sustainable Future Offered
to Our Next Generations
The importance of the energy field in the future evolution of ecological crisis has
been demonstrated in the second and third parts of this chapter and, at the same time,
by international organizations proposing new sustainable energy policies to mitigate
the negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment to overcome constraints on
resource depletion and centralization of energy systems characterized by local
dependence on the national grid and lack of flexibility in access to energy (Midili
et al. 2006). In this context, this chapter aims to discuss sustainable energy policies
implemented at the European Union level to overcome the paradox generated by the
relationship between economic progress and worsened natural environment by
investigating major energy issues related to climate change on the global stage
within/due to the energy sector.
As a natural consequence of the research initiated in the third part of this chapter,
the EU targets and their outlook are assessed in order to highlight the possible risks
of nonfulfillment, as well as the benefits to social welfare. This objective is overcome
by the following questions: Are the aspirations of the EU Member States to develop
green energy to reduce GHG emissions, considering the increasing demand for
global energy, sufficiently ambitious in the context of the current challenges?
What is the status and evolution of Romania in this context? The importance of
responding to these questions arises precisely from the need to design and implement
150
D.-A. Bodislav et al.