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Public utilities, Water supply, Scientific literature, Municipal services, and Sewage

This article presents a short foray into the scientific specialized literature on public utility services in Romania, and in particular, the utility services in the field of water supply and sewerage network. It is essential to satisfy the requirements and the needs of the client in the field of public utility services, the performance in this field being the only feasible option to ensure the quality of the services safety and accessibility, the equal treatment of the users, the continuity of the activity and last, but not least, the adaptability and the flexibility regarding the requirements. Through the performed research, by using the Keynesian model applied to the financial data reported by the local water supply operator, aimed to obtain an insight into the evolution of revenue and expenditure, as well as the effect of increased investment. These elements express the relationship between resources and results, and their balance is based on a Keynesian model in a closed economy. By applying the Keynesian model, we have concluded that the evolution of revenue and expenditure is influenced by a number of factors which can lead to a decrease in expenditure, but although that, the revenues increase from year to year. The Keynesian model applied in the economy of public utility services, involves in its structure variables such as investments, and by applying the investment multiplier consumption remains the economic phenomenon that dominates the water supply economy. However, an increase in consumption has the ultimate effect of obtaining a profit for the operator, which will in the future be its own source of financing for investments in the water supply and sewerage system. Thus the orientation towards consumption becomes beneficial both in terms of satisfaction of end-users and from the point of view of the operator, in terms of revenue growth and the analysis of the. Even if capital goods do not directly meet the needs of end-users, they lead to the development of public utilities and its specific infrastructure, and to the fulfilment of the eligibility conditions imposed by the European Union's financing programmers. Expansion investments in water and sewerage services have the direct effect of increasing the number of users, as well as increasing the number of employees of the operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste recycling, Public utilities, Public administration, Households, and Recycling management

A case of managing a public utility in post-transitional context is elaborated in this paper. The aim is to identify main determinants of household recycling, in order to make recommendations for design of appropriate recycling policy in Split (Croatia). Based on the overview of relevant literature, individual motivation towards waste selection is explored and preliminary survey results are presented. Implications for local policy-making and management of local public utilities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public utilities policy, Public utility laws, Public interest, Political planning -- Social aspects, and Sustainability -- Social aspects

The concept of prudence is central to the theory and practice of public utility regulation, a hallowed standard of review by which utility behaviors and decisions are judged. The concept of prudence might as well be applied to the institution of regulation itself and those responsible for its endurance. Regulation is, by nature and necessity a political process, but by design, it works best with a substantial degree of independence and when regulators are deeply committed to the ethical performance of their charge. The prudent regulator considers their own behavior, not in narrow terms of technical compliance with standards of conduct, but in broader terms of institutional sustainability. The price of imprudence is paid not only by those whose impropriety violates the public's trust, but by the very institutions they serve. Adopting an institutional perspective, this review advances the concept of the prudent regulator by examining the intricately related and largely inseparable concepts of politics, independence, ethics, and the enduring imperative of regulation in the public interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public utilities, Local finance, Industrial efficiency, Algorithms, and Social indicators

Features and modern operating conditions of utility companies (institutions, organizations), in particular, the processes of democratization, decentralization, openness of society,necessitate improving the system of indicators that define requirements for the criteria used to evaluate their performance. Given the goals, objectives and current functions, the evaluation of performance of a utility company(institution, organization) should be carried out both according to economic and social criteria, which is explained by the fact that activities of a utility company(institution, organization) are aimed at solving social problems of the corresponding territorial community.This means that its performance efficiency is not always determined by profitability.It is possible to assess effectiveness of utility companies’ using local finance, which are the main income item in their budget, and the level of influence of a utility company(institution, organization) on the development of a territorial community only if the enterprise is transparent and open. It is proposed to single out the criterion “Public awareness of activities of a utility company (institution, organization)” in the system of criteria for assessing social performance of a utility company(institution, organization). Accordingly, in the system of indicators for evaluating social performance, it is appropriate to determine the level of transparency and openness ofa utility company(institution, organization). An algorithm for assessing the level of transparency of a utility company(institution, organization) as one of the stages of evaluating performance efficiency of utility companies (organizations, institutions) is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public utilities, Natural gas reserves, Rural housing, Natural gas, and Rural geography

The rural area of the "Haţeg Country" is composed of 11 communes and the city of Haţeg, having together a number of 88 villages and hamlets. According to the study, it was found that, if the situation of equipping with the kitchens is not so precarious, on the other hand, the share of rural houses that have a bathroom is quite low. Also, the water supply in the area is insufficient and inadequate, the quantity of water distributed through the network being insufficient, finding a worrying situation also regarding the coverage of localities and houses with sewerage system. Concerning the supply of natural gas (methane gas), although Romania is a major producer of methane gas, in the rural area it is almost non-existent, of the localities in the "Haţeg Country" only three are connected to the natural gas network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology transfer, Public utilities, Hybrid electric vehicles, Sharing economy, Purchasing power, and Secondary analysis

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges before India for electric vehicle (EV) adoption by 2030. The study further looks into the measures taken by the Government of India (GOI) to promote research and development in EV sector and what is yet to be done. Design/methodology/approach: In the present study, the challenges are identified allied to the commercialization of EVs in India. The data are collected, analyzed and compiled through secondary sources. The secondary data give a concise insight and comprehensive information regarding what is occurring around the globe as well as in the Indian context. Further, the challenges are investigated through a focus group study consisting of 11 participants from industry and academia. Findings: The findings from the study are the critical roles of sharing economy and public utilities in the promotion of EV adoption, given the high cost of EV, lack of infrastructure and poor purchasing power of Indian customers. The sharing economy perspective provides various opportunities for the government to manage the resources (electric-powered transport system) optimally. Further, the study compares the global perspective in assigning the target figures. Research limitations/implications: The study highlights the facilitating role of the shared format in EV technology promotion but ignores the hurdles that can come in its implementations. Also, the focus group study has its limitation as it relies more on participants' perceptions and opinions. Originality/value: The present study assists GOI and various stakeholders in having a realistic plan rather than daydreaming with overambitious goals. The diffusion of technology as a shared format (especially in the context of EV) has not been academically approached in the past literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]