報告書番号

Y93006

タイトル（和文）

電気事業小史

タイトル（英文）

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ELECTRIC UTILITIES

概要 （図表や脚注は「報告書全文」に掲載しております）

日本経済が構造改革を迫られる中で電気事業も変革期を迎えているが，その方向性は歴史的発展過程の中から学んでいく必要がある。（１）戦前の電気事業は水力開発を推進して原価低減に成功し，料金値下げにより競争に打ち勝ちながら需要を拡大してきた。しかし，世界大戦後，需要が伸び悩む中で収益悪化し，電気事業は自主的な協調体制を構築した。（２）戦後，新しい９電力体制の下で水力から火力への転換を進めてスケール・メリットを享受し，原油安，円安という条件に恵まれて電気料金が国際的に割安であったから，電力の安定供給を確保することによって日本経済の高成長を支えてきた。（３）ドル・ショック，オイル・ショックを契機とした転換期に，電気事業は原子力を主体とした電源多様化で対応し，燃料価格の値下がり，供給予備力の存在を背景に電力原価の長期安定基盤を築いてきた。今，この条件が変化し，電気事業は電力の長期安定確保に基本路

概要 （英文）

NOW THAT THE JAPANESE ECONOMY IS FORCED TO UNDERTAKE STRUCTURAL REFORM,ELECTRIC UTILITIES ARE ALSO ENTERING A PHASEOF RESTRUCTURING. TO ESTABLISH THE FUTURE COURSE,THEY MUST LEARN FROM HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS. (1)ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN THE PREWAR PERIOD REDUCED COSTS BY PROMOTING HYDRO POWER GENERATION,AND INCREASED DEMAND BY LOWERING PRICES AND OVERCOMING MARKET COMPETITION. AFTER WWII,HOWEVER,DEMAND SLACKENED AND PROFITS DETERIORATED,SO THEY TOOK CONCERTED ACTION TO CONSTRUCT AN INDEPENDENT COOPERATIVE SYSTEM. (2)UNDER THE NINE ELECTRIC UTILITIES SYSTEM,A CHANGE FROM HYDRO POWER TO STEAM POWER OCCURRED AND WAS PUSHED FORWARD. IN CONSEQUENCE,THE ELECTRIC UTILITIES BENEFITEDFROM MERITS OF SCALE. WITH LOW-PRICE CRUDE PETROLEUM AND A STABLE EXCHANGE RATE,THE PRICE OF ELECTRICITY WAS KEPT AT LOWER LEVELS INTERNATIONALLY. THE STABLE SUPPLY OF LOW-COST ELECTRICITY PROPELLED THE JAPANESE ECONOMY ON TO HIGH GROWTH. (3)AT THE TURNING POINT TRIGGERED BY A COMBINATION OF THE DOLLAR AND OIL SHOCKS,THE UTILITIES COPED BY DIVERSIFYINGPOWER RESOURCES,WITH NUCLEAR POWER PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE. SUPPORTED BY BOTH DECLINING FUEL PRICES AND RESERVE CAPACITY,LONG-TERM STABILIZATIONOF THE COST OF ELECTRICITY HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. HOWEVER,CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED OVER RECENT YEARS,AND ELECTRIC UTILITIES ARE NOW BEING URGED TOINITIATE VIGOROUS MANAGEMENT REFORMS BASED ON LONG-TERM PRICE STABILITY OF ELECTRIC POWER.

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