nep-net New Economics Papers
on Network Economics
Issue of 2013‒05‒24
three papers chosen by
Yi-Nung Yang
Chung Yuan Christian University

  1. The Benefit of Coordinating Congestion Management in Germany By Friedrich Kunz; Alexander Zerrahn
  2. Evidence-based activism: Patients’ organisations, users’ and activist’s groups in knowledge society By Vololona Rabeharisoa
  3. Economics 2.0: The Natural Step towards A Self-Regulating, Participatory Market Society By Dirk Helbing

  1. By: Friedrich Kunz; Alexander Zerrahn
    Abstract: The management of congestion within the German electricity transmission network has become more important during the last years. This emerging relevance is caused by the increase of renewable generation and the partial phaseout of nuclear power plants. Both developments yield a change in the transmission flow pattern and thus the need for congestion management. Currently, four German transmission system operators (TSOs) are in charge of managing congestion using curative methods, particularly re-dispatch of power plants. However, the existence of four TSOs within Germany induces the question whether coordination between them in managing national congestion would be beneficial. To address this issue, we apply a generalized Nash equilibrium model to analyze different degrees of coordination, covering the German electricity market with a detailed representation of the generation and network structure. Our results indicate that the costs of congestion management decrease in a rising degree of coordination as TSOs take into account congestion in other operators' zones. Total costs are highest in case each TSO is solely responsible for its own zone, and lowest if one integrated entity is in charge of mitigating congestion. We conclude that, in a setup with multiple TSOs, inducing coordination, for instance through a common market, has the potential of lowering the overall costs of congestion management.
    Keywords: Congestion Management, Coordination, Electricity Economics, Generalized Nash Equilibrium, Germany
    JEL: C61 L94 Q40
    Date: 2013
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1298&r=net
  2. By: Vololona Rabeharisoa (Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation, Mines ParisTech)
    Abstract: This article proposes the notion of ‘evidence-based activism’ to capture patients’ and health activists’ groups’ focus on knowledge production and knowledge mobilisation in the governance of health issues. It shows how these groups engage with, and articulate a variety of credentialed knowledge and ‘experiential knowledge’ with a view to explore concerned people’s situations, to make themselves part and parcel of the networks of expertise on their conditions in their national contexts, and to elaborate evidence on the issues they deem important to address both at an individual and a collective level.
    Keywords: evidence-based activism, patients’ and health activists’ groups, expertise, healthcare policies, collective inquiry, technological democracies
    JEL: I18
    Date: 2013–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:emn:wpaper:033&r=net
  3. By: Dirk Helbing
    Abstract: Despite all our great advances in science, technology and financial innovations, many societies today are struggling with a financial, economic and public spending crisis, over-regulation, and mass unemployment, as well as lack of sustainability and innovation. Can we still rely on conventional economic thinking or do we need a new approach? I argue that, as the complexity of socio-economic systems increases, networked decision-making and bottom-up self-regulation will be more and more important features. It will be explained why, besides the "homo economicus" with strictly self-regarding preferences, natural selection has also created a "homo socialis" with other-regarding preferences. While the "homo economicus" optimizes the own prospects in separation, the decisions of the "homo socialis" are self-determined, but interconnected, a fact that may be characterized by the term "networked minds". Notably, the "homo socialis" manages to earn higher payoffs than the "homo socialis". I show that the "homo economicus" and the "homo socialis" imply a different kind of dynamics and distinct aggregate outcomes. Therefore, next to the traditional economics for the "homo economicus" ("economics 1.0"), a complementary theory must be developed for the "homo socialis". This economic theory might be called "economics 2.0" or "socionomics". The names are justified, because the Web 2.0 is currently promoting a transition to a new market organization, which benefits from social media platforms and could be characterized as "participatory market society". To thrive, the "homo socialis" requires suitable institutional settings such a particular kinds of reputation systems, which will be sketched in this paper. I also propose a new kind of money, so-called "qualified money", which may overcome some of the problems of our current financial system.
    Date: 2013–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1305.4078&r=net

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