According to a rumor circulating among economists, there exists an econometric study that shows that the economy of a nation is doing worse the more great economists it produces. While this may be a myth, casual observation suggests that the correlation between the economic performance of a country and the quality of its economics profession is indeed unclear.
Assuring access to modern energy services for the whole population is a crucial step to improve human well-being and stimulate economic and social development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified the lack of access to modern energy services as one of the main obstacles to overcome in order to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. In its 2011 World Energy Outlook, the IEA argued forcefully about the need to find and mobilize the resources required to extend access to modern energy services to the poor around the world.
Due to the geomorphological characteristics of its territory and to its geographical location, the Re- public of Georgia is rich in hydro resources. According to the Georgian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, so far Georgia has exploited only about 20% of its hydro resource potential.
On November 28, ISET hosted a seminar delivered by two experts working for E-control Austria – Eszter Suele (Resident Twinning Advisor) and Leo Kammerdiener (Senior Tariff and Regulatory Expert). E-control Austria is collaborating with the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) under a “Twinning Project” to improve the Georgian electricity regulation that promotes long-term investments and helps establish methods of tariff calculation in line with European Union standards and best practices, namely incentive-based tariff regulations.
Professor Einar Hope from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) is a leading Nordic authority on energy market design and regulation. In 1995-1999, he took a break from academic activities and served as director of the Norwegian Competition Authority.