In this paper the efficiency of the electricity generation portfolio of BKW, a major Swiss utility, is analyzed. By applying mean-variance portfolio theory to the current and to possible future generation mixes, efficient frontiers are derived. The analysis based on relative changes in generation costs is complemented by an actual costs analysis. Moreover, a method that takes into account physi...

We build a model where investments in human capital depend on the state of an individual’s social network. We show that correlation patterns between parents’ and children’s human capital investment and income depend on the structure of their social network. Heavier reliance on the social network increases the correlation of human capital investments and income across generations and decreases t...

Investment in infrastructure is recognized as a key enabler of economic prosperity, but it is also important for addressing social and environmental challenges, including climate change mitigation and addressing fuel poverty. The UK Government Strategy Investing in Britain’s Future argues that significant investment in “resilient, cost effective and sustainable energy supplies” is needed to mee...

The dissertation focuses on the study of environmental policies and their impacts on the power systems’ planning. It consists of three parts, each of which addresses a single problem on environmental policies and generation expansion planning. In the first part of the dissertation, I compared the capand-trade policy and various carbon tax policies in a single period under the generation expansi...

Research into the generation of plans using knowledge based techniques is now maturing and nding practical application in the commercial industrial and defence sectors This has led to a rapid expansion in the last couple of years of investment in this area Ways to represent plans which have emerged from the research have been found to be of bene t in a number of areas even when the generation o...

We undertook a survey of US investors to examine whether social preferences can explain three measures of engagement in socially responsible investment (SRI): interest in SRI; history of SRI investment; and the proportion currently invested in SRI. We find that investors with stronger social preferences are more interested in SRI than are those with weaker social preferences. Further, investors...

Another feature is the large and growing share occupied by the government. Government financial institutions also have specialized business areas, such as export and import, overseas investment, development, small businesses, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and housing. Post offices absorb funds through postal savings, insurance schemes and pension plans (see Chart 1 , llOrganization Chart...

I show that risk-sharing pension plans can reduce some of the shortcomings of defined benefit and defined contributions plans. The risk-sharing pension plan presented aims to improve the stability of benefits paid to generations of members, while allowing them to enjoy the expected advantages of a risky investment strategy. The plan does this by adjusting the investment strategy and benefits in...

Employers have moved away from traditional defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s. As a result, many individuals are now required to make their own retirement saving and investment decisions, which has raised concerns about their ability and desire to handle these decisions. Since investment choices have major implications for future financial welfare, it is...

Social learning models of investment provide an interesting explanation for sudden changes in investment behaviour. Caplin and Leahy (1994) develop a model of social learning in which agents learn about the true state of demand from the investment suspension decisions of other agents. The author tests the main predictions of Caplin and Leahy’s model using a unique database of investment project...