Concerns over utility regulation

The world’s utility companies yesterday warned that regulatory uncertainty was holding back the investment needed in the sector to secure power supply.

According to Under Pressure, the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Utilities Survey, regulatory worries top the list of concerns expressed by investors about funding the industry.

While a majority of investors believe deregulation is helping the investor climate, more than a third (39%) say market reforms are damaging confidence, highlighting the dangers of inconsistent regulation, energy, tax and environmental policies.