Innovation And Deregulation: The Case Of Texas Electricity Companies

Author

Millicent D. Delaney, Prairie View A&M University

Date of Award

8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Degree Discipline

Business Administration

Abstract

Deregulation has played an essential role in the restructuring and development of various industries. In the energy industry, deregulation has empowered consumers by offering them more provider choices, economic security, and affordability. It has reconstructed the energy transmission, distribution, and generation processes, thereby making energy more cost-effective for customers. Most studies in this area examined the impact of deregulation from consumers’ perspectives and mainly focused on European and other non-U.S. markets. There are not many studies that examined the impact of deregulation in the energy sector of the United States.

Therefore, this study is an examination of the impact of deregulation on provider innovation in the Texas market, the largest deregulated electricity market in the United States. Using deregulation events in the Texas electricity market as natural experiments and multiple measures of innovation, this study will enhance the understanding of the relationship between deregulation and innovation in the energy sector. The researcher drew on Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction, contestability theory, and Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory

This study has theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical perspective, it contributes to the literature in innovation and deregulation from the viewpoint of energy utility companies. From a practitioner’s perspective, the findings of this study may assist utility companies in determining the optimal timing and allocation of resources for innovation. Furthermore, the discoveries can help policymakers in different states establish a structure for deregulation in their energy utility markets.

Keywords: deregulation, innovation, patents, Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction, contestability theory, Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory

Committee Chair/Advisor

Thiagarajan Ramakrishnan

Committee Member

Hesam Shahriari

Committee Member

Yi Zhang

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

© 2021 Prairie View A & M University

Date of Digitization

9/23/2024

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Delaney, M. D. (2024). Innovation And Deregulation: The Case Of Texas Electricity Companies. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-dissertations/62