Introduction: Dieter Helm, John Kay, David Thompson: Energy policy and the role of the state in the market for energy; Nigel Lawson: Energy policy; David Newbery: Energy policy issues after privatization; Andrew Dilnot, Dieter Helm: Energy policy, merit goods, and social security; Department of energy: The demand for energy; Ray Rees: Modelling public enterpr ise performance; Richard Pryke: Performance of the public sector energy utilities between 1968 and 1978; Martin Slater: The rationale for marginal cost pricing; Dieter Helm, David Thompson: Competition in electricity supply: Has the Energy Act failed? Richard Schmalensee: The potential of incentive regulation; George Yarrow: Regulatory issues in the electricity supply industry; Alex Henney, David Thompson: The role of public service commissions in facilitating the development of combined heat and power generation in the US; Ian Jones: Risk analysis and optional investment in the electricity supply industry; Dieter Helm, Francis McGowan: Electricity supply in Europe; Catherine Price: Gas privatization: Effects on pricing policy; Elizabeth Hammond, Dieter Helm, David Thompson: Regulation of the gas industry; Colin Robinson, Eileen Marshall: Liberalizing the British coal industry; Bill Robinson: The economics of coal; John Kay: The economic implications of North sea oil revenues; Christopher Allsopp, John Rhys: The macroeconomic impact of North sea oil; Michael Devereux: The British experience of taxing oil extraction.