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AbstractAnalyzing the impact of electricity price changes on electricity demand helps in energy supply planning. This study estimated the electricity demand functions of households and industries, as well as the impact of electricity price hikes on electricity demand following natural disasters. We found that structural changes occurred in various regions' electricity demand's price elasticity following natural disasters. Furthermore, the results showed that the decrease in consumer surplus associated with higher electricity prices was more significant in regions that depended on nuclear power. These results have important implications for regional energy policies.

AbstractThis article identifies the effects of intergovernmental relations, particularly vertical relations between municipalities and higher levels of government where Institutional Collective Action has traditionally been under‐discussed, on types of collaborative benefits and different integration forms. The analysis was conducted using data from municipalities on the capital‐intensive service of waste management. The findings reveal that favorable horizontal relationships between municipalities enhance their capacity to solve both municipal and regional issues. The study also found that a high level of benefits emerged in contracted services when the horizontal relationship was highly favorable. In addition, vertical relationships with higher‐level governments contributed to improving fiscal efficiency, with greater perceived benefits of collaboration in the case of special district governments. The results suggest that while autonomous horizontal collaboration increases municipal capacity to solve issues, establishing collaborative relations with organizations from outside the municipality has the potential to generate an efficient integration system.

Inspired by recent discussions of 'traps' among STS and anthropology scholars, this article explores how Japanese scientists capture iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells to take advantage of their potentialities. Since iPS cells are tiny, unstable, and permeable, humans cannot intervene directly to transform their morphology and nature. Making a proper environment for their thriving—in other words, creating a trap—is the only way for humans to successfully harness and direct the cells' potentiality. Based on long-term fieldwork in one laboratory, I suggest that the technologies, institutions, and laws that mediate between humans and cells can be understood as a series of 'ecological traps'. Ultimately, iPS cells resist unilateral standardization and commercialization, forcing humans to adapt their own behaviors and governing systems to accommodate cells.