(about 75 percent) and Norway defines the high range of gasoline prices for all gasoline types except regular unleaded gasoline, which the country does not report.

The source of the energy prices is the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Energy Prices and Taxes report, a quarterly publication that includes historical end use prices for various energy sources for all of the OECD member countries, except Iceland. U.S. data are not entirely comparable with other countries presented in the IEA report because taxes are not always reported by the United States except for gasoline and automotive diesel oil.

The IEA report tries to include the end-use prices that are the prices actually paid by the consumer (that is, net of rebates and including all taxes). However, not all of the taxes associated with the U.S. energy prices, except for gasoline and automotive diesel oil are reported. For example, for natural gas prices, sales and other taxes itemized directly on customers' bills are not included in the price calculations, although Federal, State, and local taxes, surcharges, and adjustments billed to the consumer are all included in the prices. For electricity, the taxes paid directly by the electric utilities (and not the end users) are considered operating costs and are passed onto the consumers, so they are included in the price. On the other hand, depending on the jurisdiction, taxes collected from the consumer and turned over directly to a government authority are not generally included in the reported revenues and, therefore, are not included in the price calculations.

Table 1. Electricity Price by End Use for the G-7 Countries, 1996

Source: International Energy Agency, Energy Prices and Taxes, Second

Quarter 1997.

Table 2. Oil Prices for Industrial, Electricity Generation, and Residential Sectors for the G-7 Countries, 1996

Source: International Energy Agency, Energy Prices and Taxes, Second Quarter, 1997

Table 3.› Natural Gas Prices by End Use Sector in the G-7 Countries, 1996 (U.S. Dollars per Tons of Oil Equivalent)

Source: International Energy Agency, Energy Prices and Taxes, Second Quarter 1997

Source: International Energy Agency, Energy Prices and Taxes, Second Quarter 1997

Q5.2 How do they compare with prices in developing countries?

A5.2 There are limited data for energy prices in developing countries which makes it difficult to make definitive statements on comparison between these countries and the United States. The IEA report includes price data for a small number of non-OECD countries (Brazil, India, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Venezuela).

Russian energy prices are substantially lower than U.S. prices across all end uses and energy sources. Also coal prices in India, South Africa, and Venezuela are lower than U.S. prices; while Taiwan's steam coal prices for electricity generation are among the highest of any country for which there are data and only second to Germany. Most developing countries report natural gas prices that are lower than U.S. prices.

Deriving results in the comparison of oil prices and gasoline and automotive diesel from the developing countries is difficult because of the lack of data. For example, the U.S. price for residential light fuel oil was substantially higher than India, Russia, or the Slovakia, but no other developing country reported prices in this category. For heavy fuel oil used for electricity generation, Brazil, Taiwan, and India reported prices higher than those from the United States; Russia and Slovakia reported prices lower than the United States; and no other developing country reported prices in this category (Table 5).