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Market power in the Nordic electricity wholesale market: A survey of the empirical evidence

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  • Fridolfsson, Sven-Olof
  • Tangerås, Thomas P.

Abstract

We review the recent empirical research assessing market power on the Nordic wholesale market for electricity, Nord Pool. The studies find no evidence of systematic exploitation of system level market power on Nord Pool. Local market power arising from transmission constraints seems to be more problematic in some price areas across the Nordic countries. Market power can manifest itself in a number of ways that have so far escaped empirical scrutiny. We discuss investment incentives, vertical integration and buyer power, as well as withholding of base-load (nuclear) capacity.

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  • Fridolfsson, Sven-Olof & Tangerås, Thomas P., 2009. "Market power in the Nordic electricity wholesale market: A survey of the empirical evidence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3681-3692, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:37:y:2009:i:9:p:3681-3692
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    2. Sven-Olof Fridolfsson and Thomas P. Tangeras, 2015. "Nuclear Capacity Auctions," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    3. Štefan Bojnec & Alan Križaj, 2021. "Electricity Markets during the Liberalization: The Case of a European Union Country," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-21, July.
    4. Gianfreda, Angelica & Grossi, Luigi, 2012. "Forecasting Italian electricity zonal prices with exogenous variables," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 2228-2239.
    5. Sherzod N. Tashpulatov, 2018. "The Impact of Behavioral and Structural Remedies on Electricity Prices: The Case of the England and Wales Electricity Market," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-24, December.
    6. Liu, Zhen & Zhang, Xiliang & Lieu, Jenny, 2010. "Design of the incentive mechanism in electricity auction market based on the signaling game theory," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 1813-1819.
    7. Di Cosmo, Valeria & Lynch, Muireann Á., 2016. "Competition and the single electricity market: Which lessons for Ireland?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 40-47.
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    9. Vítor Marques & Isabel Soares & Adelino Fortunato, 2012. "Application of a Structural Model to the Spanish Electricity Wholesale Market," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 65-108.
    10. Sherzod Tashpulatov & Lubomir Lizal, 2012. "Can Producers Apply a Capacity Cutting Strategy to Increase Prices? The Case of the England and Wales Electricity Market," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp465, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    11. Tsybina, Eve & Moreno-Cruz, Juan & Tereshin, Alexey, 2019. "Liberalisation lowers primary energy efficiency: Evidence from twin power systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 423-435.
    12. Vítor Marques & Adelino Fortunato & Isabel Soares, 2011. "Application of a structural model to a wholesale electricity market: The Spanish market from January 1999 to June 2007," GEMF Working Papers 2011-02, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    13. Sara Fogelberg and Ewa Lazarczyk, 2019. "Strategic Withholding through Production Failures," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 5).
    14. Petr Spodniak & Mikael Collan & Mari Makkonen, 2017. "On Long-Term Transmission Rights in the Nordic Electricity Markets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    15. Nielsen, Steffen & Sorknæs, Peter & Østergaard, Poul Alberg, 2011. "Electricity market auction settings in a future Danish electricity system with a high penetration of renewable energy sources – A comparison of marginal pricing and pay-as-bid," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 4434-4444.
    16. Niklas, Rudholm, 2015. "Pricing in the Swedish Retail Market for Electricity," HUI Working Papers 113, HUI Research.
    17. Egil Ferkingstad & Anders L{o}land & Mathilde Wilhelmsen, 2011. "Causal modeling and inference for electricity markets," Papers 1110.5429, arXiv.org.
    18. Ferkingstad, Egil & Løland, Anders & Wilhelmsen, Mathilde, 2011. "Causal modeling and inference for electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 404-412, May.
    19. Söderholm, Patrik & Wårell, Linda, 2011. "Market opening and third party access in district heating networks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 742-752, February.
    20. Macuchova, Zuzana & Rudholm, Niklas & Tang, Aili, 2014. "Firm growth in the Swedish energy sector: Will large firms become even more dominant?," HUI Working Papers 104, HUI Research.
    21. Sirin, Selahattin Murat & Erten, Ibrahim, 2022. "Price spikes, temporary price caps, and welfare effects of regulatory interventions on wholesale electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    22. Egil Ferkingstad & Anders L{o}land, 2014. "Coping with area price risk in electricity markets: Forecasting Contracts for Difference in the Nordic power market," Papers 1406.6862, arXiv.org.

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