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Relational Collusion in the Colombian Electricity Market

Author

Listed:
  • Mario Bernasconi
  • Miguel Espinosa
  • Rocco Macchiavello
  • Carlos Suarez

Abstract

Under collusion, firms deviate from current profit maximization in anticipation of future rewards. As current profit maximization places little restrictions on firms’ pricing behaviour, collusive conduct is hard to infer. We show that bids from certain firms in the Colombian wholesale electricity market collapsed immediately after the announcement, and before the implementation, of a reform that potentially made collusion harder to sustain. After ruling out confounders, we uncover how the cartel functioned and how firms may have communicated. Calibrating the dynamic enforcement constraint confirms that collusion was sustainable before, but not after, the reform. The conclusions discuss policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Bernasconi & Miguel Espinosa & Rocco Macchiavello & Carlos Suarez, 2023. "Relational Collusion in the Colombian Electricity Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 10384, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10384
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ishii, Rieko, 2009. "Favor exchange in collusion: Empirical study of repeated procurement auctions in Japan," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 137-144, March.
    2. Natalia Fabra & Mar Reguant, 2014. "Pass-Through of Emissions Costs in Electricity Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(9), pages 2872-2899, September.
    3. Catherine D. Wolfram, 1998. "Strategic Bidding in a Multiunit Auction: An Empirical Analysis of Bids to Supply Electricity in England and Wales," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 29(4), pages 703-725, Winter.
    4. Barros, Fatima & Modesto, Leonor, 1999. "Portuguese banking sector: a mixed oligopoly?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 869-886, August.
    5. Frank Wolak, 2000. "An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Hedge Contracts on Bidding Behavior in a Competitive Electricity Market," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 1-39.
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    Cited by:

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