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A Simple Regulatory Incentive Mechanism Applied to Electricity Transmission Pricing and Investment

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  • Mohammad Reza Hesamzadeh
  • Juan Rosellón
  • Steven A. Gabriel
  • Ingo Vogelsang

Abstract

The informationally simple approach to incentive regulation applies mechanisms that translate the regulator’s objective function into the firm’s profit-maximizing objective. These mechanisms come in two forms, one based on subsidies/taxes,the other based on constraints/ price caps. In spite of a number of improvements and a good empirical track record simple approaches so far remain imperfect. The current paper comes up with a new proposal, called H-R-G-V, which blends the two traditions and is shown to apply well to electricity transmission pricing and investment. In particular, it induces immediately optimal pricing/investment but is not based on subsidies. In the transmission application, the H-RG- V approach is based on a bilevel optimization with the transmission company (Transco) at the top and the independent system operator (ISO) at the bottom level. We show that HR- G-V, while not perfect, marks an improvement over the other simple mechanisms and a convergence of the two traditions. We suggest ways to deal with remaining practical issues of demand and cost functions changing over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Reza Hesamzadeh & Juan Rosellón & Steven A. Gabriel & Ingo Vogelsang, 2017. "A Simple Regulatory Incentive Mechanism Applied to Electricity Transmission Pricing and Investment," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1696, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1696
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    Cited by:

    1. Biggar, Darryl R. & Hesamzadeh, Mohammad Reza, 2022. "An integrated theory of dispatch and hedging in wholesale electric power markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    2. Davi-Arderius, Daniel & Jamasb, Tooraj & Rosellon, Juan, 2024. "Network Operation and Constraints and the Path to Net Zero," Working Papers 8-2024, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.
    3. Ingo Vogelsang, 2018. "Can Simple Regulatory Mechanisms Realistically be used for Electricity Transmission Investment? The Case of H-R-G-V," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    4. Kerstin Dächert & Sauleh Siddiqui & Javier Saez-Gallego & Steven A. Gabriel & Juan Miguel Morales, 2019. "A Bicriteria Perspective on L-Penalty Approaches – a Corrigendum to Siddiqui and Gabriel’s L-Penalty Approach for Solving MPECs," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1199-1214, December.
    5. D. Khastieva & M. R. Hesamzadeh & I. Vogelsang & J. Rosellón, 2020. "Transmission Network Investment Using Incentive Regulation: A Disjunctive Programming Approach," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1029-1068, December.
    6. Hesamzadeh, Mohammad Reza & Biggar, Darryl R., 2021. "Generalized FTRs for hedging inter-nodal pricing risk," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Paul L. Joskow, 2024. "The Expansion of Incentive (Performance-Based) Regulation of Electricity Distribution and Transmission in the United States," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 65(2), pages 455-503, September.
    8. Varawala, Lamia & Hesamzadeh, Mohammad Reza & Dán, György & Bunn, Derek & Rosellón, Juan, 2023. "A pricing mechanism to jointly mitigate market power and environmental externalities in electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Electricity transmission; incentive regulation; multi-level optimization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

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