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Counteracting market concentration in renewable energy auctions: Lessons learned from South Africa

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  • Kruger, Wikus
  • Nygaard, Ivan
  • Kitzing, Lena

Abstract

Competitive bidding programmes, or auctions, are becoming the dominant method for procuring utility-scale renewable energy generation capacity and have coincided with significant cost reductions of renewable energy (RE) technologies. The use of price in auctions as the main awarding criterion has been criticized for apparently leading to market concentration and dominance in project ownership. We investigate: to what extent South Africa's renewable energy auction programme has contributed to market concentration and dominance; if market concentration and dominance have a negative impact on electricity cost in the auction; and to what extent measures taken to counteract market concentration and dominance have led to improved competition and diversity of project ownership.

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  • Kruger, Wikus & Nygaard, Ivan & Kitzing, Lena, 2021. "Counteracting market concentration in renewable energy auctions: Lessons learned from South Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:148:y:2021:i:pb:s0301421520307060
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111995
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    2. Geßner, Daniel, 2023. "Performance of Renewable Energy Policies - Evidence from Germany's Transition to Auctions," W.E.P. - Würzburg Economic Papers 105, University of Würzburg, Department of Economics.
    3. Mike Morris & Glen Robbins & Ulrich Hansen & Ivan Nygard, 2022. "The wind energy global value chain localisation and industrial policy failure in South Africa," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(4), pages 490-511, December.
    4. Batz Liñeiro, Taimyra & Müsgens, Felix, 2021. "Evaluating the German PV auction program: The secrets of individual bids revealed," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    5. del Río, Pablo & Kiefer, Christoph P., 2023. "Academic research on renewable electricity auctions: Taking stock and looking forward," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Przemysław Kaszyński & Aleksandra Komorowska & Jacek Kamiński, 2023. "Revisiting Market Power in the Polish Power System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-23, June.
    7. Tiedemann, Silvana & Müller-Hansen, Finn, 2023. "Auctions to phase out coal power: Lessons learned from Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

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