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Does Locational Marginal Pricing Impact Generation Investment Location Decisions? An Analysis of Texas's Wholesale Electricity Market

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  • Brown, David P.

    (University of Alberta, Department of Economics)

  • Zarnikau, Jay

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Woo, Chi-Keung

    (Education University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

Using data from Texas’s wholesale electricity market, we investigate if there is a relationship between nodal prices and investment location decisions of utility scale generation. We find some evidence that new investment arises in areas with recently elevated nodal prices. However, we find no evidence that new generation resources receive a nodal price premium post-entry as projected by the expectation of higher nodal prices. Further, we employ a regression analysis to test the relationship between expected nodal prices and the probability of entry at a given node. While this analysis finds a positive relationship between expected nodal prices and investment for natural-gas-fueled peaking assets, this relationship is sensitive to model specification. Our findings suggest that factors other than nodal prices are more likely drivers of utility scale generation capacity investment location decisions in Texas.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, David P. & Zarnikau, Jay & Woo, Chi-Keung, 2020. "Does Locational Marginal Pricing Impact Generation Investment Location Decisions? An Analysis of Texas's Wholesale Electricity Market," Working Papers 2020-1, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:albaec:2020_001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Przemysław Kaszyński & Aleksandra Komorowska & Jacek Kamiński, 2023. "Revisiting Market Power in the Polish Power System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-23, June.
    5. Paul Simshauser & Farhad Billimoria & Craig Rogers, 2021. "Optimising VRE plant capacity in Renewable Energy Zones," Working Papers EPRG2121, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
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    7. Michael G. Pollitt, 2023. "Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs) for electricity in Europe? The untold story," Working Papers EPRG2318, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    8. Cao, K.H. & Qi, H.S. & Tsai, C.H. & Woo, C.K. & Zarnikau, J., 2021. "Energy trading efficiency in the US Midcontinent electricity markets," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Electricity; Regulation; Entry; Locational Marginal Pricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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