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Nord Pool: A Power Market Without Market Power

Author

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  • Hjalmarsson, Erik

    (Department of Economics, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

Regulatory reform in the Nordic electricity-supply markets has resulted in a single integrated Nordic electricity market. This paper performs an econometric study of market power in the spot market of Nord Pool, the joint Nordic power exchange. I use a dynamic extension of the Bresnahan-Lau model, and weekly data for the period from 1996 through April 1999. To my knowledge, this is the first study of power markets that is not able to reject the hypothesis of perfect competition. The most likely reason for this absence of market power is the low ownership concentration in generation in the integrated Nordic electricity market.

Suggested Citation

  • Hjalmarsson, Erik, 2000. "Nord Pool: A Power Market Without Market Power," Working Papers in Economics 28, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0028
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mauritzen, Johannes, 2011. "What Happens When it's Windy in Denmark? An Empirical Analysis of Wind Power on Price Variability in the Nordic Electricity Market," Working Paper Series 889, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    2. Souhir, Ben Amor & Heni, Boubaker & Lotfi, Belkacem, 2019. "Price risk and hedging strategies in Nord Pool electricity market evidence with sector indexes," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 635-655.
    3. Peeter Pikk & Marko Viiding, 2013. "The dangers of marginal cost based electricity pricing," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 49-62, July.
    4. Bask, Mikael & Widerberg, Anna, 2009. "Market structure and the stability and volatility of electricity prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 278-288, March.
    5. Victor F. Moutinho & António C. Moreira & João Paulo C. Bento, 2018. "Strategic decisions on bilateral bidding behavior: evidence from a wholesale electricity market," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 1353-1387, May.
    6. Fogelberg, Sara & Lazarczyk, Ewa, 2014. "Strategic Withholding through Production Failures," Working Paper Series 1015, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    7. Erik Lundin, 2021. "Market Power and Joint Ownership: Evidence from Nuclear Plants in Sweden," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 485-536, September.
    8. Brekke, Kurt R. & Straume, Odd Rune & Sørgard, Lars, 2025. "Trade, renewable energy, and market power in power markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    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. Vítor Marques & Adelino Fortunato & Isabel Soares, 2012. "Can Structural Models be Useful to Understand the Electricity Wholesale Markets? An Application to Spain," Chapters, in: Joseph E. Harrington Jr & Yannis Katsoulacos (ed.), Recent Advances in the Analysis of Competition Policy and Regulation, chapter 15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Lundgren, Jens & Hellström, Jörgen & Rudholm, Niklas, 2008. "Multinational Electricity Market Integration and Electricity Price Dynamics," HUI Working Papers 16, HUI Research.
    12. 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.
    13. Chang, Shun-Chiao & Chang, Jui-Chuan Della & Huang, Tai-Hsin, 2012. "Assessing market power in the U.S. commercial banking industry under deregulation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 1558-1565.
    14. Xunpeng Shi & Lixia Yao, 2020. "Economic Integration in Southeast Asia: The Case of the ASEAN Power Grid," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 35(1), pages 152-171.
    15. Johannes Mauritzen, 2013. "Dead Battery? Wind Power, the Spot Market, and Hydropower Interaction in the Nordic Electricity Market," The Energy Journal, , vol. 34(1), pages 103-124, January.
    16. Sandsmark, Maria & Tennbakk, Berit, 2010. "Ex post monitoring of market power in hydro dominated electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 1500-1509, March.
    17. Mirza, Faisal Mehmood & Bergland, Olvar, 2011. "The impact of daylight saving time on electricity consumption: Evidence from southern Norway and Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3558-3571, June.
    18. Brännlund, Runar & Marklund, Per-Olov & Sjöström, Magnus, 2001. "Evaluating market efficiency without price data. The Swedish market for wood fuel," Umeå Economic Studies 576, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    19. Mauritzen, Johannes, 2012. "Dead Battery? Wind Power, the Spot Market, and Hydro Power Interaction in the Nordic Electricity Market," Working Paper Series 908, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    20. Mauritzen, Johannes, 2010. "What happens when it's Windy in Denmark? An Empirical Analysis of Wind Power on Price Volatility in the Nordic Electricity Market," Discussion Papers 2010/18, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    21. Hellström, Jörgen & Lundgren, Jens & Yu, Haishan, 2012. "Why do electricity prices jump? Empirical evidence from the Nordic electricity market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1774-1781.
    22. repec:ers:journl:v:xv:y:2012:i:sie:p:65-108 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Svend Hylleberg, 2004. "On the Exploitation of Market Power in the Nordic Electricity Markets. The Case of Elsam," Economics Working Papers 2004-5, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    24. repec:aen:journl:ej34-1-05 is not listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • D41 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Perfect Competition
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities

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