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Opportunity Cost Pass-through from Fossil Fuel Market Prices to Procurement Costs of the U.S. Power Producers

Author

Listed:
  • Yin Chu

    (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law)

  • J. Scott Holladay

    (Department of Economics, University of Tennessee)

  • Jacob LaRiviere

    (Department of Economics, University of Tennessee and Microsoft)

Abstract

This paper investigates the transmission of fossil fuel commodity spot market price changes to procurement costs of U.S. power producers. We measure and compare the speed and magnitude with which spot prices predict procurement costs using restricted access fuel price data. Natural gas spot prices are quickly reflected in procurement costs. Coal spot prices offer very little predictive power to coal procurement costs. Although not causal, the empirical results also show differences across regulatory status. These findings may have implications for the electricity market deregulation literature that creates marginal cost curves as a competitive benchmark.

Suggested Citation

  • Yin Chu & J. Scott Holladay & Jacob LaRiviere, 2017. "Opportunity Cost Pass-through from Fossil Fuel Market Prices to Procurement Costs of the U.S. Power Producers," Working Papers 2017-02, University of Tennessee, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ten:wpaper:2017-02
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    File URL: http://web.utk.edu/~jhollad3/RePEc/2017-02.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Chu, Yin & Gao, Juanxia & Li, Haoyang, 2023. "Wind power expansion and regional allocative efficiency among fossil-fuel electricity generators," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Brett Watson & Ian Lange & Joshua Linn, 2023. "Coal demand, market forces, and U.S. coal mine closures," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(1), pages 35-57, January.
    3. Jonathan E. Hughes & Ian Lange, 2020. "Who (Else) Benefits From Electricity Deregulation? Coal Prices, Natural Gas, And Price Discrimination," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(3), pages 1053-1075, July.
    4. Jeremy Lin & Alessio Saretto & Anastasia Shcherbakova, 2024. "What Fuels the Volatility of Electricity Prices?," Working Papers 2408, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    5. Alexander Hill, 2023. "Price freezes and gas pass-through: an estimation of the price impact of electricity market restructuring," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 87-116, April.
    6. Rebecca J. Davis & J. Scott Holladay & Charles Sims, 2022. "Coal-Fired Power Plant Retirements in the United States," Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 4-36.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    electric power industry; fossil fuel market; pass-through; deregulation; asymmetric price adjustment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities

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