Historically, the primary barrier to greater competition in the electricity industry has been the vertical integration of most firms. Control of the transmission grid can advantage some competitors at the expense of others. In electricity markets around the world, policymakers have attempted to solve this problem through the creation of independent ‘gridcos’ or ‘system operators’ that either ow...

This paper studies some impacts of climate change on electricity markets, focusing on three climate effects. First, demand for electricity is affected because of changes in the temperature. Second, changes in precipitation and temperature have impact on supply of hydro electric production through a shift in the inflow of water. Third, plant efficiency for thermal generation will decrease becaus...

"...it is clear that RTOs are needed to resolve impediments to fully competitive markets." 2 The Commission identified the key role of RTOs in supporting competitive electricity markets. No matter what the name or governance structure, there must be an organization responsible for key coordination activities needed to make a market work. This is not an option, and the market cannot solve the pr...