Efficient Retail Pricing in Electricity and Natural Gas Markets
探讨电力与天然气零售价格是否有效反映稀缺信号以引导高效消费，分析从监管定价转向零售竞争后定价效率的变化。
A long line of research investigates whether the retail prices of electricity and natural gas send proper signals about scarcity in order to induce efficient consumption. Historically, regulated utilities have not designed tariffs that set marginal prices equal to marginal costs. Currently, some jurisdictions are opening the retail sectors to competition via “retail choice.” These new regimes replace imperfect regulation with imperfect competition as the process by which retail tariffs are formed. We discuss the challenges in evaluating the efficiency of tariffs and present evidence of how pricing has changed in markets with retail choice.