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Residential Electricity Pricing in Texas’s Competitive Retail Market

Author

Listed:
  • Brown, David P.

    (University of Alberta, Department of Economics)

  • Tsai, Chen-Hao

    (Midcontinent Independent System Operator)

  • Woo, Chi-Keung

    (Education University of Hong Kong)

  • Zarnikau, Jay

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Zhu, Shuangshuang

    (Frontier Energy)

Abstract
Using a large sample of residential retail electricity plans advertised on the Public Utility Commission of Texas’s Power-to-Choose website between during January 2014 to December 2018, our panel regression analysis finds changes in the projected wholesale price of electricity are not fully reflected as changes in these plans’ price quotes. The estimated rates of wholesale price pass-through range from 43% to 45%. Retailers tend to charge risk premia that increase with wholesale price volatility. Prepayment and time-of-use plans likely contain price premia. The price premia associated with higher-than-average renewable energy contents in the early years of our sample have largely vanished by 2018. Longer contract terms come at a higher price. Finally, increased customer switching tends to reduce retail price quotes, implying that Texas’s residential retail market can be made more price competitive through consumer education on plan choices and dissemination of credible price information.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, David P. & Tsai, Chen-Hao & Woo, Chi-Keung & Zarnikau, Jay & Zhu, Shuangshuang, 2020. "Residential Electricity Pricing in Texas’s Competitive Retail Market," Working Papers 2020-4, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:albaec:2020_004
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    File URL: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~econwps/2020/wp2020-04.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. H. Qi & C. K. Woo & K. H. Cao & J. Zarnikau & R. Li, 2024. "Price responsiveness of solar and wind capacity demands," Post-Print hal-04597188, HAL.
    2. Cao, K.H. & Qi, H.S. & Li, R. & Woo, C.K. & Tishler, A. & Zarnikau, J., 2023. "An experiment in own-price elasticity estimation for non-residential electricity demand in the U.S," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Chi-Keung Woo & Jay Zarnikau & Asher Tishler & Kang Hua Cao, 2022. "Insuring a Small Retail Electric Provider’s Procurement Cost Risk in Texas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Massimo Dragotto & Marco Magnani & Paola Valbonesi, 2021. "Consumer inertia and firm incumbency in liberalised retail electricity markets: an empirical investigation," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0277, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    5. Li, Raymond & Woo, Chi-Keung & Cox, Kevin, 2021. "How price-responsive is residential retail electricity demand in the US?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    6. Wang, Li & Zhang, Xin-Hua & Zhang, Yue-Jun, 2023. "Designing the pricing mechanism of residents’ self-selection sales electricity based on household size," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 860-878.
    7. Simeone, Christina E. & Lange, Ian & Gilbert, Ben, 2023. "Pass-through in residential retail electricity competition: Evidence from Pennsylvania," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    8. Zhou, Wenhao & Li, Hailin & Zhang, Zhiwei, 2022. "A novel seasonal fractional grey model for predicting electricity demand: A case study of Zhejiang in China," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 128-147.
    9. 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).
    10. Guo, Bowei & Weeks, Melvyn, 2022. "Dynamic tariffs, demand response, and regulation in retail electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    11. Zarnikau, J. & Cao, K.H. & Qi, H.S. & Woo, C.K., 2023. "Has retail competition reduced residential electricity prices in Texas?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Retail Electricity Pricing; Procurement Cost Pass-Through; Risk Premium; Renewable Premium; ERCOT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • Q31 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

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