Course outline:

1. Introduction to the economics of the power sector (supply and demand for power, structure of the industry – generation, transmission and distribution, retail supply);
2. Possible models for organising the power sector, technical characteristics that affect that choice and sector liberalisation;
3. Need for economic regulation and current approaches to regulation and related concepts (cost plus or rate of return, price cap vs revenue cap, RIIO, RAB, etc.);
4. Wholesale electricity trade, including energy only markets and capacity markets, and competition issues;
5. Investment decision making in generation and transmission;
6. CO2 emissions, overview of decarbonisation policy instruments, EU ETS;
7. Renewables and energy efficiency measures; and
8. Retail supply, retail competition and retail pricing (including concepts of long run and short run marginal costs, average costs and market failures related to information).