Competitive Entry In Ontarios Deregulated Power Generation Industry

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the issues involved in the deregulation of an electricity market. The paper focuses on efficiency considerations, comparing the gap between the socially efficient outcome and that achievable by a market. We model this problem with two-sided uncertainty: the uncertain market demand and the uncertain cost of production. In each case, we find the social optimum and the equilibrium outcome of the deregulated market. Conditions when deregulated industry cannot generate the socially optimal number of firms are identified. The relationship between market demand, the degree of risk-aversion of private firms, and the equilibrium number of firms is investigated.