Learn About the CSEM Working Papers
In the 1990s, regions around the world started to restructure their power markets. Competitive market structures were introduced in place of traditional vertically integrated utilities. Our researchers were at the forefront of analysis on how these markets work and what could go wrong. This work led to the establishment of the Center for the Study of Energy Markets (CSEM), funded in part by the California Energy Commission. CSEM produced the below 94 research and policy working papers, and expanded the annual POWER Conference on Energy Research and Policy.
Severin Borenstein, “To What Electricity Price Do Consumers Respond? Residential Demand Elasticity Under Increasing Block-Pricing” (September 2009) | WP-195 | Abstract
Lucas Davis and Erich Muehlegger, “Do Americans Consume Too Little Natural Gas? An Empirical Test of Marginal Cost Pricing” (September 2009) (Revised version published in RAND Journal of Economics, 41(4), 2010, pp. 791-810.) | WP-194 | Abstract
Marc Conte and Matthew Kotchen, “Explaining the Price of Voluntary Carbon Offsets” (September 2009) (Revised version published in Climate Change Economics, 1(2), 2010, pp. 93-111.) | WP-193 | Abstract
Piet Eichholtz, Nils Kok, and John Quigley, “Doing Well by Doing Good? Green Office Buildings” (August 2009) (Revised version published in The American Economic Review, 100(6), 2010, pp. 2494-2511.) | WP-192 | Abstract
James Bushnell, Benjamin Hobbs, and Frank Wolak, “When it comes to Demand Response, is FERC its Own Worst Enemy?” (August 2009) (Revised version published in The Electricity Journal, November 2009.) | WP-191 | Abstract
Stephen Holland, “Taxes and Trading versus Intensity Standards: Second-Best Environmental Policies with Incomplete Regulation (Leakage) or Market Power” (August 2009) (Revised version in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 63(3): 375-387, 2012) | WP-190 | Abstract
Christopher Knittel, “The Implied Cost of Carbon Dioxide under the Cash for Clunkers Program” (August 2009) | WP-189 | Abstract
Kenneth Corts, “Building Out Alternative Fuel Retail Infrastructure: Government Fleet Spillovers in E85” (July 2009) (Revised version published in Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 59, 2010, pp. 219-234.) | WP-188 | Abstract
Christopher Knittel, “Automobiles on Steroids: Product Attribute Trade-Offs and Technological Progress in the Automobile Sector” (July 2009). (Revised version published in The American Economic Review, 101(7), December 2011, pp. 3368-3399.) | WP-187 | Abstract
Meredith Fowlie, Stephen Holland, and Erin Mansur, “What Do Emissions Markets Deliver and to Whom? Evidence from Southern California’s NOx Trading Program” (June 2009). (Revised version published in The American Economic Review,102(2), April 2012, pp. 1-29.) | WP-186 | Abstract
Maximilian Auffhammer and Ryan Kellogg, “Clearing the Air? The Effects of Gasoline Content Regulation on Air Quality” (April 2009) (Revised version published in The American Economic Review, 101, October 2011, pp. 2687-2722.) | WP-185 | Abstract
Carl Blumstein, “Program Evaluation and Incentives for Administrators of Energy-Efficiency Programs: Can Evaluation Solve the Principal/Agent Problem?” (Revised October 2010) (Revised version published in Energy Policy, 38, 2010, pp. 6232-6239.) | WP-184 | Abstract
James Bushnell and Yihsu Chen, “Regulation, Allocation, and Leakage in Cap-and-Trade Markets for CO2” (March 2009) | WP-183 | Abstract
Severin Borenstein, “The Implications of a Gasoline Price Floor for the California Budget and Greenhouse Gas Emissions”, (November 2008) | WP-182 | Abstract
Meredith Fowlie, Christopher Knittel, and Catherine Wolfram, “Sacred Cars? Optimal Regulation of Stationary and Non-stationary Pollution Sources”(November 2008) (Revised version published in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Vol. 4, February 2012, pp. 98-126.) | WP-181 | Abstract
Severin Borenstein, “Equity Effects of Increasing-Block Electricity Pricing” (November 2008) | WP-180 | Abstract
Matthew Kotchen and Laura Grant, “Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Indiana” (November 2008) (Revised version published in The Review of Economics and Statistics, 93 (2011) 1172-1185) | WP-179 | Abstract
Stephen Holland and Michael Moore, “When to Pollute, When to Abate? Intertemporal Permit Use in the Los Angeles NOx Market” (May 2008)(Revised verison published in Land Economics (2012) 88(2) 275-299) | WP-178 | Abstract
Severin Borenstein, “Cost, Conflict and Climate: U.S. Challenges in the World Oil Market” (Revised version published in Milken Institute Review, 4th Quarter 2008.) | WP-177 | Abstract
Severin Borenstein, “The Market Value and Cost of Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Production” (January 2008) | WP-176 | Abstract
Meredith Fowlie, “Incomplete Environmental Regulation, Imperfect Competition, and Emissions Leakage” (December 2007) (Revised version published in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 1(2) 2009.) | WP-175| Abstract
Severin Borenstein, Meghan Busse, and Ryan Kellogg, “Career Concerns, Inaction, and Market Inefficiency: Evidence from utility regulation” (Revised December 2010) (Revised version published in Journal of Industrial Economics, 60(2), June 2012.) | WP-174 | Abstract
Ryan Kellogg, “Learning by Drilling: Inter-Firm Learning and Relationship Persistence in the Texas Oilpatch” (November 2007) (Revised version published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, 126, November 2011, pp. 1961-2004.) | WP-173 | Abstract
Severin Borenstein, “Electricity Rate Structures and the Economics of Solar PV: Could Mandatory Time-of-Use Rates Undermine California’s Solar Photovoltaic Subsidies?” (September 2007) | WP-172 | Abstract
Jeffrey Harris, Rick Diamond, Maithili Iyer, Christopher Payne, Carl Blumstein, and Hans-Paul Siderius, “Towards a Sustainable Energy Balance: Progressive Efficiency and the Return of Energy Conservation” (September 2007) (Revised version published in Energy Efficiency, 1(3), 175, 2008,) | WP-171| Abstract
James Bushnell, “The Implementation of California AB 32 and its Impact on Wholesale Electricity Markets” (August 2007) (Revised version published in Climate Policy, Vol. 8, 2008.) | WP-170 | Abstract
Olivier Deschenes and Michael Greenstone, “Climate Change, Mortality, and Adaptation: Evidence from Annual Fluctuations in Weather in the US” (August 2007) (Revised version published in American Economic Journal: Applied Economics,3(4): 152-185, October 2011) | WP-169
James Bushnell and Catherine Wolfram, “The Guy at the Controls: Labor Quality and Power Plant Efficiency” (June 2007) (Revised version published in International Differences in the Business Practices and the Productivity of Firms, University of Chicago Press, 2009.) | WP-168
Stephen Holland, Christopher Knittel, and Jonathan Hughes “Greenhouse Gas Reductions under Low Carbon Fuel Standards?” (May 2007) (Revised version published in The American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 1(1), February 2009.)) | WP-167
James Bushnell, Carla Peterman, and Catherine Wolfram, “California’s Greenhouse Gas Policies: Local Solutions to a Global Problem?” (2007) | WP-166
Maximilian Auffhammer, Carl Blumstein, and Meredith Fowlie, “Demand-Side Management and Energy Efficiency Revisited” (April 2007) (Revised version published in The Energy Journal, 29(3) 2008.) | WP-165
James Bushnell and Jun Ishii, “An Equilibrium Model of Investment in Restructured Electricity Markets” (January 2007) | WP-164
Ryan Kellogg and Hendrik Wolff, “Does Extending Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence From an Australian Experiment” (January 2007) (Revised version published in Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 56, 2008.) | WP-163
Robert Letzler, “Using Incentive Preserving Rebates to Increase Acceptance of Critical Peak Electricity Pricing” (Revised May 2010) | WP-162
Jennifer Kaiser Shanefelter, “Restructuring, Ownership and Efficiency: The Case of Labor in Electricity Generation” (November 2006) | WP-161
Nathaniel Keohane, Erin Mansur, and Andrey Voynov, “Averting Enforcement: Strategic Response to the Threat of Environmental Regulation” (October 2006) (Revised version published in Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 18(1), Spring 2009.) | WP-160
Jonathan Hughes, Christopher Knittel, and Daniel Sperling, “Evidence of a Shift in the Short-Run Price Elasticity of Gasoline Demand” (September 2006) (Revised version published in The Energy Journal 29(1), January 2008.) | WP-159
Olivier Deschenes, “The Economic Impacts of Climate Change: Evidence from Agricultural Profits and Random Fluctuations in Weather” (2007) (Revised version published in American Economic Review, 102(7): 3761-3773, December 2012) | WP-158
James Bushnell and Catherine Wolfram, “The Economic Effects of Vintage Differentiated Regulations: The Case of New Source Review” (July 2006) (Revised version in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 64(2): 137-152, 2012.) | WP-157
Severin Borenstein, “Wealth Transfers Among Large Customers from Implementing Real-Time Retail Electricity Pricing “ (July 2006) (Revised version published in The Energy Journal, 28(2) 2007.) | WP-156
Severin Borenstein, “Customer Risk from Real-Time Retail Electricity Pricing: Bill Volatility and Hedgability” (July 2006) (Revised version published in The Energy Journal, 28(2) 2007.) | WP-155
Richard Green and Chloe Le Coq, “The Length of Contracts and Collusion” (Revised version published in International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 21-29, January 2010) | WP-154
Chloe Le Coq, “Index Contracts and Spot Market Competition” (2006) | WP-153
Amol Phadke, “Feasibility of Wholesale Electricity Competition in a Developing Country: Insights from Simulating a Market in Maharashtra State, India” (June 2006) | WP-152
Frank Wolak, “Residential Customer Response to Real-Time Pricing: The Anaheim Critical-Peak Pricing Experiment” (May 2006) | WP-151
Bert Willems, “Virtual Divestitures, Will They Make a Difference? Cournot Competition, Option Markets and Efficiency” (May 2006) | WP-150
Meredith Fowlie, “Emissions Trading, Electricity Industry Restructuring, and Investment in Pollution Abatement” (November 2005) (Revised version published in American Economic Review, 100(3), 2010.) | WP-149
James Bushnell, “Oligopoly Equilibria in Electricity Contract Markets” (October 2006) (Revised version published in Journal of Regulatory Economics, Vol. 32, 2008.) | WP-148
Severin Borenstein, “Wealth Transfers from Implementing Real-Time Retail Electricity Pricing” (August 2005) (Revised version publised in The Energy Journal, 28(2), 2007) | WP-147
James Bushnell, “Electricity Resource Adequacy: Matching Policies and Goals” (August 2005) (Revised version published in The Electricity Journal, September 2005) | WP-146
Guido Pepermans and Bert Willems, “Ramsey Pricing in a Congested Network with Market Power in Generation: A Numerical Illustration for Belgium” (June 2005) | WP-145
Severin Borenstein and James Bushnell, “Retail Policies and Competition in the Gasoline Industry” (May 2005) | WP-144
Stephen Holland and Erin Mansur, “The Short-Run Effects of Time-Varying Prices in Competitive Electricity Markets” (May 2006) (Revised version published in The Energy Journal, 27(4): 127-155, 2006.) | WP-143
Severin Borenstein, “Valuing the Time-Varying Electricity Production of Solar Photovoltaic Cells” (March 2005) | WP-142
Julie Berry Cullen, Leora Friedberg, and Catherine Wolfram, “Do Households Smooth Small Consumption Shocks? Evidence from Anticipated and Unanticipated Variation in Home Energy Costs” (April 2005) | WP-141
James Bushnell and Catherine Wolfram, “Ownership Change, Incentives and Plant Efficiency: The Divestiture of U.S. Electric Generation Plants” (March 2005) | WP-140
Bert Willems, “Cournot Competition, Financial Option Markets and Efficiency” (March 2005) | WP-139
Severin Borenstein, James Bushnell, Christopher Knittel, and Catherine Wolfram, “Inefficiencies and Market Power in Financial Arbitrage: A Study of California’s Electricity Markets” (December 2004) (Revised version published in Journal of Industrial Economics, 56(2) 2008.) | WP-138
Meghan Busse and Nathaniel Keohane, “Market Effects of Environmental Regulation: Coal, Railroads, and the 1990 Clean Air Act” (September 2004) (Revised version published in The Rand Journal of Economics, 38(4), 2007.) | WP-137
Stephen Holland and Erin Mansur, “Is Real-Time Pricing Green?: The Environmental Impacts of Electricity Demand Variance” (September 2006) (Revised version published in Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(3), August 2008.) | WP-136
Kira Fabrizio, Nancy Rose, and Catherine Wolfram, “Does Competition Reduce Costs? Assessing the Impact of Regulatory Restructuring on U.S. Electric Generation Efficiency” (December 2004) (Revised version published in The American Economic Review, Vol. 97, September 2007, pp. 1250-1277.) | WP-135
Frank Wolak, “Lessons from International Experience with Electricity Market Monitoring” (June 2004) |WP-134
Severin Borenstein, “The Long-Run Efficiency of Real-Time Electricity Pricing” (Revised February 2005) (Revised version published in Energy Journal 26(3), 2005.) | WP-133
Severin Borenstein, James Bushnell, and Matthew Lewis, “Market Power in California’s Gasoline Market” (May 2004) Full Paper. | WP-132
Dae-Wook Kim and Christopher Knittel, “Biases in Static Oligopoly Models?: Evidence from the California Electricity Market” (May 2004) (Revised version published in Journal of Industrial Economics, December 2006, 54(4): 451-70.) | WP-131
Paul Joskow and Jean Tirole, “Retail Electricity Competition” (April 2004) (Revised version published in Rand Journal of Economics, 37(4), Winter 2006.) | WP-130
Paul Joskow and Jean Tirole, “Reliability and Competitive Electricity Markets” (April 2004) (Revised version published in Rand Journal of Economics, 38(1), Spring 2007.) | WP-129
Jun Ishii, “Technology Adoption and Regulatory Regimes: Gas Turbines Electricity Generators from 1980 to 2001” (February 2011) | WP-128
Jun Ishii and Jingming Yan, “Investment under Regulatory Uncertainty: U.S. Electricity Generation Investment Since 1996” (March 2004) | WP-127
James Bushnell, Erin Mansur, and Celeste Saravia, “Vertical Arrangements, Market Structure, and Competition: An Analysis of Restructured U.S. Electricity Markets” (Revised February 2005) (Revised version published in American Economic Review, 98(1) 2008.) | WP-126
Ali Hortacsu and Steven Puller, “Testing Strategic Models of Firm Behavior in Restructured Electricity Markets: A Case Study of ERCOT” (Revised November 2004) (Revised version published in RAND Journal of Economics, 39(1), Spring 2008. ) Full Paper | WP-125
Anna Creti and Natalia Fabra, “Capacity Markets for Electricity” (February 2004) (Revised version published in Energy Economics, 29(2), March 2007.) | WP-124
Catherine Waddams, “Spoilt for Choice? The Costs and Benefits of Opening UK Residential Markets” (February 2004) | WP-123
Natalia Fabra, Nils-Henrik von der Fehr, and David Harbord, “Designing Electricity Auctions” (February 2004) (Revised version published in Rand Journal of Economics, Vol. 37(1), Spring 2006.) | WP-122
Celeste Saravia, “Arbitrageurs on Efficiency and Market Power in the New York Electricity Market” (November 2003) | WP-121
Matt Lewis, “Asymmetric Price Adjustment and Consumer Search: An Examination of the Retail Gasoline Market” (November 2003) (Revised version published in Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 409-449, 06) | WP-120
James Bushnell, “California’s Electricity Crisis: A Market Apart?” (November 2003) (Revised version published in Energy Policy, Vol. 32: 1045-1052, 2004.) | WP-119
Shulamit Kahn and Christopher Knittel, “The Impact of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 on Electric Utilities and Coal Mines: Evidence from the Stock Market” (September 2003) | WP-118
Erin Mansur, “Vertical Integration in Restructured Electricity Markets: Measuring Market Efficiency and Firm Conduct” (October 2003) (Revised version published in Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(2), May 2008.) | WP-117
Severin Borenstein and Stephen Holland, “On the Efficiency of Competitive Electricity Markets With Time-Invariant Retail Prices” (August 2003) (Revised version published in Rand Journal of Economics, 36 (Autumn 2005)) | WP-116
Carl Blumstein, Charles Goldman, and Galen Barbose, “Who Should Administer Energy-Efficiency Programs?” (August 2003) (Revised version published in Energy Policy, 33, p.1053 (2005).) | WP-115
Frank Wolak, “Measuring Unilateral Market Power in Wholesale Electricity Markets: The California Market 1998 – 2000” (June 2003) (Revised version published in American Economic Review, May 2003; 93(2):425-30.) | WP-114
Jonathan Kolstad and Frank Wolak, “Using Environmental Emissions Permit Prices to Raise Electricity Prices: Evidence from the California Electricity Market” (May 2003) | WP-113
Monica Giulietti, Catherine Waddams Price, and Michael Waterson, “Consumer Choice and Industrial Policy: a Study of UK Energy Markets” (April 2003) (Revised version published in The Economic Journal, 115, October 2005.) | WP-112
Catherine Wolfram, “The Efficiency of Electricity Generation in the US After Restructuring” (Revised June 2003) (Revised version published in Electricity Deregulation: Choices and Challenges, Griffin and Puller, eds., University of Chicago Press, 2005.) | WP-111
Frank Wolak, “Lessons from the California Electricity Crisis” (Revised May 2003) (Revised version published in Electricity Deregulation: Choices and Challenges, Griffin and Puller, eds., University of Chicago Press, 2005.) | WP-110
James Bushnell, “Looking for Trouble: Competition Policy in the U.S. Electricity Industry” (Revised April 2003) (Revised version published in Electricity Deregulation: Choices and Challenges, Griffin and Puller, eds., University of Chicago Press, 2005.) | WP-109
Jun Ishii, “From Investor-owned Utility to Independent Power Producer” (Revised January 2006) (Revised version published in Energy Journal, 27(3), 2006.) | WP-108
Jun Ishii and Jingming Yan, “Does Divestiture Crowd-Out New Investment? The ‘Make or Buy’ Decision in U.S. Electricity Generation Investments” (Revised January 2006) (Revised version published in Rand Journal of Economics, 38(1), 2007.) | WP-107
Severin Borenstein and Stephen Holland, “Investment Efficiency in Competitive Electricity Markets With and Without Time-Varying Retail Prices” (July 2003) | WP-106
Severin Borenstein, Michael Jaske, and Arthur Rosenfeld, “Dynamic Pricing Advanced Metering and Demand Response in Electricity Markets” (October 2002) (Revised version of Section I published in Electricity Deregulation: Choices and Challenges, Griffin and Puller, eds., University of Chicago Press, 2005.) | WP-105
Ross Baldick, “Variation of Distribution Factors with Loading” (September 2002) (Revised version published in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 18(4):1316-1323, November 2003.) | WP-104
Carl Blumstein, L. S. Friedman, and R. J. Green, “The History of Electricity Restructuring in California” (August 2002) (Revised version published in Journal of Industry, Competition, and Trade, 21(1) 9 (2002).) | WP-103
Severin Borenstein, James Bushnell, and Frank Wolak, “Measuring Market Inefficiencies in California’s Restructured Wholesale Electricity Market” (June 2002) (Revised version published in American Economic Review, Vol. 92, No. 5:1376-1405, Winter 2002.) | WP-102
James Bushnell and Celeste Saravia, “An Emperical Assessment of the Competitiveness of the New England Electricity Market” (May 2002). | WP-101