Electric power in OECD countries is mostly produced by large central generating stations, then transmitted along high voltage lines to local distribution systems that carry it to final consumers. Distributed generation plants are different. They produce power on an electricity consumer’s own...

Electricity shortages can paralyse our modern economies. All governments fear rolling black-outs and their economic consequences, especially in economies increasingly based on digital technologies. Over the last two decades, the development of markets for power has produced cost reduction,...

Russia is rich not only in oil, gas and coal, but also in wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar energy – the resources of renewable energy. However, fossil fuels dominate Russia’s current energy mix, while its abundant and diverse renewable energy resources play little role. What are...

A review of the experience of IEA countries after the oil crises in the 1970s, which initiated a surge of investments in renewables research and development. While use of renewables has grown rapidly, they still account for only a small portion of the IEA energy mix. This work examines policies...

Renewable energy has received high levels of attention in recent years as an alternative to traditional hydrocarbons.  Governments, industry and consumers have adopted and promoted renewable technologies in response to concerns about energy security and the environment, and as a solution to...

In 2005, China added the equivalent of all the power plants in Norway and Sweden to its electricity generating capacity - and its remarkable demand growth shows no sign of abating. But how can the government best assure affordable and environmentally sustainable electricity supply in the future?...

This paper discusses the potential for the integration of electricity markets in the Latin American and Caribbean Region (LAC). It was prepared as background material for the session "Electricity Markets in Latin America: Regional Integration and Competition Issues" held at the 2014 Latin...

This paper explores the longer- and shorter-term challenges of the energy markets and their competition policy implications. It considers why wholesale natural gas and electricity prices have risen so much and the public policy responses to high energy prices. It was prepared as a background...

This report addresses the increasingly important interactions of variable renewables and dispatchable energy technologies, such as nuclear power, in terms of their effects on electricity systems. These effects add costs to the production of electricity, which are not usually transparent. The...