One of the more remarkable properties of commodity markets is the capability of their nominal prices to be negative numbers. This flexibility to violate the zero bound can appear in outright flat prices, spreads, and net unit costs. The principal driver is typically overwhelming supply relative...

The existence and the use of the essential facilities doctrine was questioned in theory and in practice. Although the doctrine was developed in antitrust, it became a frequently cited notion in the regulation of network utilities. Its relevance is hotly debated during the setup of the new...

This article analyzes the impact of incomplete contracts’ length on investment in a bilateral relationship. The seller has the power to set the contract terms whereas the buyer decides on the investment level, which acts as a cap on future demand. Two-part tariffs succeed at implementing the...