Residential electricity pricing in Texas's competitive retail market

A-Tier
Journal: Energy Economics
Year: 2020
Volume: 92
Issue: C

Authors (5)

Brown, D.P. (University of Alberta) Tsai, C.H. (not in RePEc) Woo, C.K. (not in RePEc) Zarnikau, J. (University of Texas-Austin) Zhu, S. (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.804 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Using a large sample of residential retail electricity plans advertised on the Public Utility Commission of Texas's Power-to-Choose website between January 2014 to December 2018, we analyse how a retail price quote varies with its per MWh procurement cost forecast based on wholesale prices and other product attributes. Our panel regression analysis finds that a retail price quote partially passes through 43% to 47% of a wholesale price forecast changes and embodies a risk premium that increases with wholesale price forecast volatility. Prepayment and time-of-use plans contain price premia. The price premia associated with higher-than-average renewable energy contents in the early years of our sample have largely vanished by 2018. Longer contract terms come at a higher price. Finally, increased one-month lagged customer switching tends to be associated with reduced retail price quotes.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:eneeco:v:92:y:2020:i:c:s0140988320302930
Journal Field
Energy
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-24