The structure and functioning of electricity markets, including spot markets, merit order pricing, and government interventions, are discussed in detail as factors affecting renewable energy investments.
A major focus is the challenges facing organized wholesale electricity markets and potential market reforms during the energy transition.
The episode discusses the potential for WAPA to participate in organized electricity markets to access energy from other regions.
The podcast episodes cover various aspects of electricity markets, including how their structure and functioning impact the energy transition, the challenges faced by renewable energy sources in these markets, and potential market reforms that could enable greater decarbonization.
For example, the episode Meeting Electricity Needs in Drought-Stricken U.S. West discusses how the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is adapting to drought conditions and the potential for participating in organized electricity markets to access energy from other regions.
The episode Market Design for the Energy Transition delves into the reforms needed to electricity markets to make them more friendly to the technologies and needs of the energy transition.
Other episodes, such as Can Competition Decarbonize Electricity? and Western Grid Regionalization, explore how competition and market integration can be leveraged to drive decarbonization.