Fairness and Dynamic Pricing: Comments

In “The Ethics of Dynamic Pricing,” Ahmad Faruqui lays out a case for improved efficiency in using dynamic prices for retail electricity tariffs and addresses various issues about the distributional effects of alternative pricing mechanisms. The principal contrast is between flat or nearly constant energy prices and time-varying prices that reflect more closely the marginal costs of energy and capacity. The related issues of fairness criteria, contracts, risk allocation, cost allocation, means testing, real-time pricing, and ethical policies of electricity market design also must be considered. 1 1 These include Allegheny Electric Global Market, American Electric Power, American National Power, Aquila, Australian Gas Light Company, Avista Energy, Barclays, Brazil Power Exchange Administrator (ASMAE), British National Grid Company, California Independent Energy Producers Association, California Independent System Operator, Calpine Corporation, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Centerpoint Energy, Central Maine Power Company, Chubu Electric Power Company, Citigroup, Comision Reguladora De Energia (CRE, Mexico), Commonwealth Edison Company, COMPETE Coalition, Conectiv, Constellation Power Source, Coral Power, Credit First Suisse Boston, DC Energy, Detroit Edison Company, Deutsche Bank, Duquesne Light Company, Dynegy, Edison Electric Institute, Edison Mission Energy, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, Electric Power Supply Association, El Paso Electric, GPU Inc. (and the Supporting Companies of PJM), Exelon, GPU PowerNet Pty Ltd., GWF Energy, Independent Energy Producers Assn, ISO New England, Luz del Sur, Maine Public Advocate, Maine Public Utilities Commission, Merrill Lynch, Midwest ISO, Mirant Corporation, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley Capital Group, National Independent Energy Producers, New England Power Company, New York Independent System Operator, New York Power Pool, New York Utilities Collaborative, Niagara Mohawk Corporation, NRG Energy, Inc., Ontario IMO, Pepco, Pinpoint Power, PJM Office of Interconnection, PPL Corporation, Public Service Electric & Gas Company, Public Service New Mexico, PSEG Companies, Reliant Energy, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, San Diego Gas & Electric Corporation, Sempra Energy, SPP, Texas Genco, Texas Utilities Co, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Toronto Dominion Bank, Transalta, Transcanada, TransÉnergie, Transpower of New Zealand, Tucson Electric Power, Westbrook Power, Western Power Trading Forum, Williams