The impact of renewable energies on wholesale electricity prices

Rationale Renewable electricity generation capacity is rising significantly in Spain. Given the merit order pricing system used in the wholesale electricity market, this could have profound implications for electricity price dynamics. Takeaways •The share of wind and solar energy in total electricit...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Quintana, Javier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Banco de España
Repositorio:Repositorio Institucional del Banco de España
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.bde.es:123456789/37635
Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.bde.es/handle/123456789/37635
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Electricity market
Renewable energies
Merit order pricing system
Energías renovables
Precio de la electricidad
Energía y política energética
E31
Q41
Q42
Descripción
Sumario:Rationale Renewable electricity generation capacity is rising significantly in Spain. Given the merit order pricing system used in the wholesale electricity market, this could have profound implications for electricity price dynamics. Takeaways •The share of wind and solar energy in total electricity generation increased from 26% in 2019 to over 40% in 2024 H1. In the first half of this year, wholesale electricity prices were more than 40% lower than they would have been had wind and solar generation remained at 2019 levels. •The model estimated in this article suggests that under the renewable generation deployment scenarios envisaged in the update of the National Energy and Climate Plan, wholesale electricity prices could drop by an additional 50% by 2030. •In any event, the future behaviour of these prices is subject to considerable uncertainty, influenced by various supply-side factors and how demand responds to the new levels of renewable generation.