En­ergy Eco­nom­ics, Mar­kets, and Policy

Course content

Since the liberalisation of the energy sector, particularly electricity, its constituent parts have received distinct treatments, leading some segments to be opened to competition (generation and retailing), while the others (transmission and distribution networks) have remained as regulated monopolies. This course introduces the students to analyse the interrelationships and the challenges that all the segments of this sector face from an economic perspective. The aim is to make the students familiar with the relevant concepts, models, and policies, and, in particular, with the application of economic principles to competition and regulation, and the analysis of energy demand and supply, along with the environmental and social issues derived.

The topics covered during the course are the following:

• Introduction to energy economics: demand, supply, and markets
• Energy sector economic and policy reforms: liberalisation and energy policy issues
• Energy networks and regulation of natural monopolies
• Economics of renewable energy: electricity production and integration of renewable energy sources
• Consumer behaviour and society: energy demand management and behaviour, energy efficiency and rebound effects, energy poverty and public acceptance
• Technology and innovation: Innovation, R&D, learning, digitalisation, and energy security
• Energy and development: Sustainable development goals, energy access and transition to low-carbon energy systems in the global south
• Topics in energy economics and policy: sector coupling / energy systems integration and future energy policy challenges

This module is endorsed by the Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure (CSEI), based at the Department of Economics of CBS, and is embedded in its overall strategy of research and education. CSEI has been supported and has close collaboration with the European Commission (DG Energy).