Competitive Bidding Behavior in Uniform-Price Auction Markets

Peter Cramton

Papers of Peter Cramton from University of Maryland, Department of Economics - Peter Cramton

Abstract: Profit-maximizing bidding in uniform price auction markets involves bidding above marginal cost. It therefore is not surprising that such behavior is observed in electricity markets. This incentive to bid above marginal cost is not the result of coordinated action among the bidders. Rather, each bidder is independently selecting its bid to maximize profits based on its estimate of the residual demand curve it faces. The supplier bids a price for its energy capacity to optimize its marginal tradeoff between higher prices and lower quantities. Price response from either demand or other suppliers prevents the supplier from raising its bid too much. Profit maximizing bidding should be expected and encouraged by regulators. It is precisely this profit maximizing behavior that guides the market toward long-run efficient outcomes.

Keywords: Auctions; Electricity Auctions; Market Design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 12 pages
Date: 2004, Revised 2004
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-com and nep-mic
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Published in Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, January 2004.

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Working Paper: Competitive Bidding Behavior in Uniform-Price Auction Markets (2003)
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