AØKK08318U Seminar: Energy Economics
Energy is a vital component for any society. The access to cheap, clean, and secure energy is high on the agenda of any country and region. Thus, energy has received much notice from both politicians and from economists.
The energy market is heavily influenced by nature. On the supply side we have windmills that only produce when it is windy, and hydro plants that can only use the water available in the reservoirs. On the demand side, we use more energy in cold winters than in warm ones. As implied, the demand for energy is very seasonal. This leaves room for storage of energy (oil tanks, gas storages), financial price hedging, and possibly arbitration. Countries and regions prepare for extreme weather conditions and cold spells in dry years, as the unavailability of energy under these circumstances means casualties. However, this ‘insurance’ has the characteristics of a public good – so how do societies ensure that sufficient security of supply is provided?
Energy commodities on the exchange are as easy to trade as stocks and bonds, but not as easy to transport. Commodities have physical constraints that must be taken account of when priced in the financial market. The constraints include transportation capacity (e.g. tankers, gas pipelines), transportation time, political instability (e.g. Ukraine), storage capacity (gas storages, oil storages), transportation tariffs, production capacities and production fallouts. Thus, physical constraints like these will affect prices, trade, and availability.
Yet, these commodities are traded in vast volumes, globally. This leaves room for much financial analysis – a particular question of interest is how the market pricing corresponds to the monopolistic/oligopolistic domination of the supply of commodities. Further, energy has experience huge price fluctuations. One prominent example is the increase in the oil price from a level around $60 to around $150 prior to the crash in 2008, and the subsequent drop to $40 (a decline of approx. 75 per cent) in only half a year. There is much to analyze on the financial side of oil, gas, and electricity.
Looking at the supply side of energy, there are many examples of monopoly and oligopoly. The most obvious example is OPEC, which is a prime example of a cartel that dictates price. However the market power is not isolated to oil – there are only few major coal producers in the world, and Russian Gazprom has a huge influence on the European natural gas market. But even within Europe, large monopolies exists. State owned distribution companies (like DONG used to be) is seen in many countries (e.g. PGNiG in Poland).
Energy is a topic very much influenced by politics – climate politics, trade politics, and even social politics in some countries. Topics of interest here include security of supply, ‘energy independence’, the market liberalization in EU of first the electricity and since the gas market, and finally how auctioning of capacity constrained infrastructure can be implemented.
Finally, this seminar is on energy. In particular on issues related to power, oil, and gas. Although the relationship to environmental issues is close (emissions, CO2 quota, efficiency), environmental issues are not the aim of the seminar.
During this seminar, students will acquire specific knowledge related to energy economics. Knowledge could be related to the areas of energy infrastructure, energy tariffing, security of supply, energy mix, supply diversification, market development, and energy regulation.
The seminar will enable the students to apply economic theory and econometric method to a specific and applied setting, and structure and present the analysis and results.
List of topics include (non-comprehensive):
Energy Policy and analysis hereof
Tariff on transportation of energy (power, gas)
Security of Supply – modeling the dependence on import of energy
Financial analysis of market prices, volatility and price responses to chocks
Sustainability and the extraction of natural resources
Cartels and monopoly theory
Geopolitics, international trade of energy commodities
Liberalization of energy- and gas markets
Privatization of state monopolies, including EU's Third Energy Package (ownership unbundling)
Hotelling’s rule and extraction of natural resources
Cross-border trade and taxation of goods
Energy as a means of social policy (i.e. subsidies)
Mechanism/auction design of capacity at constrained infrastructure connections
Please note, this seminar is NOT a seminar on environmental economics.
To be choosen in agreement with the supervisor.
Before the session a "so-finalized-as-possible"-draft of the paper must be uploaded in Absalon. After the presentations, the student submit an edited version of the paper in the Digital Exam portal as the final exam paper. The aim is that students use the presentation sessions as an opportunity to receive and use the constructive feedback to improve the paper.
• Kick-off meeting: February 5, 2018 10-13hrs
• Introducing teaching: Feb 12, 10-13hrs
• Deadline project description (commitment paper) by March 1st, 2018.
• Deadline of pre-paper uploaded to Absalon : a week before the workshop
• Workshop of oral presentations: May 8, 2017
- Category
- Hours
- Project work
- 186
- Seminar
- 20
- Total
- 206
for enrolled students. More information about registration, schedule, rules, curricula etc. can be found at the intranet for Master students (UK) and Master students (DK).
More information about seminars is available at the intranet for Seminars (UK) and Seminars (DK).
Read about the study programme and curricula at MSc in Economics
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written examination- a seminar paper in English that meets the formal requirements for written papers stated in the curriculum and at KUNet for seminars.
_____ - Exam registration requirements
Attendance in all activities at the seminar as stated in the formal requrements in the Curriculum and at the KUnet for seminars (UK) and Kunet for seminars (DK) is required to participate in the exam.
_____
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
_____
- Exam period
Deadline for uploading the final seminar paper to DE: 1st of June 2018 before 10:00 AM
Exam information:
For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, exam schedule etc. is available at the intranet for master students (UK) and master students (DK)
_____
- Re-exam
The reexam is a written paper as stated in the Master curriculum and at the KUnet for seminars for master students (UK) and master students (DK).
Exam information:
For enrolled students more information about re-examination, rules, re-exam schedule etc. is available at the intranet for master students (UK) and master students (DK)
Criteria for exam assesment
Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the seminar and the objectives stated in the Curriculum.
To receive the top grade, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- AØKK08318U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Schedule
- and venue:
Go to "Remarks"
Exam and re-sits: Go to "Exam" - Study board
- Department of Economics, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Economics
Course Coordinators
- Frederik Roose Øvlisen (3-6c7875466b69757434717b346a71)