Reaching New Lows? The Pandemic's Consequences for Electricity Markets - David Benatia

The large reductions in electricity demand caused by the COVID-19 crisis have disrupted electricity systems worldwide. This article draws insights from New York into the consequences of the pandemic for electricity markets. It disentangles the effects of the demand reductions, increased forecast errors, and fuel price drops on the day-ahead and real-time markets. From March 16 to May 31, New York has experienced a 6.5% demand reduction, prices have dropped, and producers have lost $87 million (-18%). This estimate extrapolates to $2.6 billion for the entire US. Looking forward, these new lows signal the needs for market design adjustments.