Energy Market - Liberalization and Regulation

Liberalization and Regulation

Energy markets have been liberalized in some countries; they are regulated by national and international authorities (including liberalized markets) to protect consumer rights and avoid oligopolies. Regulators includes the Australian Energy Market Commission in Australia, the Energy Market Authority in Singapore, the Energy Community in Europe, replacing the South-East Europe Regional Energy Market and the Nordic energy market for Nordic countries. Members of the European Union are required to liberalize their energy markets.

Regulators seek to discourage volatility of prices, reform markets if needed, and search for evidence of anti-competitive behavior such as the formation of a monopoly.

Due to the increase in oil price since 2003 and the increase of speculation, energy markets are being reviewed and by 2008, several conferences were organized to address the energy market sentiments of petroleum importing nations. In Russia, the markets are being reformed by the introduction of harmonized and all-Russian consumer prices.