Research On The Optimization Of China’s Electricity Price Formation Mechanism Based On International Comparison

In order to achieve the goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”,the energy transition is imminent.Low-carbon electricity is the main channel of energy transformation.The key to low-carbon electricity is marketization,and the core of electricity marketization is the transformation of electricity price formation mechanism.The electricity price formation mechanism is composed of the wholesale market price formation mechanism,the transmission and distribution price formation mechanism,the sales electricity price formation mechanism and the mutual cooperation of the three link price formation mechanisms.Due to the particularity of the quasi-public goods attributes of the links,the price formation mechanism of power products is quite different from that of general commodity prices.In view of the fact that the formation mechanism of China’s electricity price system is still immature,and a systematic study from the perspective of political economy is urgently needed,this paper takes the Marxist labor theory of value and price theory as the basic theories to follow,supplemented by western economics and electricity market related theories.From the perspective of political economy,the research work on the theory of the formation mechanism of the electricity price system and the optimization of the formation mechanism of China’s electricity price is carried out,in order to improve the socialist electricity price system with Chinese characteristics,promote the reform of the electricity system in an orderly manner,and help achieve “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” target.The main research contents of this paper are as follows:(1)Theoretical and methodological research on the formation mechanism of the electricity price system.According to the electricity price formation mechanism of power generation,transmission and distribution and electricity sales,analyze the price formation mechanism,pricing theory and method,as well as the cooperation relationship between the electricity price formation mechanism of each link,and clarify the advantages,disadvantages and applicability of different price mechanisms.Research shows that the wholesale electricity market is usually priced based on shortterm marginal cost,and the specific pricing mechanisms include system marginal electricity price,regional marginal electricity price and node marginal electricity price.Transmission and distribution prices can be priced based on accounting cost theory or marginal cost theory,common pricing methods include stamp method,peak load responsibility method,and zoning pricing method.In terms of sales electricity price,the electricity purchase price of users in the wholesale electricity market is formed by the wholesale market price,transmission and distribution price and taxes,etc.,and the electricity purchase price of users in the retail market is determined by the package of the electricity sales company.(2)Practical comparative study on the formation mechanism of electricity price system at home and abroad.Based on the electricity price system and its price formation mechanism before and after the new round of electricity reform in my country,typical foreign electricity markets such as the United States,the United Kingdom,and Northern Europe are selected as the comparison objects.This paper compares and analyzes the practice of the formation mechanism of different electricity price systems from the aspects of the formation mechanism of electricity price in each link,its coordination relationship,and price level,and then identifies the problems existing in China.The research shows that the current price mechanism of China’s electricity wholesale market has problems such as price distortion,less room for price fluctuation,and difficulty in adapting to the dual carbon goal.Transmission and distribution prices have problems such as simple classification,difficult to share fairly,and unfavorable to market competition.Sales electricity prices have problems such as serious cross-subsidy and immature electricity sales companies.In terms of the coordination and cooperation of the electricity price formation mechanism of the three links,there are problems that the electricity price of each link in individual provinces does not reflect the spatial signal,and the design of the electricity price system formation mechanism lacks foresight.(3)Optimization research on the formation mechanism of China’s electricity price system.Based on the above research results,targeted optimization suggestions are put forward for the price formation mechanism of the wholesale electricity market,the transmission and distribution price formation mechanism,the sales electricity price formation mechanism,and the coordination and cooperation of the three link price formation mechanisms.In the electricity wholesale market,the planned electricity volume should be liberalized in an orderly manner,price restrictions should be moderately relaxed,transaction varieties should be enriched,time-sharing curves should be determined for medium and long-term contracts,and unbalanced funds should be classified and channeled.In terms of transmission and distribution prices,the price structure should be improved,in line with policy objectives,and the pricing mechanism should be optimized.In terms of electricity sales price,cross-subsidies should be gradually reduced,market member management should be strengthened,and the level of electricity sales companies should be improved.In terms of the coordination and cooperation of the electricity price formation mechanism of the three links,in the electricity wholesale market price and the transmission and distribution price,there should be a price formation mechanism in one link that can provide an effective spatial price signal,and the three links should be gradually improved and perfected in conjunction with the construction process of the national unified electricity market.The possible innovations of this paper are as follows:(1)Based on the Marxist labor theory of value and price theory,supplemented by Western economics and electricity market related theories,this paper systematically studies the formation mechanism of electricity prices from the perspective of political economy.To a certain extent,it expands the political economy connotation of the electricity price formation mechanism.(2)This paper closely combines the process of China’s new round of electricity market reform and the design of the electricity market scheme,and conducts research on the optimization of the price formation mechanism of the entire electricity price system,including the wholesale market electricity price,transmission and distribution price,and sales electricity price.It provides a reference for the design of the electricity price mechanism in all aspects of China and the orderly promotion of the electricity market-oriented reform.