Learning from Developing Country Power Market Experiences : The Case of Peru
The Peruvian power market was established in 1992, amid serious supply constraints and financially distressed power utilities. Since its inception, the market has been adapted by competitive market reforms and adaptations due to government-driven public policy objectives. This paper analyzes the experience of Peru with power markets, including market design, implementation, and outcomes. A cost-based power pool with locational marginal prices was established overnight, with bilateral contracts among market participants and regulated capacity payments. After an initial period of rapid investment, sluggish capacity additions and a prolonged drought in 2003-04 motivated the successful introduction of competitive supply auctions in 2006, to ensure that needed capacity additions were made to meet demand growth.