Harim Kim
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Connecticut.
My research interests are Industrial Organization and Energy and Environmental Economics.
I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Email: harim.kim@uconn.edu
Research
Publications
Heterogeneous Impacts of Cost Shocks, Strategic Bidding, and Pass-Through: Evidence from the New England Electricity Market [paper] American Economic Journal: Microeconomics 14(2): 370-407, 2022 (publisher link to paper), Online Appendix
Abstract: Industry-wide shocks can have heterogeneous impacts on firms' costs due to different firm characteristics. The heterogeneity in these impacts is crucial for understanding the pass-through of the shock, because of its implications on strategic competition. In the context of the gas price shock in the electricity market, I develop a method to identify heterogeneous impacts of the shock and show with a structural analysis that the heterogeneous feature of the shock induces markup adjustments of firms. Pass-through that is estimated without incorporating the existing heterogeneous impacts fails to reflect the change in competition arising from the shock, and is, on average, underestimated.
Working Papers and Projects
Cleaner but Volatile Energy? The Effect of Coal Plant Retirement on Market Competition in the Wholesale Electricity Market [paper] Revisions Requested at RAND Journal of Economics
Abstract: Clean energy transition is reshaping the power sector to rely more on energy that is subject to input cost volatility. I study the competitive effects of the transition from coal to gas, using gas as an energy source with volatile marginal costs of generation. Using counterfactual analysis, I show that the volatile nature of cleaner gas generation creates an environment that raises concerns about an increase in the electricity-generating firms' market power following the transition. However, such adverse effects are largely mitigated under a well-planned investment of new gas generation leading to a more competitive industry structure following the transition.
RPS and Investment in the Electricity Sector (with Mario Samano)
Strategic Uncertainty and Firm Competition
Capacity Investment Incentives in the Presence of Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy Investment and (In)equal Air Quality Improvement (with Zichen Deng)
(old working paper) Re-Examining the Conditions of Cost Efficiency for Hospital Consolidations: Why a Second Opinion May Be Necessary (draft available upon request)