, IT General Skills, EDGE, Matlab/Simulink PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications for System Security PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications…
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, IT General Skills, EDGE, Matlab/Simulink
PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications for System Security
PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications for System Security
Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zürich, ETHZ
Workplace
Zurich - Zurich region - Switzerland
Category
Environment | Innovation
Position
Junior Researcher / PhD Position
Published
13 March 2026
PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications for System Security
100%, Zurich, fixed-term
The power system is changing, largely driven by the energy transition and climate change. The large shares of renewables, both centralized and distributed, are posing new challenges to system operations that are yet to be fully understood. Furthermore, these and other new technologies (heat pumps, electrical vehicles, batteries, power-to-x storage) are expected to have a significant influence on the electricity markets. Moreover, the recent EU regulations are working towards implementing the so-called 70% utilization rule, which is expected to drive electricity trading in Europe. Overall, the aforementioned systemic changes and regulations demand an in-depth investigation using advanced modeling tools and techniques.
The objectives of this PhD research project are to:
Assess the impact of the balancing reserves sharing and spatial distribution on the electricity market prices and grid security.
Understand the interdependencies between the energy transitions and the future electricity markets.
Project background
This thesis aims to answer the following main research questions:
R1: How is the system security affected if the system is organized into regional frequency balancing zones instead of national, independent zones? How will this affect the market prices and the selection of units used for ancillary services?
R2: How will the future electricity market look by 2050? What is the impact of net-zero technologies on electricity prices in Europe and Switzerland? Will low prices impact the investments in renewables and thus hinder the energy transition?
R3: Are current market designs and policies supportive of renewables and demand flexibility provision? Can we identify market designs and compensation plans that will encourage this flexibility while maintaining system integrity?
R4: Are new market designs needed? Should we go beyond the current setup in which the electricity prices are driven by the marginal cost of power generation? What are these designs?
R5: What is the impact of trade limitations on market clearing in the European context? How will this affect Switzerland in 2050, stemming from the cross-border 70% utilization law by the EU? Additionally, how will the market respond if Switzerland forgoes the NTC-based coupling and switches to flow-based coupling?
Additional research questions:
R6: How is the system security affected by the new Mari-Picasso initiative? Is the market more efficient, or is it only profitable for the suppliers?
R7: How is the market/security impacted by the failure of a large nuclear power plant?
This work will be performed using currently developed or in-development tools at RRE. Namely , Euroem , a European electricity market model, and Cascades , a power system security and transmission expansion planning model. Besides improving the interface between them, the PhD candidate has to upgrade the electricity market model as follows:
Cross-market bidding strategies for the suppliers (portfolios), including arbitrage. This includes scheduling ’Buy’ bids on the futures market and storing/reselling them on the day-ahead market.
New portfolio bidding strategies. This can include learning from previous simulation runs to reduce the portfolio’s final imbalance.
Utilizing real failure/maintenance rates of power plants and investigating the impacts on the market/security. For this purpose, we will use data sourced from the ENTSO-E transparency platform and processed at the RRE. This upgrade will be utilized to answer research question R6.
Integration of new technologies and potentially other markets beyond electricity (e.g., gas).
Other modeling improvements are to be expected, particularly related to R3, given the need to test new market requirements. For future scenarios, we will utilize the ENTSO-E projections until 2050.
Job description
This PhD project aims to investigate how future electricity market designs will shape power system security
The candidate will analyse the evolution of European and Swiss electricity markets toward 2050, examining cross-border trade rules, balancing market integration with renewable expansion, and emerging technologies
The research involves developing and applying advanced modelling tools to assess how different market structures influence prices, utilization of distributed flexibility, and grid reliability
The project contributes to evidence-based market reform strategies that ensure a secure and efficient power system
Profile
We are looking for a candidate with: An MSc degree (or close to completion) in Power Engineering, Energy Science, or a related field
The candidate has a solid quantitative background in either electricity markets or power system analysis (knowledge of both is ideal but not required)
Interest and basic familiarity with market-clearing algorithms, stochastic optimization, or agent-based modeling is highly beneficial
Programming experience (e.g., , MATLAB, or similar)
Strong analytical skills and ability to work independently on complex modeling frameworks
Excellent written and spoken English
Workplace
We offer
Fully funded position with competitive salary according to ETH standards
Access to state-of-the-art computational infrastructure
Interdisciplinary and international research environment
Perspectives for career development
International team culture and team composition
Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich
We value diversity and sustainability
In line with our values , ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us - we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future .
Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
CV
Cover Letter
Transscripts BSc/MSc
Further information about RRE can be found on our website .
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.
Apply online now
ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.
More information
In your application, please refer to and referenceJobID69467. jiddeff22csy jit0417sy jiy26sy
