Abstract (eng)
Energy policy makers have to make investment decisions about future investments in the electricity mix of a region or a state. In contrast to investors who evaluate their financial decisions regarding costs and risks, energy policy makers seem to base their decisions on traditional generation cost (least cost) estimates. Thereby they neglect an important dimension: the risk. Additionally, risk in the sense of increasing price volatility has a growing impact on decision models. Applying Markowitz Portfolio theory allows to evaluate the optimal diversified electricity generation mix with respect to the overall generation costs relative to their risk (Minimum Variance Portfolio). Therefore the overriding objective of this thesis is to estimate Germanys optimal diversified electricity generation mix in the years 2020 and 2030. Both, the costs and the risks of power plants are determined by the investment costs, fuel costs, fixed operating and maintenance costs, variable operating and maintenance costs. The findings indicate that both, the risk and the costs of the electricity generation mix can be significantly reduced by implementing Markowitz Portfolio Theory.