this is due to the inelasticity of demand for electricity itself due to the inability to store electricity and its character of an essential commodity even slight overcapacity will thus lead to very low prices whereas undercapacity can lead to very high prices limited only by what is called the valueoflostload voll the cost of a shortfall of electricity to consumers measured in the s of dollars these asymmetric incentives create a tendency for private investors to underprovide capacity the future might may hold even greater challenges for power sector investment at least in europe ucte p however in recent years they were further increased by the following two factors market liberalisation and unstable regulatory framework conditions