from a social point of view stable variable costs and stable electricity prices as provided by nuclear energy would of course be an advantage for investment industrial consumers and households due to the peculiar price setting mechanism in the electricity market however only one technology gas the marginal fuel with the highest variable cost profits from an automatic hedge through the alignment of its variable cost and electricity prices in order to fully exploit its potential to contribute to adequate capacity and to the security of energy supply nuclear energy would thus benefit from stable pricing arrangements either through regulated prices or through longterms contracts