A Mean Field Game for Capacity Expansion Modeling

Abstract: This paper studies the optimal investment behavior of renewable electricity producers in a competitive market, where both prices and installation costs are influenced by aggregate industry activity. We model the resulting crowding effects using a mean field game framework, capturing the strategic interactions among a continuum of heterogeneous producers. The equilibrium dynamics are characterized via a coupled system of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman and Fokker-Planck equations, which describe the value function of a representative producer and the evolution of the distribution of installed capacities over time. We analyze both deterministic and stochastic versions of the model, providing analytical insights in tractable cases and developing numerical methods to approximate the general solution. Simulation results illustrate how aggregate investment responds to changing market conditions, cost structures, and exogenous productivity shocks.