A type of bidding process, sometimes referred to as silent auction, in which the bidders don't know what other participants are bidding. Dutch auctions are often used to acquire baseload supplies.

Dutch auctions are often used to sell or buy multiple lots of the same item. In California they are used to set base prices for most of the state's energy purchases. A Dutch auction sets a base price for the item being sold. Typically the winning bidder can buy or sell any or all available lots of that item at the winning price. If any lots remain unsold or unpurchased, the next highest bidder gets the right to purchase, and so on until all lots are sold. In some energy auctions the winning bid determines the price paid to all sellers. If sellers do not meet the winning bid, the buyer can choose not to buy from bidders at the next highest price.

Dutch may or may not be capitalized, usually depending on the formality of the context in which the term is used.

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