• Energy Research
• 7. Clean energy close
• 6. Clean water close
• EconStor close

Abstract In this paper, we analyze the rationale for an energy policy mix when the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is considered from a public choice perspective. That is, we argue that the economic textbook model of the ETS implausibly assumes (1) efficient policy design and (2) climate protection as the single objective of policy intervention. Contrary to these assumptions, we propose that the ETS originates from a political bargaining game within a context of multiple policy objectives. In particular, the emissions cap is negotiated between regulators and emitters with the emitters' abatement costs as crucial bargaining variable. This public choice view yields striking implications for an optimal policy mix comprising RES supporting policies. Whereas the textbook model implies that the ETS alone provides sufficient climate protection, our analysis suggests that support for renewable energies (1) contributes to a more effective ETS-design and (2) may even increase the overall efficiency of climate and energy policy if other externalities and policy objectives besides climate protection are considered. Thus, our analysis also shows that a public choice view not necessarily entails negative evaluations concerning efficiency and effectiveness of a policy mix.

Many countries have followed a policy of being self-sufficient in electricity. However, in the last two decades exchange of electricity across borders has become more widespread, and the European Union's policy is to encourage a gradual expansion of crossborder trading and integration of electricity markets. It is therefore of interest to study what happens with the price formation in home markets when borders are opened up for trade in electricity and generating technologies differ. There is a common international market, Nord Pool, between the Nordic countries since 1996, and trade now takes place between many European countries on a bilateral basis. A stylised general equilibrium model of trade of electricity between two countries; Hydro and Thermal, with hydro and thermal technologies, is used to investigate price and quantity consequences going from autarky to trade in a competitive market, as revealed by using a social planning perspective for cooperation between countries.

This paper provides an initial analysis of the EU ETS based on the installation-level data for verified emissions and allowance allocations in the first trading year. Those data, released on May 15, 2006, and subsequent updates revealed that CO2 emissions were about 4% lower than the allocated allowances. The main objective of the paper is to shed light on the extent to which over-allocation and abatement have taken place in 2005. We propose a measure by which over-allocation can be judged and provide estimates of abatement based on emissions data and indicators of economic activity as well as trends in energy and carbon intensity. Finally, we discuss the insights and implications that emerge from this tentative assessment.

This paper illustrates the main results of an expert elicitation survey on advanced (second and third generation) biofuel technologies. The survey focuses on eliciting probabilistic information on the future costs of advanced biofuels and on the potential role of Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) efforts in reducing these costs and in supporting the deployment of biofuels in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD countries. Fifteen leading experts from different EU member states provide insights on the future potential of advanced biofuel technologies both in terms of costs and diffusion. This information results in a number of policy recommendations with respect to public RD&D strategies and is an important contribution to the integrated assessment modelling community.

This paper analyzes the effect of environmental policies on the direction of energy innovation across countries over the period 1990-2012. Our novelty is to use threshold regression models to allow for discontinuities in policy effectiveness depending on a country's relative competencies in renewable and fossil fuel technologies. We show that the dynamic incentives of environmental policies become effective just above the median level of relative competencies. In this critical second regime, market-based policies are moderately effective in promoting renewable innovation, while command-and-control policies depress fossil based innovation. Finally, market-based policies are more effective to consolidate a green comparative advantage in the last regime. We illustrate how our approach can be used for policy design in laggard countries.

Zusammenfassung Die deutsche Energiewende steht sowohl „von oben“ als auch „von unten“ unter Druck: Verfechter einer dezentralen Energiewende sehen letztere wegen jungster Anderungen bei der Forderpolitik fur Strom aus erneuerbaren Energien in Gefahr, wahrend andererseits eine starkere europaische Einbettung eben dieser Forderpolitik gefordert wird. Der Beitrag analysiert dieses Spannungsfeld vor dem Hintergrund der Theorie des Fiskalfoderalismus. Diese fiskalfoderalistische Perspektive wagt die Argumente fur Dezentralisierung (etwa „Foderalismus als Labor“) gegen die Argumente fur Zentralisierung (etwa Effizienzgewinne durch Skaleneffekte) ab. Da sich der Zielkonflikt nicht eindeutig auflosen lasst, scheint pragmatisches Vorgehen angeraten – die primar auf Bundesebene stattfindende Koordination der Energiewende kann somit als normativ legitimiert gelten, gleichwohl auf eine Realisierung von Synergiepotentialen auf EU-Ebene nicht verzichtet und die dezentralen Aspekte der Energiewende (zum Beispiel Inform...

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 gave a sharp reminder to Japan’s energy security to reconsider the reduction of nuclear power dependence with a better energy mix. We use a recursive CGE model based on Japan’s renewable energy input–output model to analyze the energy composite of power generation and consumption to investigate cost-effective policy incentives to achieve an optimal energy mix to reduce the nuclear power dependence to less than 5% within 10 years. Moreover, we create scenarios of: (1) nuclear power decommission, (2) renewable energy promotion and (3) virtual power plant (VPP) implementation with public R&D expenditure and power infrastructure investment. The simulation results show that renewable energy could gradually replace nuclear power with capital-use subsidies. Under the direction of nuclear power decommission, the VPP installation could reduce the fiscal cost of wind power by 13%, solar energy by 8% and the social cost by 36%. We provide empirical evidence that the implementation of VPP should be promoted in addition to the renewable policy promotion policy to facilitate power allocation and overcapacity problems better.