The growing evidence of severe climate change impacts on human life and the global economy has created the increasing need for an assessment of low-carbon pathways. While the ultimate goal of zero- or near-zero global emissions is clear, the timing and trajectory to achieve low-carbon economic system is not. Projecting energy and climate is getting…
Author: admin
Responding to electricity shortfalls: Electricity-saving activities of households and firms in Japan after Fukushima
Japan has experienced a severe electricity shortfall since the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 and the subsequent shutdown of nuclear power plants. Disruption to the supply-demand balance was especially severe in Tokyo and Tohoku in summer 2011, forcing the government to introduce mandatory rationing for large customers. Following intensive efforts, a reduction in…
Assessing the viability of Energy-Only Markets with 100% Renewables
Abstract – Efficient wholesale electricity markets should drive preference revealing bidding where generators offer the majority of their power at their short run marginal cost (SRMC). However, most renewables have very low SRMCs, which in a competitive market is likely to lead to an increasing proportion of low priced periods. Combined with concerns around the…
Book Reviews
Promoting Large and Closing Small in China’s Coal Power Sector 2006–2013: A CO2 Mitigation Assessment Based on a Vintage Structure
In the period 2006-2013, China’s power sector adopted a policy which aimed to add large scale units (larger than 600 MW) and decommission small, old (but still technically functioning) and inefficient power plants in order to accelerate energy saving and mitigate emissions. The early-retirement (ER) of nearly 90 GW of capacity and massive new coal…
Different Cost Perspectives for Renewable Energy Support: Assessment of Technology-neutral and Discriminatory Auctions
Auctions are the prevalent instrument for promoting renewable energy sources worldwide, especially in the European Union and in Latin America. Auctions enable the controlled deployment of renewable energy sources while reducing costs. However, there are different views on relevant costs, auction targets, and their implications on the auction design. Here, the application of technology-neutral auctions…
Electricity Access, Gender Disparity, and Renewable Energy Adoption Dynamics: The Case of Mountain Areas of Bangladesh
This paper examines the relationship between grid-based electricity access, gender disparity, and renewable energy adoption in the mountain areas of Bangladesh by collecting a novel set of micro-level survey data. We develop unique weighted indices and apply the robust instrumental generalised method of moment estimation for investigating electricity access and women empowerment nexus. The findings…
New Alignments? The Geopolitics of Gas and Oil Cartels and the Changing Middle East
The ongoing democratic movements and civil wars in the Middle East have challenged the stability of regimes across the region. On the other hand, the commercial exploitation of large reserves of unconventional oil and gas in the United States is poised to significantly change the current equilibrium in energy markets. What are the implications of…
Energy subsidies: How large are they and how can they be reformed?
Energy subsidies are pervasive. Pretax subsidies, which arise when energy consumers pay less than the supply cost of energy, are high in many developing and emerging economies. Although pretax subsidies are not prevalent in advanced economies, they have large tax subsidies. These arise when energy is taxed below the rate of other consumption goods and…
Demand Side Response: Patterns in Europe and Future Policy Perspectives under Capacity Mechanisms
Demand Side Response (DSR) has been slow to emerge in European electricity markets. This paper aims to both examine the reasons for low levels of DSR in Europe and reflect on factors that might affect the participation of DSR in capacity mechanisms. It relies on available evidence from the literature, secondary data on existing DSR…