Prior to adoption of the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA) most U.S. power plants used once-through cooling water systems that discharged large quantities of warm water. This resulted in significant amounts of thermal pollution in neighboring bodies of water. The CWA essentially mandated recirculating systems for new facilities. This paper investigates whether there was technological…
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Book Reviews
The Green Paradox of U.S. Biofuel Subsidies: Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This paper presents the first comprehensive estimates of the impact of U.S. biofuel subsidies on greenhouse gas emissions. Although U.S. support for biofuels is large and growing, the associated impact on greenhouse gas emissions remains unclear. The effect of biofuel subsidies on emissions is determined by the relative magnitudes of countervailing substitution and price effects….
The Dynamics of Energy Poverty: Evidence from Spain
Reducing the proportion of households defined as energy poor is an increasingly important policy objective. This paper uses longitudinal data to examine the level and dynamics of energy poverty in Spain, comparing the results to the level and dynamics of income poverty. Two alternative measures of energy poverty are used in the analysis – one…
Book Reviews
Power System Transformation toward Renewables: Investment Scenarios for Germany
We analyze distinctive investment scenarios for the integration of fluctuating renewables in the German power system. Using a combined model for dispatch, transmission, and investment, three different investment options are considered, including gas-fired power plants, pumped hydro storage, and transmission lines. We find that geographically optimized power plant investments dominate in the reference scenarios for…
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…
Do Consumers Want Smart Meters? Incentives or Inertia: Evidence from North Carolina and Lessons for Policy
In an effort to improve efficiency of electrical markets the U.S. government hopes to encourage changing household use patterns, such as dishwasher and clothes dryer use, to off-peak times. One strategy has been to subsidize the installation of smart meters. In addition the government has encouraged electrical energy conservation by providing incentives for energy saving…
Germany’s Nuclear Phase-out: Sensitivities and Impacts on Electricity Prices and CO2 Emissions
Following the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima Daiichi, in summer 2011 the German parliament decided to phase-out nuclear power by 2022. When this decision was taken, a number of model-based analyses investigated the influence this decision would have on electricity prices and CO2 emissions. They concluded that CO2 emissions would be kept at levels that are…