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Long-Run Energy Use and the Efficiency Paradox

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  • Sebastian Rausch

    (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Hagen Schwerin

    (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

We develop a general equilibrium growth theory of vintage capital and energy use in businesses and households to measure the response of energy use to energy-saving technological change. Both investment-specific technological progress and a higher energy price save energy by increasing energy efficiency, yet investment-specific technological progress spurs while a higher energy price depresses energy use. Calibration of the model's balanced growth path to U.S. post-WWII data shows that higher energy efficiency increased rather than reduced energy use. Investment-specific technological progress enhanced energy use by more than the increase in the energy price reduced it. Both neutral and investment-specific technological changes were major determinants of observed growth in energy use.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Rausch & Hagen Schwerin, 2016. "Long-Run Energy Use and the Efficiency Paradox," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 16/227, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:eth:wpswif:16-227
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    File URL: http://www.cer.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/mtec/cer-eth/cer-eth-dam/documents/working-papers/WP-16-227.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hunt Allcott & Michael Greenstone, 2012. "Is There an Energy Efficiency Gap?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 3-28, Winter.
    2. Binswanger, Mathias, 2001. "Technological progress and sustainable development: what about the rebound effect?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 119-132, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Figus, Gioele & Swales, J.Kim & Turner, Karen, 2018. "Can Private Vehicle-augmenting Technical Progress Reduce Household and Total Fuel Use?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 136-147.
    2. Díaz Antonia & Puch Luis A., 2019. "Investment, technological progress and energy efficiency," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 1-28, June.
    3. John Hassler & Per Krusell & Conny Olovsson, 2021. "Directed Technical Change as a Response to Natural Resource Scarcity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(11), pages 3039-3072.
    4. Antonia Díaz & Gustavo A. Marrero & Luis Puch & Jesús Rodríguez-López, 2018. "A Note on Growth, Energy Intensity and the Energy Mix: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," Working Papers 18.08, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    5. Le Tang, 2020. "Energy prices and investment in energy efficiency: evidence from Chinese industry 1997–2004," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 34(2), pages 93-105, November.
    6. Brockway, Paul E. & Sorrell, Steve & Semieniuk, Gregor & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Court, Victor, 2021. "Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects: A review of the evidence and its implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Colmenares, Gloria & Löschel, Andreas & Madlener, Reinhard, 2019. "The rebound effect and its representation in energy and climate models," CAWM Discussion Papers 106, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy efficiency; energy rebound; energy-saving technological change; investment-specific technological change; household production; putty-clay;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy

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