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The Long-Run Dynamics of Electricity Demand: Evidence from Municipal Aggregation

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  • Tatyana Deryugina
  • Alexander MacKay
  • Julian Reif

Abstract

We study the dynamics of residential electricity demand by exploiting a natural experiment that produced large and long-lasting price changes in over 250 Illinois communities. Using a flexible difference-in-differences matching approach, we estimate that the price elasticity of demand grows from –0:09 in the first six months to –0:27 two years later. We also estimate a more sophisticated model in which usage is a function of past and future prices, and we find similar elasticity patterns. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for consumption dynamics when evaluating energy policy.

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  • Tatyana Deryugina & Alexander MacKay & Julian Reif, 2017. "The Long-Run Dynamics of Electricity Demand: Evidence from Municipal Aggregation," NBER Working Papers 23483, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23483
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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