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Policy-Induced Technology Adoption: Evidence from the U.S. Lead Phasedown

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Author Info
Kerr, Suzi
Newell, Richard () (Resources for the Future)

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Abstract

The theory of environmental regulation suggests that economic instruments, such as taxes and tradable permits, create more effective technology adoption incentives than conventional regulatory standards. We explore this issue for an important industry undergoing technological responses to a dramatic decrease in allowed pollution levels—the petroleum industry’s phasedown of lead in gasoline. Using a panel of refineries from 1971 to 1995, we provide some of the first direct evidence that alternative policies affect the pattern of adoption in expected ways. Importantly, we find that the tradable permit system used during the lead phasedown provided incentives for more efficient technology adoption decisions. Where environmentally appropriate, this suggests that flexible market-based regulation can achieve environmental goals while providing better incentives for technology diffusion.

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Paper provided by Resources For the Future in its series Discussion Papers with number dp-01-14.

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Date of creation: 01 May 2001
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Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-01-14

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Related research
Keywords: technology; adoption; diffusion; environment; regulation; lead; gasoline; tradable permit; incentive-based policy;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis
L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels
O31 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
O33 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Nancy L. Rose & Paul L. Joskow, 1990. "The Diffusion of New Technologies: Evidence from the Electric Utility Industry," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 21(3), pages 354-373, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Geroski, P. A., 2000. "Models of technology diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4-5), pages 603-625, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Timothy H. Hannan & John M. McDowell, 1984. "The Determinants of Technology Adoption: The Case of the Banking Firm," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(3), pages 328-335, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Jaffe Adam B. & Stavins Robert N., 1995. "Dynamic Incentives of Environmental Regulations: The Effects of Alternative Policy Instruments on Technology Diffusion," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages S43-S63, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Adam B. Jaffe & Richard G. Newell & Robert N. Stavins, 2000. "Technological Change and the Environment," NBER Working Papers 7970, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Parry, Ian & Pizer, William & Fischer, Carolyn, 1998. "Instrument Choice for Environmental Protection When Technological Innovation is Endogenous," Discussion Papers dp-99-04, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Kiefer, Nicholas M, 1988. "Economic Duration Data and Hazard Functions," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 26(2), pages 646-79, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Richard G. Newell & Adam B. Jaffe & Robert N. Stavins, 1999. "The Induced Innovation Hypothesis And Energy-Saving Technological Change," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 114(3), pages 941-975, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Nelson, Randy A & Tietenberg, Tom & Donihue, Michael R, 1993. "Differential Environmental Regulation: Effects on Electric Utility Capital Turnover and Emissions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 75(2), pages 368-73, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Levin, Sharon G & Levin, Stanford L & Meisel, John B, 1987. "A Dynamic Analysis of the Adoption of a New Technology: The Case of Optical Scanners," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 69(1), pages 12-17, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Milliman, Scott R. & Prince, Raymond, 1989. "Firm incentives to promote technological change in pollution control," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 247-265, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Sharon Oster, 1982. "The Diffusion of Innovation among Steel Firms: The Basic Oxygen Furnace," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 13(1), pages 45-56, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Stefan Weishaar, 2007. "CO2 emission allowance allocation mechanisms, allocative efficiency and the environment: a static and dynamic perspective," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 29-70, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Newell, Richard & Rogers, Kristian, 2003. "The Market-based Lead Phasedown," Discussion Papers dp-03-37, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  3. Stavins, Robert, 2003. "Market-Based Environmental Policies: What Can We Learn from U.S. Experience and Related Research?," Working Paper Series rwp03-031, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Hammar, Henrik & Löfgren, Åsa, 2007. "Explaining adoption of end of pipe solutions and clean technologies," Working Paper 102, National Institute of Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  5. David Popp, 2006. "Exploring Links Between Innovation and Diffusion: Adoption of NOx Control Technologies at U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plants," NBER Working Papers 12119, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Suzi Kerr & Shuguang Liu & Alexander Pfaff & Flint Hughes, 2003. "Carbon Dynamics and Land-use Choices: Building a Regional-scale Multidisciplinary Model," Others 0309005, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Stavins, Robert, 2001. "Lessons from the American Experiment with Market-Based Environmental Policies," Working Paper Series rwp01-032, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Lori D. Snyder & Nolan H. Miller & Robert N. Stavins, 2003. "The Effects of Environmental Regulation on Technology Diffusion: The Case of Chlorine Manufacturing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 431-435, May. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Stavins, Robert, 2007. "Addressing Climate Change with a Comprehensive U.S. Cap-and-Trade System," Working Paper Series rwp07-053, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Newell, Richard G. & Pizer, William A., 2006. "Indexed Regulation," Discussion Papers dp-06-32, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. David Popp, 2003. "Lessons from Patents: Using Patents To Measure Technological Change in Environmental Models," NBER Working Papers 9978, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Timothy Dunne & Xiaoyi Mu, 2008. "Investment spikes and uncertainty in the petroleum refining industry," Working Paper 0805, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. [Downloadable!]
  13. Murray, Brian C. & Newell, Richard G. & Pizer, William A., 2008. "Balancing Cost and Emissions Certainty: An Allowance Reserve for Cap-and-Trade," Discussion Papers dp-08-24, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
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  14. Blackman, Allen, 2005. "Adoption of Clean Leather-Tanning Technologies in Mexico," Discussion Papers dp-05-38, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  15. Aldy, Joseph E. & Pizer, William A., 2008. "Issues in Designing U.S. Climate Change Policy," Discussion Papers dp-08-20, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  16. William A. Pizer & David Popp, 2007. "Endogenizing Technological Change: Matching Empirical Evidence to Modeling Needs," NBER Working Papers 13053, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Charles Raux, 2002. "The Use of Transferable Permits in the Transport Sector," Post-Print halshs-00080454_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
  18. Fischer, Carolyn, 2004. "Emissions Pricing, Spillovers, and Public Investment in Environmentally Friendly Technologies," Discussion Papers dp-04-02, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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