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Promoting renewable electricity generation in imperfect markets: price vs. quantity policies

Author

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  • Reinhard Madlener

    (Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN), RWTH Aachen University)

  • Weiyu Gao

    (Shanghai Development Research Center)

  • Ilja Neustadt

    (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)

  • Peter Zweifel

    (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)

Abstract

The search for economically efficient policy instruments designed to promote the diffusion of renewable energy technologies in liberalized markets has led to the introduction of quota-based tradable ‘green’ certificate (TGC) schemes for renewable electricity. However, there is a debate about the pros and cons of TGC, a quantity control policy, compared to guaranteed feed-in tariffs, a price control policy. In this paper we contrast these two alternatives in terms of social welfare, taking into account that electricity markets are not perfectly competitive, and show that the price control policy dominates the quantity control policy in terms of social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Reinhard Madlener & Weiyu Gao & Ilja Neustadt & Peter Zweifel, 2008. "Promoting renewable electricity generation in imperfect markets: price vs. quantity policies," SOI - Working Papers 0809, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0809
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    Cited by:

    1. Ilja Neustadt & Peter Zweifel, 2009. "Economic Well-Being, Social Mobility, and Preferences for Income Redistribution: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment," SOI - Working Papers 0909, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich, revised Jan 2010.
    2. Reinhard Madlener & Ilja Neustadt, 2010. "Renewable energy policy in the presence of innovation: does government pre-commitment matter?," SOI - Working Papers 1010, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    3. Till Requate, 2015. "Green tradable certificates versus feed-in tariffs in the promotion of renewable energy shares," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 17(2), pages 211-239, April.
    4. Madlener, Reinhard & Neustadt, Ilja, 2018. "Renewable energy price-control policy in the presence of innovation: is government pre-commitment preferable?," MPRA Paper 91546, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 19 Jan 2019.
    5. Omann, Ines & Kowalski, Katharina & Bohunovsky, Lisa & Madlener, Reinhard & Stagl, Sigrid, 2008. "The Influence of Social Preferences on Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Energy Scenarios," FCN Working Papers 3/2008, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).
    6. Silvia Banfi & Massimo Filippini & Andrea Horehájová, 2012. "Using a choice experiment to estimate the benefits of a reduction of externalities in urban areas with special focus on electrosmog," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(3), pages 387-397, January.
    7. Polk, Andreas & Schmutzler, Armin & Müller, Adrian, 2014. "Lobbying and the power of multinational firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 209-227.
    8. Reinhard Madlener & Carlos Henggeler Antunes & Luis C. Dias, 2006. "Multi-Criteria versus Data Envelopment Analysis for Assessing the Performance of Biogas Plants," CEPE Working paper series 06-49, CEPE Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich.
    9. Madlener, Reinhard & Koller, Martin, 2007. "Economic and CO2 mitigation impacts of promoting biomass heating systems: An input-output study for Vorarlberg, Austria," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6021-6035, December.
    10. Reinhard Madlener & Stefan Vögtli, 2006. "Diffusion of bioenergy in urban areas: socio-economic analysis of the planned Swiss wood-fired cogeneration plant in Basel," CEPE Working paper series 06-53, CEPE Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich.
    11. Michele Sennhauser, 2009. "Why the Linear Utility Function is a Risky Choice in Discrete-Choice Experiments," SOI - Working Papers 1014, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    12. Ciarreta, Aitor & Espinosa, Maria Paz & Pizarro-Irizar, Cristina, 2017. "Optimal regulation of renewable energy: A comparison of Feed-in Tariffs and Tradable Green Certificates in the Spanish electricity system," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 387-399.
    13. Silvia Banfi & Massimo Filippini & Andrea Horehájová, 2007. "Hedonic Price Functions for Zurich and Lugano with Special Focus on Electrosmog," CEPE Working paper series 07-57, CEPE Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich.
    14. Chiappinelli, Olga & May, Nils, 2022. "Too good to be true? Time-inconsistent renewable energy policies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    15. Maurus Rischatsch, 2009. "Simulating WTP Values from Random-Coefficient Models," SOI - Working Papers 0912, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    16. Maurus Rischatsch & Maria Trottmann, 2009. "Physician dispensing and the choice between generic and brand-name drugs – Do margins affect choice?," SOI - Working Papers 0911, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich.
    17. Erber, Georg & Madlener, Reinhard, 2008. "Impact of ICT and Human Skills on the European Financial Intermediation Sector," FCN Working Papers 5/2008, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tradable green certificates; Renewable portfolio standard; Quota target; Feed-in tariff; Cournot duopoly;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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