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Optimal fossil-fuel taxation with backstop technologies and tenure risk

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  • Strand, Jon

Abstract

The paper derives the global welfare-optimizing time path for a tax on fossil fuels causing a negative stock externality (climate change), under increasing marginal extraction cost, and in the presence of an unlimited backstop resource causing no externality. In a basic competitive case, the optimal tax equals the Pigou rate, equivalent to the present discounted value of marginal damage costs. We consider two separate types of tenure insecurity for resource owners, and their impact on the tax implementing the optimal policy. When insecure control is with respect to future ownership to the resource, competitive extraction is higher than otherwise, and the efficiency-implementing tax exceeds the Pigou rate. When tenure insecurity instead implies possible expropriation ("holdup") of investment in extraction capacity, it deters extraction, and the optimal tax is lower than the Pigou rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Strand, Jon, 2010. "Optimal fossil-fuel taxation with backstop technologies and tenure risk," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 418-422, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:32:y:2010:i:2:p:418-422
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. van der Ploeg, Frederick & Rohner, Dominic, 2012. "War and natural resource exploitation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(8), pages 1714-1729.
    2. Benjamin Jones & Michael Keen & Jon Strand, 2013. "Fiscal implications of climate change," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(1), pages 29-70, February.
    3. Renaud Coulomb & Fanny Henriet, 2014. "The Grey Paradox: How Oil Owners Can Benefit From Carbon Regulation," Working Papers hal-00818350, HAL.
    4. Wirl, Franz, 2014. "Taxes versus permits as incentive for the intertemporal supply of a clean technology by a monopoly," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 248-269.
    5. Laurini, Márcio Poletti, 2017. "The spatio-temporal dynamics of ethanol/gasoline price ratio in Brazil," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-12.
    6. Wirl, Franz, 2012. "Global warming: Prices versus quantities from a strategic point of view," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 217-229.
    7. Wirl, Franz, 2011. "Taxing incumbent monopoly to foster entry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 388-398, May.
    8. Partha Sen, 2016. "Unilateral Emission Cuts and Carbon Leakages in a Dynamic North–South Trade Model," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(1), pages 131-152, May.
    9. Partha Sen, 2018. "Unilateral Policies, Competitiveness and the ‘Green Paradox’ in a Dynamic North–South Model," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 17(2), pages 113-139, December.
    10. Partha Sen, 2013. "Unilateral Emission Cuts And Carbon Leakages In A North-South Trade Model," Working papers 232, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.

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