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The profitability of electricity generating firms and policies promoting renewable energy

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  • Jaraitė, Jūratė
  • Kažukauskas, Andrius

Abstract

Using a cross-country firm-level dataset this study empirically analyses how the implemented renewable electricity promotion systems – Tradable Green Certificates vs. Feed-in-Tariffs – affected the profitability of the electricity production sector in Europe during the 2002–2010 period. In particular, it tests the hypothesis that due to market imperfections, namely because of higher investment risk, higher capital constraints and higher transaction costs, TGC schemes will be associated with excess profits for renewable electricity generating firms. The results somewhat support this hypothesis, showing that electricity generating firms, operating in EU countries that implemented TGC, were more profitable compared to FIT firms.

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  • Jaraitė, Jūratė & Kažukauskas, Andrius, 2013. "The profitability of electricity generating firms and policies promoting renewable energy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 858-865.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:40:y:2013:i:c:p:858-865
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2013.10.001
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    6. Avri Eitan & Gillad Rosen & Lior Herman & Itay Fishhendler, 2020. "Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs: A Conceptual Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
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    8. Bae, Jeong Hwan & Rishi, Meenakshi & Li, Dmitriy, 2021. "Consumer preferences for a green certificate program in South Korea," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    9. Darmani, Anna & Rickne, Annika & Hidalgo, Antonio & Arvidsson, Niklas, 2016. "When outcomes are the reflection of the analysis criteria: A review of the tradable green certificate assessments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 372-381.
    10. Patricia Milanés-Montero & Alberto Arroyo-Farrona & Esteban Pérez-Calderón, 2018. "Assessment of the Influence of Feed-In Tariffs on the Profitability of European Photovoltaic Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, September.
    11. Lijing Zhang & Shuke Fu & Jiali Tian & Jiachao Peng, 2022. "A Review of Energy Industry Chain and Energy Supply Chain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-21, December.
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    13. Anton, Sorin Gabriel, 2021. "The impact of temperature increase on firm profitability. Empirical evidence from the European energy and gas sectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    14. Doumpos, Michalis & Andriosopoulos, Kostas & Galariotis, Emilios & Makridou, Georgia & Zopounidis, Constantin, 2017. "Corporate failure prediction in the European energy sector: A multicriteria approach and the effect of country characteristics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(1), pages 347-360.
    15. Makridou, Georgia & Doumpos, Michalis & Galariotis, Emilios, 2019. "The financial performance of firms participating in the EU emissions trading scheme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 250-259.
    16. Fortune Ganda & Collins C. Ngwakwe & Cosmas M. Ambe, 2015. "Profitability as a Factor That Spurs Corporate Green Investment Practices in Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Listed Firms," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 13(3 (Fall)), pages 231-252.
    17. Chang, Kai & Wan, Qiong & Lou, Qichun & Chen, Yili & Wang, Weihong, 2020. "Green fiscal policy and firms’ investment efficiency: New insights into firm-level panel data from the renewable energy industry in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 589-597.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Electricity; EU-ETS; European Union; Feed-in-tariff; Profits; Renewable energy; Tradable green certificates;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • 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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