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Investors’ reaction to the government credibility problem: A real option analysis of emission permit policy risk

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  • Kang, Sang Baum
  • Létourneau, Pascal

Abstract

In relation to creating a CO2 emission permit market, there are two types of climate change policy risks: (1) It is uncertain whether and when a cap-and-trade system will be implemented; and (2) once a policy is in place, there may be government credibility issues. This paper examines the effect of these policy risks on real option decisions of electric power plant investment. To model both an investment decision and generation flexibility, this study evaluates an exotic compound American option on multiple strips of European spread options through the implementation of least squares Monte Carlo simulation. Government credibility risk leads to more investment in “less green” resources and induces additional cash flow variation, which increases the average time to investment (value of waiting). However, in an extreme case, government credibility can actually hasten investment because the risk may be more favorable to electric power companies. Furthermore, if emission trading is planned to be implemented in the future (e.g., 2020), and the market believes that the probability of successful implementation is low, firms will build a “less green” plant early to benefit from the period before the green rule is applied.

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  • Kang, Sang Baum & Létourneau, Pascal, 2016. "Investors’ reaction to the government credibility problem: A real option analysis of emission permit policy risk," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 96-107.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:54:y:2016:i:c:p:96-107
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2015.11.023
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    Cited by:

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    4. Sitarz, Joanna & Pahle, Michael & Osorio, Sebastian & Luderer, Gunnar & Pietzcker, Robert, 2023. "EU carbon prices signal high policy credibility and farsighted actors," EconStor Preprints 280455, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    5. Joanna Sitarz & Michael Pahle & Sebastian Osorio & Gunnar Luderer & Robert Pietzcker, 2024. "EU carbon prices signal high policy credibility and farsighted actors," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 9(6), pages 691-702, June.
    6. Nagy, Roel L.G. & Hagspiel, Verena & Kort, Peter M., 2021. "Green capacity investment under subsidy withdrawal risk," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    7. Rogge, Karoline S. & Schleich, Joachim, 2018. "Do policy mix characteristics matter for low-carbon innovation? A survey-based exploration of renewable power generation technologies in Germany," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(9), pages 1639-1654.
    8. Li, Youwei & Liao, Ming & Liu, Yangke, 2023. "How does green credit policy affect polluting firms' dividend policy? The China experience," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Haikel Khalfallah & Bibata Sagnon, 2023. "Coordination séquentielle des investissements dans la production d'électricité et dans le réseau électrique : le rôle des incitations renouvelables," Working Papers 2023-04, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).

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    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • G13 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Contingent Pricing; Futures Pricing
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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