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Increasing marginal costs and the efficiency of differentiated feed-in tariffs

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  • Lancker, Kira
  • Quaas, Martin F.

Abstract

We study optimal subsidies for renewable energy (RE) generation to internalize external benefits from inter-temporal learning-by-doing spillovers, taking into account increasing marginal costs at the industry level due to limited availability of sites suitable for RE. We find that the optimal RE subsidy is differentiated according to productivity and derive a condition on production and spillovers under which less efficient, i.e. more costly, technologies should receive higher support, as common in actual policy-making. We show that such a support of technological diversification is optimal if (i) productive sites are scarce, which limits future utilization of knowledge and if (ii) technologies mature rapidly with little further scope for learning. Prima facie evidence for these elasticities for Germany, Denmark and UK suggests that support for technology diversification is the optimal approach for these countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Lancker, Kira & Quaas, Martin F., 2019. "Increasing marginal costs and the efficiency of differentiated feed-in tariffs," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 104-118.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:83:y:2019:i:c:p:104-118
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2019.06.017
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Yunfei & Li, Jinke & O'Leary, Nigel & Shao, Jing, 2024. "Banding: A game changer in the Renewables Obligation scheme in the United Kingdom," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Carsten Helm & Mathias Mier, 2020. "Steering the Energy Transition in a World of Intermittent Electricity Supply: Optimal Subsidies and Taxes for Renewables Storage," ifo Working Paper Series 330, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    3. Li, Jinke & Liu, Guy & Shao, Jing, 2020. "Understanding the ROC transfer payment in the renewable obligation with the recycling mechanism in the United Kingdom," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Meier, Felix D. & Quaas, Martin F., 2021. "Booming gas – A theory of endogenous technological change in resource extraction," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    5. Meya, Jasper N. & Neetzow, Paul, 2021. "Renewable energy policies in federal government systems," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    6. Jasper Meya & Paul Neetzow, 2019. "Renewable energy policies in federal government systems," Working Papers V-423-19, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2019.
    7. Meier, Jan-Niklas & Lehmann, Paul, 2022. "Optimal federal co-regulation of renewable energy deployment," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    8. Helm, Carsten & Mier, Mathias, 2021. "Steering the energy transition in a world of intermittent electricity supply: Optimal subsidies and taxes for renewables and storage," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Meißner, Leonie & Peterson, Sonja & Semrau, Finn Ole, 2023. "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon: Reviewing governmental R&D support for environmental innovation," Kiel Working Papers 2254, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    10. Zhao, Ge & Zhou, P. & Wen, Wen, 2021. "Feed-in tariffs, knowledge stocks and renewable energy technology innovation: The role of local government intervention," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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