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Does regulation stimulate productivity? The effect of air quality policies on the efficiency of US power plants

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  • Fleishman, Rachel
  • Alexander, Rob
  • Bretschneider, Stuart
  • Popp, David

Abstract

This research examines the effect of air quality regulations on the productivity of US power plants based on both economic and environmental outputs. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate an efficiency measure incorporating both economic and environmental outcomes, we look at changes in efficiency in US power plants over an eleven-year time period (1994-2004) during which several different regulations were implemented for the control of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The paper then models how estimated efficiency behaves over time as a function of regulatory changes. Findings suggest mixed effects of regulations on power plant efficiency when pollution abatement and electricity generation are both included as outputs.

Suggested Citation

  • Fleishman, Rachel & Alexander, Rob & Bretschneider, Stuart & Popp, David, 2009. "Does regulation stimulate productivity? The effect of air quality policies on the efficiency of US power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4574-4582, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:37:y:2009:i:11:p:4574-4582
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    1. Seifert, Stefan, 2015. "Productivity Growth and its Sources - A StoNED Metafrontier Analyis of the German Electricity Generating Sector," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112975, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Zhang, Ning & Zhao, Yu & Wang, Na, 2022. "Is China's energy policy effective for power plants? Evidence from the 12th Five-Year Plan energy saving targets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    3. Zhang, Ning & Gong, Maoyu, 2022. "Economic and environmental outcomes of economic transition: Evidence from a quasi-experiment in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    4. Xianhua Wu & Yufeng Chen & Ji Guo & Ge Gao, 2018. "Inputs optimization to reduce the undesirable outputs by environmental hazards: a DEA model with data of PM2.5 in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 90(1), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Jaraitė, Jūratė & Di Maria, Corrado, 2012. "Efficiency, productivity and environmental policy: A case study of power generation in the EU," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1557-1568.
    6. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Goto, Mika, 2010. "Should the US clean air act include CO2 emission control?: Examination by data envelopment analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5902-5911, October.
    7. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    8. Lin, Boqiang & Xie, Yongjing, 2022. "Analysis on operational efficiency and its influencing factors of China’s nuclear power plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).
    9. Qiuping Chen & Bo Ning & Yue Pan & Jinli Xiao, 2022. "Green finance and outward foreign direct investment: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of green insurance in China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 899-924, September.
    10. Mamardashvili, Phatima & Jan, Pierrick, 2014. "Environmentally harmful by-products in efficiency analysis: An example of nitrogen surplus on Swiss dairy farms," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182910, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Bai-Chen, Xie & Ying, Fan & Qian-Qian, Qu, 2012. "Does generation form influence environmental efficiency performance? An analysis of China’s power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 261-271.
    12. Johan Brolund & Robert Lundmark, 2017. "Effect of Environmental Regulation Stringency on the Pulp and Paper Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Zhaolong Wang & Yeqing Yang & Yu Wei, 2022. "Study on Relationship between Environmental Regulation and Green Total Factor Productivity from the Perspective of FDI—Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-16, September.
    14. Yung-Hsiang Lu & Ku-Hsieh Chen & Jen-Chi Cheng & Chih-Chun Chen & Sian-Yuan Li, 2019. "Analysis of Environmental Productivity on Fossil Fuel Power Plants in the U.S," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-27, December.
    15. Manello, Alessandro, 2017. "Productivity growth, environmental regulation and win–win opportunities: The case of chemical industry in Italy and Germany," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(2), pages 733-743.
    16. Bai-Chen Xie & Jie Gao & Shuang Zhang & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2017. "What Factors Affect the Competiveness of Power Generation Sector in China? An Analysis Based on Game Cross-efficiency," Working Papers 2017.12, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    17. Chen, Yufeng & Ma, Yanbai, 2021. "Does green investment improve energy firm performance?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    18. Joshua Linn & Erin Mastrangelo & Dallas Burtraw, 2014. "Regulating Greenhouse Gases from Coal Power Plants under the Clean Air Act," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 97-134.
    19. Zhou, Yan & Xing, Xinpeng & Fang, Kuangnan & Liang, Dapeng & Xu, Chunlin, 2013. "Environmental efficiency analysis of power industry in China based on an entropy SBM model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 68-75.
    20. Zhou, Yishu & Huang, Ling, 2016. "Have U.S. power plants become less technically efficient? The impact of carbon emission regulation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 105-115.
    21. Xie, Bai-Chen & Gao, Jie & Zhang, Shuang & Pang, Rui-Zhi & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2018. "The environmental efficiency analysis of China’s power generation sector based on game cross-efficiency approach," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 126-135.
    22. Hampf, Benjamin & Rødseth, Kenneth Løvold, 2019. "Environmental efficiency measurement with heterogeneous input quality: A nonparametric analysis of U.S. power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 610-625.

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