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Reliability in the U.S. electricity industry under new environmental regulations

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  • Burtraw, Dallas
  • Palmer, Karen
  • Paul, Anthony
  • Beasley, Blair
  • Woerman, Matt

Abstract

Implementation of new environmental regulations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury in the U.S. electricity industry has triggered concerns about system reliability. Results from a national electricity market simulation model suggest that these regulations lead to little change in generation capacity and are unlikely to create the shock to the system that some anticipate. Large costs of investments in pollution controls are partially offset by a lower cost burden for tradable emissions allowances. The combined effects result in a 1 percent increase in national average retail electricity prices. In 2020 producers pay approximately 30 percent and consumers pay approximately 70 percent of the total costs of the regulations, which equal between $6.6 and $7.1 billion in 2020 (real 2009$). The regulation leads to substantial reductions in emissions of mercury and sulfur dioxide from the electricity sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen & Paul, Anthony & Beasley, Blair & Woerman, Matt, 2013. "Reliability in the U.S. electricity industry under new environmental regulations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1078-1091.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:62:y:2013:i:c:p:1078-1091
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.070
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen & Bharvirkar, Ranjit & Paul, Anthony, 2001. "The Effect of Allowance Allocation on the Cost of Carbon Emission Trading," RFF Working Paper Series dp-01-30-, Resources for the Future.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kantamneni, Abhilash & Winkler, Richelle & Gauchia, Lucia & Pearce, Joshua M., 2016. "Emerging economic viability of grid defection in a northern climate using solar hybrid systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 378-389.
    2. Beasley, Blair & Morris, Daniel, 2012. "Modeling the Electricity Sector: A Summary of Recent Analyses of New EPA Regulations," RFF Working Paper Series dp-12-52, Resources for the Future.
    3. Gençer, Emre & Agrawal, Rakesh, 2016. "A commentary on the US policies for efficient large scale renewable energy storage systems: Focus on carbon storage cycles," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 477-484.
    4. Beasley, Blair & Woerman, Matt & Paul, Anthony & Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen, 2013. "Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Analysis Deconstructed: Changing Assumptions, Changing Results," RFF Working Paper Series dp-13-10, Resources for the Future.
    5. Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen & Paul, Anthony & Woerman, Matt, 2012. "Secular Trends, Environmental Regulation, and Electricity Markets," RFF Working Paper Series dp-12-15, Resources for the Future.
    6. Burtraw, Dallas & Woerman, Matt, 2013. "Economic ideas for a complex climate policy regime," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(S1), pages 24-31.
    7. Anthony Paul & Karen Palmer & Matthew Woerman, 2015. "Incentives, Margins, And Cost Effectiveness In Comprehensive Climate Policy For The Power Sector," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(04), pages 1-27, November.
    8. Hayibo, Koami Soulemane & Pearce, Joshua M., 2021. "A review of the value of solar methodology with a case study of the U.S. VOS," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Bielen, David A., 2018. "Do differentiated performance standards help coal? CO2 policy in the U.S. electricity sector," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 79-100.
    10. Harker Steele, Amanda J. & Burnett, J. Wesley & Bergstrom, John C., 2021. "The impact of variable renewable energy resources on power system reliability," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. Paul, Anthony & Beasley, Blair & Palmer, Karen, 2013. "Taxing Electricity Sector Carbon Emissions at Social Cost," RFF Working Paper Series dp-13-23-rev, Resources for the Future.

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