IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/regeco/v43y2013i3p229-247.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Motivating energy suppliers to promote energy conservation

Author

Listed:
  • Leon Chu
  • David Sappington

Abstract

We examine the design of regulatory policy to induce electric utilities to deliver the surplus-maximizing level of energy efficiency services, $$e^{*}$$ . The rebound effect (whereby increased energy efficiency stimulates the demand for energy) typically renders revenue decoupling insufficient in this regard. The additional financial incentive required to induce $$e^{*}$$ is shown to vary with such factors as the prevailing price of energy, the magnitude of the rebound effect, the extent of observable energy efficiency investments, and the utility’s objective. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Leon Chu & David Sappington, 2013. "Motivating energy suppliers to promote energy conservation," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 229-247, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:regeco:v:43:y:2013:i:3:p:229-247
    DOI: 10.1007/s11149-013-9215-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11149-013-9215-x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11149-013-9215-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carter, Sheryl, 2001. "Breaking The Consumption Habit: Ratemaking for Efficient Resource Decisions," The Electricity Journal, Elsevier, vol. 14(10), pages 66-74, December.
    2. Wirl, Franz, 1995. "Impact of Regulation on Demand Side Conservation Programs," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 43-62, January.
    3. Brennan, Timothy J., 2010. "Optimal energy efficiency policies and regulatory demand-side management tests: How well do they match?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 3874-3885, August.
    4. Lewis, Tracy R & Sappington, David E M, 1992. "Incentives for Conservation and Quality-Improvement by Public Utilities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(5), pages 1321-1340, December.
    5. Timothy Brennan, 2010. "Decoupling in electric utilities," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 49-69, August.
    6. Eto, J. & Stoft, S. & Kito, S., 1998. "DSM shareholder incentives: recent designs and economic theory," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 47-62, March.
    7. Leon Chu & David Sappington, 2012. "Designing optimal gain sharing plans to promote energy conservation," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 115-134, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. David P. Brown & David E. M. Sappington, 2017. "Optimal policies to promote efficient distributed generation of electricity," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 159-188, October.
    2. Arlan Brucal & Nori Tarui, 2018. "Revenue Decoupling for Electric Utilities: Impacts on Prices and Welfare," Working Papers 201814, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    3. Laura Abrardi & Carlo Cambini, 2014. "Tariff Regulation with Energy Efficiency Goals," IEFE Working Papers 65, IEFE, Center for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    4. Abrardi, Laura & Cambini, Carlo, 2015. "Tariff regulation with energy efficiency goals," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 122-131.
    5. Wirl, Franz, 2015. "White certificates — Energy efficiency programs under private information of consumers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 507-515.
    6. Laura Abrardi, 2019. "Behavioral barriers and the energy efficiency gap: a survey of the literature," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 46(1), pages 25-43, March.
    7. Richard A. Michelfelder, 2015. "Electric utility regulation and investment in green energy resources," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1-2), pages 48-64, April.
    8. Arlan Brucal & Nori Tarui, 2018. "Revenue Decoupling for Electric Utilities: Impacts on Prices and Welfare," Working Papers 201814, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    9. Flavio Menezes & Joisa Dutra & Xuemei Zheng, 2013. "Energy Efficiency and Price Regulation," Discussion Papers Series 495, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    10. Michelfelder, Richard A. & Ahern, Pauline & D'Ascendis, Dylan, 2019. "Decoupling impact and public utility conservation investment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 311-319.
    11. Datta, Souvik, 2019. "Decoupling and demand-side management: Evidence from the US electric industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 175-184.
    12. Franz Wirl, 2019. "Incentivizing Energy Efficiency under Private Information: The Social Optimum," The Energy Journal, , vol. 40(6), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Michael Crew & Rami Kahlon, 2014. "Guaranteed return regulation: a case study of regulation of water in California," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 112-121, August.
    14. Nori Tarui, 2017. "Electric utility regulation under enhanced renewable energy integration and distributed generation," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 19(3), pages 503-518, July.
    15. Gerlach, Heiko & Zheng, Xuemei, 2018. "Preferences for green electricity, investment and regulatory incentives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 430-441.
    16. Joisa Dutra & Flavio M. Menezes & Xuemei Zheng, 2016. "Price Regulation and the Incentives to Pursue Energy Efficiency by Minimizing Network Losses," The Energy Journal, , vol. 37(4), pages 45-62, October.
    17. Abrardi, Laura & Cambini, Carlo, 2019. "Incentivizing self-control effort," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 13-30.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abrardi, Laura & Cambini, Carlo, 2015. "Tariff regulation with energy efficiency goals," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 122-131.
    2. Datta, Souvik, 2019. "Decoupling and demand-side management: Evidence from the US electric industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 175-184.
    3. Laura Abrardi & Carlo Cambini, 2014. "Tariff Regulation with Energy Efficiency Goals," IEFE Working Papers 65, IEFE, Center for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    4. Leon Chu & David Sappington, 2012. "Designing optimal gain sharing plans to promote energy conservation," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 115-134, October.
    5. Flavio Menezes & Joisa Dutra & Xuemei Zheng, 2013. "Energy Efficiency and Price Regulation," Discussion Papers Series 495, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    6. Gerlach, Heiko & Zheng, Xuemei, 2018. "Preferences for green electricity, investment and regulatory incentives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 430-441.
    7. Joisa Dutra, Flavio M. Menezes, and Xuemei Zheng, 2016. "Price Regulation and the Incentives to Pursue Energy Efficiency by Minimizing Network Losses," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4).
    8. Wirl, Franz, 2015. "White certificates — Energy efficiency programs under private information of consumers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 507-515.
    9. Michelfelder, Richard A. & Ahern, Pauline & D'Ascendis, Dylan, 2019. "Decoupling impact and public utility conservation investment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 311-319.
    10. Brennan, Timothy J., 2011. "Energy Efficiency Policy: Surveying the Puzzles," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-27, Resources for the Future.
    11. Wirl, Franz, 1995. "Strategic consumers' reactions to conservation incentives," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 109-113, April.
    12. Palmer, Karen L. & Grausz, Samuel & Beasley, Blair & Brennan, Timothy J., 2013. "Putting a floor on energy savings: Comparing state energy efficiency resource standards," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 43-57.
    13. Brennan, Timothy J., 2013. "Holding Distribution Utilities Liable for Outage Costs: An Economic Look," RFF Working Paper Series dp-13-16, Resources for the Future.
    14. David P. Brown & David E. M. Sappington, 2017. "Optimal policies to promote efficient distributed generation of electricity," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 159-188, October.
    15. Giraudet, Louis-Gaëtan, 2020. "Energy efficiency as a credence good: A review of informational barriers to energy savings in the building sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    16. Franz Wirl & Wolfgang Orasch, 1998. "Analysis of United States' Utility Conservation Programs," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 13(4), pages 467-486, August.
    17. Chandrashekeran, Sangeetha & Zuckerman, Julia & Deason, Jeff, 2015. "Raising the stakes for energy efficiency: A qualitative case study of California's risk/reward incentive mechanism," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 79-90.
    18. Timothy J. Brennan, 2013. "Energy Efficiency Policy Puzzles," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    19. Brennan, Timothy J., 2015. "Holding distribution utilities liable for outage costs," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 89-96.
    20. Meyabadi, A. Fattahi & Deihimi, M.H., 2017. "A review of demand-side management: Reconsidering theoretical framework," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 367-379.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy efficiency; Energy conservation; Incentive regulation; D82; L50; Q40;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:regeco:v:43:y:2013:i:3:p:229-247. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.