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Compensation rules for climate policy in the electricity sector

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  • Dallas Burtraw

    (Resources for the Future, Washington, DC)

  • Karen Palmer

    (Resources for the Future, Washington, DC)

Abstract

Most previous cap and trade programs have distributed emission allowances for free to incumbent producers. However, in the electricity sector the value of CO 2 allowances may be far in excess of costs to industry and giving them away to firms diverts allowance value from other purposes. Using a detailed simulation model, this paper shows that compensation to firms losing asset value under a climate cap and trade policy can be achieved for a small fraction of total allowance value, if targeted carefully. However, the economic efficiency cost of providing incremental compensation to reach the fully compensated level is many multiples of that incremental compensation. These considerations might move policymakers away from free allocation of CO 2 emission allowances in the electricity sector. © 2008 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Suggested Citation

  • Dallas Burtraw & Karen Palmer, 2008. "Compensation rules for climate policy in the electricity sector," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 819-847.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:27:y:2008:i:4:p:819-847
    DOI: 10.1002/pam.20378
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. James B. Bushnell & Howard Chong & Erin T. Mansur, 2009. "Profiting from Regulation: An Event Study of the EU Carbon Market," NBER Working Papers 15572, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Last Name, First Name, 2009. "Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing Policies in the Electricity Sector," Discussion Papers dp-09-43, Resources For the Future.
    3. Paul, Anthony & Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen, 2008. "Compensation for Electricity Consumers Under a U.S. CO2 Emissions Cap," Discussion Papers dp-08-25, Resources For the Future.
    4. Adam Rose & Dan Wei & Fynnwin Prager, 2012. "Distributional Impacts Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading: Alternative Allocation And Recycling Strategies In California," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 30(4), pages 603-617, October.
    5. Hirth, Lion & Ueckerdt, Falko, 2013. "Redistribution effects of energy and climate policy: The electricity market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 934-947.
    6. Choi, Dong Gu & Thomas, Valerie M., 2012. "An electricity generation planning model incorporating demand response," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 429-441.
    7. repec:wsi:ccexxx:v:03:y:2012:i:04:n:s2010007812500182 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Burtraw, Dallas & Sekar, Samantha, 2013. "Two World Views on Carbon Revenues," Discussion Papers dp-13-32, Resources For the Future.
    9. Pahle, Michael & Fan, Lin & Schill, Wolf-Peter, 2011. "How Emission Certificate Allocations Distort Fossil Investments: The German Example," EconStor Open Access Articles, ZBW - German National Library of Economics, pages 1975-1987.
    10. Golombek, Rolf & Kittelsen, Sverre A.C. & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2013. "Price and welfare effects of emission quota allocation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 568-580.
    11. Zetterberg, Lars, 2014. "Benchmarking in the European Union Emissions Trading System: Abatement incentives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 218-224.
    12. Krutilla Kerry & Alexeev Alexander, 2012. "The Normative Implications of Political Decision-Making for Benefit-Cost Analysis," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-36, May.
    13. Benjamin Jones & Michael Keen & Jon Strand, 2013. "Fiscal implications of climate change," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(1), pages 29-70, February.
    14. Fell, Harrison, 2008. "EU-ETS and Nordic Electricity: A CVAR Approach," Discussion Papers dp-08-31, Resources For the Future.
    15. Carolyn Fischer & William A. Pizer, 2017. "Equity Effects in Energy Regulation," NBER Working Papers 24033, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. William M. Shobe & Dallas Burtraw, 2012. "Rethinking Environmental Federalism In A Warming World," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(04), pages 1-33.
    17. Dallas Burtraw & Jacob Goeree & Charles A. Holt & Erica Myers & Karen Palmer & William Shobe, 2009. "Collusion in auctions for emission permits: An experimental analysis," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 672-691.
    18. Burtraw, Dallas & Sweeney, Richard & Walls, Margaret, 2008. "The Incidence of U.S. Climate Policy: Where You Stand Depends on Where You Sit," Discussion Papers dp-08-28, Resources For the Future.
    19. Joseph E. Aldy & Alan J. Krupnick & Richard G. Newell & Ian W. H. Parry & William A. Pizer, 2010. "Designing Climate Mitigation Policy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(4), pages 903-934, December.
    20. Joshua Blonz & Dallas Burtraw & Margaret Walls, 2012. "Social safety nets and US climate policy costs," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 474-490, July.
    21. Dallas Burtraw & Samantha Sekar, 2014. "Two world views on carbon revenues," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 4(1), pages 110-120, March.
    22. Burtraw, Dallas & Sweeney, Richard & Walls, Margaret, 2009. "The Incidence of U.S. Climate Policy: Alternative Uses of Revenues From a Cap-and-Trade Auction," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 62(3), pages 497-518, September.
    23. Wang, Tao & Foliente, Greg & Song, Xinyi & Xue, Jiawei & Fang, Dongping, 2014. "Implications and future direction of greenhouse gas emission mitigation policies in the building sector of China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 520-530.
    24. Christian Engau & Volker Hoffmann, 2011. "Corporate response strategies to regulatory uncertainty: evidence from uncertainty about post-Kyoto regulation," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 44(1), pages 53-80, March.
    25. Burtraw, Dallas & McLaughlin, David & Szambelan, Sarah Jo, 2012. "California’s New Gold: A Primer on the Use of Allowance Value Created under the CO2 Cap-and-Trade Program," Discussion Papers dp-12-23, Resources For the Future.

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