IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aaea17/258483.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Going Beyond the Blend Wall: Policy Incentives for Fuel Consumers to Supplement the Renewable Fuel Standard

Author

Listed:
  • Zhong, Jia
  • Khanna, Madhu
  • Chen, Xiaoguang

Abstract

The direct incentive from the renewable fuel standard for fuel consumers is limited while the penetration of flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) stays stagnated. To study alternative policy incentives and its mechanism targeted at consumer to supplement the standards from the demand side, we develop a framework of dynamic economic partial equilibrium model. We find that under RFS 2022 schedule, explicitly pronounced cross-subsidization on both fuels (yearly average $0.41/gge tax on preblended fuel and $2.35/gge subsidy on ethanol) and vehicles (average $2.8k tax on CV and $2.4k purchase subsidy on FFV) are needed for consumers to switch to higher ethanol blends and FFV. The retail E100 is priced lower than its energy content as with E10 to the extent to attract FFV users consume higher blends and stimulate FFV purchase while offset the drawbacks of the higher vehicle costs and its less fuel efficiency. A lengthened policy not only alleviates the pricing strategies pressure but also reduces the welfare loss. Improved competitiveness in sales price is more effective in benefiting the vehicle drivers with less feebate intensity.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhong, Jia & Khanna, Madhu & Chen, Xiaoguang, 2017. "Going Beyond the Blend Wall: Policy Incentives for Fuel Consumers to Supplement the Renewable Fuel Standard," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258483, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea17:258483
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.258483
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/258483/files/AAEA%20manuscript_JiaZhong%20_0718.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.258483?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gabriel E. Lade & C.-Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell, 2021. "The Design of Renewable Fuel Mandates and Cost Containment Mechanisms," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(2), pages 213-247, June.
    2. Lapan, Harvey & Moschini, GianCarlo, 2012. "Second-best biofuel policies and the welfare effects of quantity mandates and subsidies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 224-241.
    3. Khanna, Madhu & Nuñez, Hector M. & Zilberman, David, 2016. "Who pays and who gains from fuel policies in Brazil?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 133-143.
    4. Bruce A. Babcock, 2013. "RFS Compliance Costs and Incentives to Invest in Ethanol Infrastructure," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 13-pb13, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    5. Jingbo Cui & Harvey Lapan & GianCarlo Moschini & Joseph Cooper, 2011. "Welfare Impacts of Alternative Biofuel and Energy Policies," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1235-1256.
    6. Meghan R. Busse & Christopher R. Knittel & Florian Zettelmeyer, 2013. "Are Consumers Myopic? Evidence from New and Used Car Purchases," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(1), pages 220-256, February.
    7. Liao, Kenneth & Pouliot, Sébastien, 2016. "Estimates of the Demand for E85 Using Stated-Preference Data off Revealed-Preference Choices," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236107, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Luchansky, Matthew S. & Monks, James, 2009. "Supply and demand elasticities in the U.S. ethanol fuel market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 403-410, May.
    9. Christopher R. Knittel & Ben S. Meiselman & James H. Stock, 2017. "The Pass-Through of RIN Prices to Wholesale and Retail Fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(4), pages 1081-1119.
    10. Laura J Vimmerstedt & Brian Bush & Steve Peterson, 2012. "Ethanol Distribution, Dispensing, and Use: Analysis of a Portion of the Biomass-to-Biofuels Supply Chain Using System Dynamics," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(5), pages 1-18, May.
    11. Gabriel E Lade & C -Y Cynthia Lin Lawell & Aaron Smith, 2018. "Policy Shocks and Market-Based Regulations: Evidence from the Renewable Fuel Standard," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(3), pages 707-731.
    12. Chen, Xiaoguang & Huang, Haixiao & Khanna, Madhu & Önal, Hayri, 2014. "Alternative transportation fuel standards: Welfare effects and climate benefits," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 241-257.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Moschini, GianCarlo & Lapan, Harvey & Kim, Hyunseok, 2016. "The Renewable Fuel Standard: Market and Welfare Effects of Alternative Policy Scenarios," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235721, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Gabriel E. Lade & C.-Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell, 2021. "The Design of Renewable Fuel Mandates and Cost Containment Mechanisms," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(2), pages 213-247, June.
    3. Yeh, Sonia & Witcover, Julie & Lade, Gabriel E. & Sperling, Daniel, 2016. "A review of low carbon fuel policies: Principles, program status and future directions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 220-234.
    4. Lade, Gabriel E & Lawell, C-Y Cynthia Lin, 2015. "Mandating green: On the Design of Renewable Fuel Policies and Cost Containment Mechanisms," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5zj382t4, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    5. Beaudoin, Justin & Chen, Yuan & Heres, David R. & Kheiravar, Khaled H. & Lade, Gabriel E. & Yi, Fujin & Zhang, Wei & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia, 2018. "Environmental Policies in the Transportation Sector: Taxes, Subsidies, Mandates, Restrictions, and Investment," ISU General Staff Papers 201808150700001050, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    6. Christina Korting & Harry de Gorter & David R Just, 2019. "Who Will Pay for Increasing Biofuel Mandates? Incidence of the Renewable Fuel Standard Given a Binding Blend Wall," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(2), pages 492-506.
    7. Gabriel E. Lade & James Bushnell, 2019. "Fuel Subsidy Pass-Through and Market Structure: Evidence from the Renewable Fuel Standard," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(3), pages 563-592.
    8. Gabriel E. Lade & James Bushnell, 2016. "Fuel Subsidy Pass-Through and Market Structure: Evidence from the Renewable Fuel Standard," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 16-wp570, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    9. JunJie Wu & Christian Langpap, 2015. "The Price and Welfare Effects of Biofuel Mandates and Subsidies," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(1), pages 35-57, September.
    10. Karel Janda & Ladislav Kristoufek, 2019. "The relationship between fuel and food prices: Methods, outcomes, and lessons for commodity price risk management," CAMA Working Papers 2019-20, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    11. Swanson, Andrew C., 2022. "Corn, Carbon, and Competition: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard's Effects on Imperfectly Competitive Corn Markets," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322442, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Lade, Gabriel E. & Lin, C.-Y. Cynthia & Smith, Aaron, 2015. "Ex Post Costs and Renewable Identification Number (RIN) Prices under the Renewable Fuel Standard," RFF Working Paper Series dp-15-22, Resources for the Future.
    13. Swanson, Andrew C., 2023. "The Pass-Through of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Subsidies to Midwestern Grain and By-Product Markets," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335864, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Khanna, Madhu & Nuñez, Hector M. & Zilberman, David, 2016. "Who pays and who gains from fuel policies in Brazil?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 133-143.
    15. GianCarlo Moschini & Harvey Lapan & Hyunseok Kim, 2017. "The Renewable Fuel Standard in Competitive Equilibrium: Market and Welfare Effects," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(5), pages 1117-1142.
    16. Cui, Jingbo & Martin, Jeremy I., 2017. "Impacts of US biodiesel mandates on world vegetable oil markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 148-160.
    17. Charlotte Stead & Zia Wadud & Chris Nash & Hu Li, 2019. "Introduction of Biodiesel to Rail Transport: Lessons from the Road Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, February.
    18. Drabik, Dusan & Ciaian, Pavel & Pokrivcak, Jan, 2014. "Biofuels and vertical price transmission: the case of the U.S. corn, ethanol and food markets," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182697, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Chen, Xiaoguang & Huang, Haixiao & Khanna, Madhu & Önal, Hayri, 2014. "Alternative transportation fuel standards: Welfare effects and climate benefits," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 241-257.
    20. Drabik, Dušan & Ciaian, Pavel & Pokrivčák, Ján, 2016. "The effect of ethanol policies on the vertical price transmission in corn and food markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 189-199.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Resource/Energy Economics and Policy; Demand and Price Analysis; Land Economics/Use;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ags:aaea17:258483. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaeaaea.html .

    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.