IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aaea18/274448.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Costs of Inefficient Regulation: Evidence from the Bakken

Author

Listed:
  • Lade, Gabriel
  • Rudik, Ivan

Abstract

Efficient pollution regulation equalizes marginal abatement costs across sources. We study a new flaring regulation in North Dakota and document its efficiency. We attribute most of the observed flaring reductions at new wells in the state since late 2014 to the regulation. We construct firm-specific marginal abatement cost curves and find that the same quantity of flaring reductions could have been achieved at 44% lower cost by taxing flared gas instead of imposing firm-specific requirements. Taxing flared gas at the existing public lands royalty rate would achieve 99% of the flaring reductions at 46% lower cost.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Lade, Gabriel & Rudik, Ivan, 2018. "Costs of Inefficient Regulation: Evidence from the Bakken," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274448, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea18:274448
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.274448
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/274448/files/Abstracts_18_05_02_13_50_22_57__129_186_252_93_0.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.274448?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
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ryan Kellogg, 2011. "Learning by Drilling: Interfirm Learning and Relationship Persistence in the Texas Oilpatch," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(4), pages 1961-2004.
    2. T. Robert Fetter & Andrew L. Steck & Christopher Timmins & Douglas Wrenn, 2018. "Learning by Viewing? Social Learning, Regulatory Disclosure, and Firm Productivity in Shale Gas," NBER Working Papers 25401, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Curtis Carlson & Dallas Burtraw & Maureen Cropper & Karen L. Palmer, 2000. "Sulfur Dioxide Control by Electric Utilities: What Are the Gains from Trade?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(6), pages 1292-1326, December.
    4. Lucija Muehlenbachs & Elisheba Spiller & Christopher Timmins, 2015. "The Housing Market Impacts of Shale Gas Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(12), pages 3633-3659, December.
    5. Lucija Muehlenbachs, 2015. "A Dynamic Model Of Cleanup: Estimating Sunk Costs In Oil And Gas Production," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 56, pages 155-185, February.
    6. Soren T. Anderson & Ryan Kellogg & Stephen W. Salant, 2018. "Hotelling under Pressure," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(3), pages 984-1026.
    7. James Feyrer & Erin T. Mansur & Bruce Sacerdote, 2017. "Geographic Dispersion of Economic Shocks: Evidence from the Fracking Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 1313-1334, April.
    8. Avalos, Roger & Fitzgerald, Timothy & Rucker, Randal R., 2016. "Measuring the effects of natural gas pipeline constraints on regional pricing and market integration," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 217-231.
    9. Montgomery, W. David, 1972. "Markets in licenses and efficient pollution control programs," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 395-418, December.
    10. Abadie, Alberto & Imbens, Guido W., 2011. "Bias-Corrected Matching Estimators for Average Treatment Effects," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 29(1), pages 1-11.
    11. Lange, Ian & Redlinger, Michael, 2019. "Effects of stricter environmental regulations on resource development," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 60-87.
    12. Suzi Kerr & Richard G. Newell, 2003. "Policy‐Induced Technology Adoption: Evidence from the U.S. Lead Phasedown," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 317-343, September.
    13. Judson Boomhower, 2019. "Drilling Like There's No Tomorrow: Bankruptcy, Insurance, and Environmental Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(2), pages 391-426, February.
    14. Richard G. Newell & Brian C. Prest & Ashley B. Vissing, 2019. "Trophy Hunting versus Manufacturing Energy: The Price Responsiveness of Shale Gas," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(2), pages 391-431.
    15. Baumol,William J. & Oates,Wallace E., 1988. "The Theory of Environmental Policy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521322249, January.
    16. Blundell, Wesley & Kokoza, Anatolii, 2022. "Natural gas flaring, respiratory health, and distributional effects," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    17. Jason Brown & Peter Maniloff & Dale T. Manning, 2018. "Effects of State Taxation on Investment: Evidence from the Oil Industry," Research Working Paper RWP 18-7, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    18. Alexander W. Bartik & Janet Currie & Michael Greenstone & Christopher R. Knittel, 2019. "The Local Economic and Welfare Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 105-155, October.
    19. Catherine Hausman & Lucija Muehlenbachs, 2019. "Price Regulation and Environmental Externalities: Evidence from Methane Leaks," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 73-109.
    20. Catherine Hausman & Ryan Kellogg, 2015. "Welfare and Distributional Implications of Shale Gas," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 46(1 (Spring), pages 71-139.
    21. Meredith Fowlie & Christopher R. Knittel & Catherine Wolfram, 2012. "Sacred Cars? Cost-Effective Regulation of Stationary and Nonstationary Pollution Sources," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 98-126, February.
    22. Sathya Gopalakrishnan & H. Allen Klaiber, 2014. "Is the Shale Energy Boom a Bust for Nearby Residents? Evidence from Housing Values in Pennsylvania," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 96(1), pages 43-66.
    23. Richard G. Newell & Brian C. Prest & Ashley Vissing, 2016. "Trophy Hunting vs. Manufacturing Energy: The Price-Responsiveness of Shale Gas," NBER Working Papers 22532, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    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. Alex Hollingworth & Taylor Jaworski & Carl Kitchens & Ivan Rudik, 2022. "Economic Geography and the Efficiency of Environmental Regulation," CESifo Working Paper Series 9644, CESifo.
    2. Lange, Ian & Redlinger, Michael, 2019. "Effects of stricter environmental regulations on resource development," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 60-87.
    3. Kenneth Gillingham & James H. Stock, 2018. "The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 32(4), pages 53-72, Fall.
    4. Blundell, Wesley & Kokoza, Anatolii, 2022. "Natural gas flaring, respiratory health, and distributional effects," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    5. Žiga Kotnik & Maja Klun & Renata Slabe-Erker, 2020. "Identification of the Factors That Affect the Environmental Administrative Burden for Businesses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    6. Mark Agerton & Ben Gilbert & Gregory B. Upton Jr., 2021. "The Economics of Natural Gas Venting, Flaring and Leaking in U.S. Shale: An Agenda for Research and Policy," Working Papers 2021-02, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.

    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. Hill, Elaine L. & Ma, Lala, 2022. "Drinking water, fracking, and infant health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Winters, John V. & Cai, Zhengyu & Maguire, Karen & Sengupta, Shruti, 2019. "Do Workers Benefit from Resource Booms in Their Home State? Evidence from the Fracking Era," GLO Discussion Paper Series 400, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Apergis, Nicholas & Mustafa, Ghulam & Dastidar, Sayantan Ghosh, 2021. "An analysis of the impact of unconventional oil and gas activities on public health: New evidence across Oklahoma counties," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. Newell, Richard G. & Raimi, Daniel, 2018. "The fiscal impacts of increased U.S. oil and gas development on local governments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 14-24.
    5. Smith, James L. & Lee, Thomas K., 2017. "The price elasticity of U.S. shale oil reserves," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 121-135.
    6. Grant D. Jacobsen, 2019. "Who Wins In An Energy Boom? Evidence From Wage Rates And Housing," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 9-32, January.
    7. Blundell, Wesley & Kokoza, Anatolii, 2022. "Natural gas flaring, respiratory health, and distributional effects," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    8. Hess, Joshua H. & Manning, Dale T. & Iverson, Terry & Cutler, Harvey, 2019. "Uncertainty, learning, and local opposition to hydraulic fracturing," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 102-123.
    9. Apergis, Nicholas, 2019. "The impact of fracking activities on Oklahoma's housing prices: A panel cointegration analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 94-101.
    10. Nicholas Apergis & Sayantan Ghosh Dastidar & Ghulam Mustafa, 2021. "Fracking and Asset Prices: The Role of Health Indicators for House Prices Across Oklahoma’s Counties," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 583-602, April.
    11. Stavins, Robert, 2001. "Lessons From the American Experiment With Market-Based Environmental Policies," RFF Working Paper Series dp-01-53, Resources for the Future.
    12. Robert N. Stavins, 2011. "The Problem of the Commons: Still Unsettled after 100 Years," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(1), pages 81-108, February.
    13. Richard Schmalensee & Robert N. Stavins, 2019. "Policy Evolution under the Clean Air Act," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 27-50, Fall.
    14. Hoy, Kyle A. & Wrenn, Douglas H., 2018. "Unconventional energy, taxation, and interstate welfare: An analysis of Pennsylvania's severance tax policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 53-65.
    15. Hill, Elaine L., 2018. "Shale gas development and infant health: Evidence from Pennsylvania," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 134-150.
    16. Ilia Murtazashvili & Ennio E. Piano, 2019. "Governance of shale gas development: Insights from the Bloomington school of institutional analysis," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 159-179, June.
    17. Max Harleman, 2023. "Compensating communities for industrial disamenities: The case of shale gas development," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(1), pages 10-34, January.
    18. Lange, Ian & Redlinger, Michael, 2019. "Effects of stricter environmental regulations on resource development," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 60-87.
    19. Jason P. Brown, 2021. "Response of Consumer Debt to Income Shocks: The Case of Energy Booms and Busts," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(7), pages 1629-1675, October.
    20. Shakya, Shishir & Li, Bingxin & Etienne, Xiaoli, 2022. "Shale revolution, oil and gas prices, and drilling activities in the United States," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Resource and Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental and Nonmarket Valuation; Production Economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q4 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy

    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:aaea18:274448. 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.