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From Green Users to Green Voters

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  • Comin, Diego
  • Rode, Johannes

Abstract

We estimate the effect of the diffusion of photovoltaic (PV) systems on the fraction of votes obtained by the German Green Party. The logistic diffusion of PV systems offers a new identification strategy. We take first differences and instrument adoption rates (i.e. the first difference in the diffusion level) by lagged diffusion levels. The existing rationales for non-linearities in diffusion, and ubiquity of logistic curves ensure that our instrument is orthogonal to variables that directly affect voting patterns. We find that the diffusion of domestic PV systems caused 25 percent of the increment in green votes between 1998 and 2009.

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  • Comin, Diego & Rode, Johannes, 2013. "From Green Users to Green Voters," CEPR Discussion Papers 9573, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:9573
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Vona, 2019. "Job losses and political acceptability of climate policies: why the ‘job-killing’ argument is so persistent and how to overturn it," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 524-532, April.
    2. Lorenzo Cerda Planas, 2018. "Moving Toward Greener Societies: Moral Motivation and Green Behaviour," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 70(4), pages 835-860, August.
    3. Jing Liang & Pengfei Liu & Yueming Qiu & Yi David Wang & Bo Xing, 2020. "Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing and Residential Low-carbon Energy Technology Adoption," The Energy Journal, , vol. 41(3), pages 1-38, May.
    4. Buchheim, Lukas & Watzinger, Martin & Wilhelm, Matthias, 2020. "Job creation in tight and slack labor markets," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 126-143.
    5. Stefan Lamp, 2023. "Sunspots That Matter: The Effect of Weather on Solar Technology Adoption," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(4), pages 1179-1219, April.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7upb3pbvdn8fbq3fscr7otbg9t is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Schumacher, Ingmar, 2014. "An Empirical Study of the Determinants of Green Party Voting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 306-318.
    8. Rode, Johannes & Müller, Sven, 2016. "Spatio-Temporal Variation in Peer Effects - The Case of Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems in Germany," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 84765, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    9. Francesco Vona, 2018. "Job losses and the political acceptability of climate policies : an amplified collective action problem," Post-Print hal-03458275, HAL.
    10. Germeshausen, Robert & Heim, Sven & Wagner, Ulrich J., 2021. "Support for renewable energy: The case of wind power," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-074, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. De Groote, Olivier & Gautier, Axel & Verboven, Frank, 2024. "The political economy of financing climate policy — Evidence from the solar PV subsidy programs," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6d7es28iae9pjoil7092hs41h3 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Lorenzo Cerda Planas, 2014. "Moving to Greener Societies: Moral Motivation and Green Behaviour," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 14035, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    14. Andrea La Nauze, 2023. "Motivation Crowding in Peer Effects: The Effect of Solar Subsidies on Green Power Purchases," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(6), pages 1465-1480, November.
    15. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/7upb3pbvdn8fbq3fscr7otbg9t is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Rode, Johannes & Müller, Sven, 2020. "I Spot, I Adopt! Peer Effects and Visibility in Solar Photovoltaic System Adoption of Households," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 119280, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    17. Lorenzo Cerda Planas, 2014. "Moving to Greener Societies: Moral Motivation and Green Behaviour," Post-Print halshs-01018651, HAL.
    18. Wilhelm, Matthias & Buchheim, Lukas & Watzinger, Martin, 2016. "Investment in Photovoltaics and Job Creation: Evidence from a Billion Dollar Program," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145551, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    19. Lorenzo Cerda Planas, 2014. "Moving to Greener Societies: Moral Motivation and Green Behaviour," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-01018651, HAL.
    20. Graham Beattie & Yi Han & Andrea La Nauze, 2019. "Conservation Spillovers: The Effect of Rooftop Solar on Climate Change Beliefs," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(3), pages 1425-1451, November.
    21. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6d7es28iae9pjoil7092hs41h3 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Francesco Vona, 2018. "Job losses and the political acceptability of climate policies : an amplified collective action problem," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03458275, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voting; Technology diffusion; Pv systems; Feed-in tariff;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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