IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/halshs-02467734.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Energy as a Factor of Production: Historical Roots in the American Institutionalist Context

Author

Listed:
  • Antoine Missemer

    (CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Franck Nadaud

    (CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

The relationship between energy and economic output is today discussed through the decoupling issue. A pioneering historical attempt to measure this relationship can be found in contributions by F. G. Tryon et al. at the Brookings Institution in the 1920s–1930s, in the American institutionalist context. This episode has scarcely been noticed in the literature. On the basis of textual analysis, archival material and econometrics, the purpose of this article is to provide a historical account of this corpus (context, originality), to assess the relevance of its statistical results, and to highlight the salient issues of the time that could feed into contemporary research. In particular, the articulation between empirical observations (inter-index correlation), theoretical implications (considering energy as a factor of production) and energy policy (global strategy rather than sectoral measures) is an old question deserving attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Antoine Missemer & Franck Nadaud, 2020. "Energy as a Factor of Production: Historical Roots in the American Institutionalist Context," Post-Print halshs-02467734, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-02467734
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2020.104706
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02467734
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02467734/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2020.104706?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. Dietmar Lindenberger & Florian Weiser & Tobias Winkler & Reiner Kümmel, 2017. "Economic Growth in the USA and Germany 1960–2013: The Underestimated Role of Energy," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Panesar, Balwinder S. & Fluck, Richard C., 1993. "Energy productivity of a production system: Analysis and measurement," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 415-437.
    3. Marion Gaspard & Antoine Missemer, 2019. "An inquiry into the Ramsey-Hotelling connection," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 352-379, March.
    4. Kemp-Benedict, Eric, 2018. "Dematerialization, Decoupling, and Productivity Change," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 204-216.
    5. Roberto Ferreira da Cunha & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "The Hotelling rule in non‐renewable resource economics: A reassessment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(2), pages 800-820, May.
    6. Franco, Marco P.V. & Gaspard, Marion & Mueller, Thomas, 2019. "Time discounting in Harold Hotelling's approach to natural resource economics: The unsolved ethical question," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 52-60.
    7. Crabbe, Philippe J., 1983. "The contribution of L. C. Gray to the economic theory of exhaustible natural resources and its roots in the history of economic thought," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 195-220, September.
    8. Antoine Missemer, 2015. "La peur du déclin économique face à l’épuisement des ressources naturelles, de W. Stanley Jevons à Herbert S. Jevons (1865-1915)," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 66(5), pages 825-842.
    9. Sorrell, Steve, 2009. "Jevons' Paradox revisited: The evidence for backfire from improved energy efficiency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1456-1469, April.
    10. Harold Hotelling, 1931. "The Economics of Exhaustible Resources," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39, pages 137-137.
    11. Ayres, Robert U, 2001. "The minimum complexity of endogenous growth models:," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 26(9), pages 817-838.
    12. Kümmel, Reiner & Lindenberger, Dietmar & Weiser, Florian, 2015. "The economic power of energy and the need to integrate it with energy policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 833-843.
    13. Gerald Alonzo Smith, 1982. "Natural Resource Economic Theory of the First Conservation Movement (1895–1927)," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 483-495, Winter.
    14. José Luis Ramos Gorostiza, 2003. "Ethics and Economics: from the conservation problem to the sustainability debate," History of Economic Ideas, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa - Roma, vol. 11(2), pages 31-52.
    15. George Garvy, 1978. "Carl Snyder, Pioneer Economic Statistician and Monetarist," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 10(3), pages 454-490, Fall.
    16. Rutherford,Malcolm, 2013. "The Institutionalist Movement in American Economics, 1918–1947," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107626089.
    17. James D Ward & Paul C Sutton & Adrian D Werner & Robert Costanza & Steve H Mohr & Craig T Simmons, 2016. "Is Decoupling GDP Growth from Environmental Impact Possible?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    18. Missemer, Antoine, 2012. "William Stanley Jevons' The Coal Question (1865), beyond the rebound effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 97-103.
    19. Antoine Missemer, 2017. "Les Économistes et la fin des énergies fossiles (1865-1931)," Post-Print halshs-01546579, HAL.
    20. Lewis Cecil Gray, 1914. "Rent under the Assumption of Exhaustibility," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 28(3), pages 466-489.
    21. David I. Stern and Astrid Kander, 2012. "The Role of Energy in the Industrial Revolution and Modern Economic Growth," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    22. L. C. Gray, 1913. "The Economic Possibilities of Conservation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 27(3), pages 497-519.
    23. J. Daniel Khazzoom, 1980. "Economic Implications of Mandated Efficiency in Standards for Household Appliances," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4), pages 21-40.
    24. Roberto Ferreira da Cunha & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "The Hotelling rule in non‐renewable resource economics: A reassessment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(2), pages 800-820, May.
    25. White, Michael V., 1991. "Frightening the ‘Landed Fogies’: Parliamentary Politics and The Coal Question," Utilitas, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 289-302, November.
    26. Jevons, William Stanley, 1871. "The Theory of Political Economy," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number jevons1871.
    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. Guarino, Raffaele & Corsi, Giulio & Muñoz-Ulecia, Enrique, 2023. "How sustainable development goals have transformed our world? Evolution of the ecological networks of the Italian economy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 484(C).
    2. François Allisson & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "Some Historiographical Tools for the Study of Intellectual Legacies," Post-Print halshs-02931492, HAL.
    3. Roberto Ferreira da Cunha & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "The Hotelling rule in non‐renewable resource economics: A reassessment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(2), pages 800-820, May.
    4. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Antoine Missemer, 2023. "The History of Energy Efficiency in Economics: Breakpoints and Regularities," Post-Print halshs-02301636, HAL.

    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. Franco, Marco P.V. & Gaspard, Marion & Mueller, Thomas, 2019. "Time discounting in Harold Hotelling's approach to natural resource economics: The unsolved ethical question," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 52-60.
    2. Roberto Ferreira da Cunha & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "The Hotelling rule in non‐renewable resource economics: A reassessment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(2), pages 800-820, May.
    3. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Antoine Missemer, 2019. "The Economics of Energy Efficiency, a Historical Perspective," CIRED Working Papers halshs-02301636, HAL.
    4. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Antoine Missemer, 2019. "The Economics of Energy Efficiency, a Historical Perspective," Working Papers halshs-02301636, HAL.
    5. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Antoine Missemer, 2023. "The History of Energy Efficiency in Economics: Breakpoints and Regularities," Post-Print halshs-02301636, HAL.
    6. François Allisson & Antoine Missemer, 2020. "Some Historiographical Tools for the Study of Intellectual Legacies," Post-Print halshs-02931492, HAL.
    7. Missemer, Antoine, 2012. "William Stanley Jevons' The Coal Question (1865), beyond the rebound effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 97-103.
    8. Rademeyer, Maryke C. & Minnitt, Richard C.A. & Falcon, Rosemary M.S., 2019. "A mathematical optimisation approach to modelling the economics of a coal mine," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 561-570.
    9. Richard J. Brazee & L. Martin Cloutier, 2006. "Reconciling Gray and Hotelling," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(3), pages 827-856, July.
    10. Marion Gaspard & Antoine Missemer, 2019. "An inquiry into the Ramsey-Hotelling connection," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 352-379, March.
    11. Anne Épaulard & Jean-Pierre Laffargue & Pierre Malgrange, 2008. "Présentation générale," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(2), pages 1-13.
    12. Michel Mougeot & Pierre Malgrange, 2002. "Présentation générale," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 156(5), pages 1-7.
    13. Antoine Missemer, 2012. "William Stanley Jevons' The Coal Question (1865), beyond the rebound effect," Post-Print halshs-00738258, HAL.
    14. Kemp-Benedict, Eric, 2018. "Dematerialization, Decoupling, and Productivity Change," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 204-216.
    15. Cédric Gossart, 2015. "Rebound effects and ICT : a review of the literature," Post-Print hal-01258112, HAL.
    16. Alexandre Stamford da Silva & Fernando Campello de Souza, 2008. "The economics of water resources for the generation of electricity and other uses," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 41-61, November.
    17. Balint Horvath & Miriam Bahna & Csaba Fogarassy, 2019. "The Ecological Criteria of Circular Growth and the Rebound Risk of Closed Loops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    18. Konrad, Kai A. & Thum, Marcel, 2023. "Elusive effects of export embargoes for fossil energy resources," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    19. Smessaert, Jacob & Missemer, Antoine & Levrel, Harold, 2020. "The commodification of nature, a review in social sciences," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    20. Vicknair, David & Tansey, Michael & O'Brien, Thomas E., 2022. "Measuring fossil fuel reserves: A simulation and review of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Institutionalism; History of economic thought; Natural resources; Brookings Institution; Decoupling; Energy intensity; Tryon;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • B2 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925
    • 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

    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:hal:journl:halshs-02467734. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.