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Biofuels policies and welfare: is the stick of mandates better than the carrot of subsidies?

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  • Lapan, Harvey E.
  • Moschini, GianCarlo

Abstract

Significant government support for biofuels has led to rapid growth in U.S. ethanol production and research to develop more advanced biofuels. In this paper we construct a general equilibrium, open economy model that captures the rationale typically invoked to justify government intervention in this setting: to alleviate the environmental impact of energy consumption and to decrease U.S. energy dependence on foreign sources. The model is used to study both the positive and normative implications of alternative policy instruments, including the subsidies and mandates specified by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. From a positive perspective, we find that biofuels mandates are equivalent to a combination of fuel taxes and biofuels subsidies that are revenue neutral. From a welfare perspective, we show that biofuels mandates dominate biofuels subsidies, and that combining fuel taxes (rather than subsidies) with mandates would be welfare enhancing.

Suggested Citation

  • Lapan, Harvey E. & Moschini, GianCarlo, 2009. "Biofuels policies and welfare: is the stick of mandates better than the carrot of subsidies?," ISU General Staff Papers 200906100700001138, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:isu:genstf:200906100700001138
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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Ruiqing Miao & David A. Hennessy & Bruce A. Babcock, 2012. "Investment in Cellulosic Biofuel Refineries: Do Waivable Biofuel Mandates Matter?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 94(3), pages 750-762.
    3. Quentin Grafton, R. & Kompas, Tom & Van Long, Ngo, 2012. "Substitution between biofuels and fossil fuels: Is there a green paradox?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 328-341.
    4. Drabik, Dusan, 2011. "The Theory of Biofuel Policy and Food Grain Prices," Working Papers 126615, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    5. Bullock David S. & Couleau Anabelle, 2014. "Policy Analysis in Welfare and Policy Spaces: Applications to the Labyrinthine U.S. Ethanol Policy Literature," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 35-51, January.
    6. repec:isu:genstf:201201010800003311 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Subhayu Bandyopadhyay & Sumon Bhaumik & Howard J. Wall, 2013. "Biofuel Subsidies and International Trade," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 181-199, July.
    8. Yeboah, Osei & Shaik, Saleem, 2021. "The influence of climate change on the demand for ethanol," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1559-1565.
    9. McPhail, Lihong Lu, 2011. "Assessing the impact of US ethanol on fossil fuel markets: A structural VAR approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1177-1185.
    10. Virginie Doumax, 2010. "The French Biodiesel Production: An Assessment of the Impacts and Interaction Effects of Policy Instruments," CAE Working Papers 87, Aix-Marseille Université, CERGAM.
    11. Moschini, GianCarlo & Cui, Jingbo & Lapan, Harvey E., . "Economics of Biofuels: An Overview of Policies, Impacts and Prospects," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 1(3), pages 1-28.
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. Bullock, David S. & Couleau, Anabelle, 2012. "The U.S. Ethanol and Commodity Policy Labyrinth: Looking into Welfare Space to Analyze Policies that Combine Multiple Instruments," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126901, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Rajagopal, Deepak & Zilberman, David, 2013. "On market-mediated emissions and regulations on life cycle emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 77-84.
    16. Rajagopal, D. & Plevin, R. & Hochman, G. & Zilberman, D., 2015. "Multi-objective regulations on transportation fuels: Comparing renewable fuel mandates and emission standards," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 359-369.
    17. Drabik, Dusan & de Gorter, Harry, 2010. "Biofuels And Leakages In The Fuel Market," 2010: Climate Change in World Agriculture: Mitigation, Adaptation, Trade and Food Security, June 2010, Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany 91265, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.
    18. repec:pra:mprapa:41490 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Ruiqing Miao & David A. Hennessy & Bruce A. Babcock, 2010. "Investment in Cellulosic Biofuel Refineries: Do Renewable Identification Numbers Matter?," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 10-wp514, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.

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    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General

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