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Pass-Through as a Test for Market Power: An Application to Solar Subsidies

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  • Jacquelyn Pless
  • Arthur A. van Benthem

Abstract

We formalize pass-through over-shifting as a simple yet under-utilized test for market power. We apply this test in the market for solar energy. Specifically, we estimate the pass-through of solar subsidies to solar system prices using rich micro-level transaction and subsidy data from California. Buyers of solar systems capture nearly the full subsidy, while there is more-than- complete pass-through to lessees. We conclude that solar markets are imperfectly competitive by ruling out alternative explanations for over-shifting, and reinforce this conclusion with a test of solar demand curvature. This procedure can serve to detect market power beyond the solar market.

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  • Jacquelyn Pless & Arthur A. van Benthem, 2017. "Pass-Through as a Test for Market Power: An Application to Solar Subsidies," NBER Working Papers 23260, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23260
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    6. Bowei Guo & Giorgio Castagneto Gissey, 2019. "Cost Pass-through in the British Wholesale Electricity Market: Implications of Brexit and the ETS reform," Working Papers EPRG1937, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    7. Melo, Carolina & Moita, Rodrigo & Sunao, Stefanie, 2021. "Passing through the supply chain: Implications for market power," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Li, Yumin, 2018. "Incentive pass-through in the California Solar Initiative – An analysis based on third-party contracts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 534-541.
    9. Ying Fan & Ge Zhang, 2022. "The welfare effect of a consumer subsidy with price ceilings: the case of Chinese cell phones," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(2), pages 429-449, June.
    10. Orley C. Ashenfelter & Štěpán Jurajda, 2021. "Wages, Minimum Wages, and Price Pass-Through: The Case of McDonald’s Restaurants," NBER Working Papers 28506, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Brown, David P. & Muehlenbachs, Lucija, 2023. "The Value of Electricity Reliability: Evidence from Battery Adoption," Working Papers 2023-5, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    12. Bustos, Emil, 2023. "The Effect of Centrally Bargained Wages on Firm Growth," Working Paper Series 1456, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    13. Dong, Changgui & Zhou, Runmin & Li, Jiaying, 2021. "Rushing for subsidies: The impact of feed-in tariffs on solar photovoltaic capacity development in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    14. Daniele Curzi & Maria Garrone & Alessandro Olper, 2021. "Import Competition and Firm Markups in the Food Industry," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(4), pages 1433-1453, August.
    15. Sarah Tougher & Kara Hanson & Catherine A. Goodman, 2021. "Does subsidizing the private for‐profit sector benefit the poor? Evidence from national antimalarial subsidies in Nigeria and Uganda," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2510-2530, September.
    16. Naylor, Jamie & Deaton, B. James & Ker, Alan, 2020. "Assessing the effect of food retail subsidies on the price of food in remote Indigenous communities in Canada," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    17. Ander Iraizoz & José M Labeaga, 2022. "Incidence and Avoidance Effects of Spatial Fuel Tax Differentials: Evidence using Regional Tax Variation in Spain," PSE Working Papers halshs-03789430, HAL.
    18. Eloïse Corazza & Francesco Filippucci, 2022. "Who Profits from Training Subsidies? Evidence from a French Individual Learning Account," PSE Working Papers halshs-03519664, HAL.
    19. Anderson, Anders & Hong, Harrison, 2022. "Welfare Implications of Electric-Bike Subsidies: Evidence from Sweden," Misum Working Paper Series 2022-8, Stockholm School of Economics, Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum).
    20. Ander Iraizoz & José M Labeaga, 2022. "Incidence and Avoidance Effects of Spatial Fuel Tax Differentials: Evidence using Regional Tax Variation in Spain," Working Papers halshs-03789430, HAL.
    21. Evert Reins, 2021. "Seductive subsidies? An analysis of second-degree moral hazard in the context of photovoltaic solar systems," IRENE Working Papers 21-03, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    22. 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.
    23. Sébastien Houde & Wenjun Wang, 2022. "The Incidence of the U.S.-China Solar Trade War," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 22/372, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    24. Reeves, D.C. & Rai, V., 2018. "Strike while the rebate is hot: Savvy consumers and strategic technology adoption timing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 325-335.
    25. Eloïse Corazza & Francesco Filippucci, 2022. "Who Profits from Training Subsidies? Evidence from a French Individual Learning Account," Working Papers halshs-03519664, HAL.

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    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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