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Equity and the willingness to pay for green electricity in Germany

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  • Andor, Mark Andreas
  • Frondel, Manuel
  • Sommer, Stephan

Abstract

The production of electricity on the basis of renewable energy technologies is a classic example of an impure public good. It is often discriminatively financed by industrial and household consumers, such as in Germany, where the energy-intensive sector benefits from a far-reaching exemption rule, while all other electricity consumers are forced to bear a higher burden. Based on randomized information treatments in a stated-choice experiment among about 11,000 German households, we explore whether this coercive payment rule affects households' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for green electricity. Our central result is that reducing inequity by abolishing the exemption for the energyintensive industry raises households' WTP substantially.

Suggested Citation

  • Andor, Mark Andreas & Frondel, Manuel & Sommer, Stephan, 2018. "Equity and the willingness to pay for green electricity in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 759, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:759
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    1. Cordes, Ole & Klick, Larissa & Krieg, Marielena & Sommer, Stephan, 2020. "FDZ data description: Socio-ecological panel - wave 5 (Green-SÖP)," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 229169, March.
    2. Frondel, Manuel & Schubert, Stefanie, 2020. "Carbon pricing in Germany's road transport and housing sector: Options for reimbursing carbon revenues," Ruhr Economic Papers 869, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Eßer, Jana & Frondel, Manuel & Sommer, Stephan, 2021. "Soziale Normen und der Emissionsausgleich bei Flügen: Evidenz für deutsche Haushalte," RWI Materialien 139, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    4. Sommer, Stephan & Mattauch, Linus & Pahle, Michael, 2020. "Supporting carbon taxes: The role of fairness," Ruhr Economic Papers 873, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    5. Groh, Elke D. & Ziegler, Andreas, 2018. "On self-interested preferences for burden sharing rules: An econometric analysis for the costs of energy policy measures," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 417-426.
    6. Ivan Savin & Stefan Drews & Sara Maestre-Andrés & Jeroen Bergh, 2020. "Public views on carbon taxation and its fairness: a computational-linguistics analysis," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 2107-2138, October.
    7. Bakkensen, Laura & Schuler, Paul, 2020. "A preference for power: Willingness to pay for energy reliability versus fuel type in Vietnam," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    stated-choice experiment; behavioral economics; fairness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • Q20 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - General
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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