efficient subsidy policies: Topics by WorldWideScience.org

Sample records for efficient subsidy policies

Policy implications of the purchasing intentions towards energy-efficient appliances among China’s urban residents: Do subsidies work?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhaohua; Wang, Xiaomeng; Guo, Dongxue

2017-01-01

Incentive policies are always used to sway purchase, retail stocking, and production decisions toward energy-efficient products by many countries or regions. So the effectiveness of such subsidies has been of much concern to scholars. This research focused on whether, or not, subsidy policies have guided people's intentions and behaviours. We investigated 436 urban residents from 22 provinces in China, covering the seven major geographic regions, and made an empirical analysis of the factors influencing Chinese urban residents’ purchasing intentions towards energy-efficient appliances based on the structural equation model. On theoretical aspect, we developed the theory of planned behaviour. Our results show that the variable “POLICY” is insignificant which indicates that policy environment and media propaganda in China do not have significant effect on Chinese residents’ willingness to pay for energy-efficient appliances. While, the residents’ environmental awareness, past purchasing experiences, social relationships, age, and level of education all exert a significant influence on Chinese residents’ purchasing intentions. Finally, based on the above research results, the corresponding policy suggestions which mainly focus on the time of subsidy, the object of subsidy and the method of subsidy are offered for policy makers. - Highlights: • We researched people’s behaviour combined with a policy implementation background. • We found that the subsidy policy didn’t change people’s purchase intentions. • Past purchasing experiences significantly influence consumers’ purchase intentions. • We proposed policy advices about the time, types and methods of incentive policies.
A quantile approach to assess the effectiveness of the subsidy policy for energy-efficient home appliances: Evidence from Rizhao, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Xi-Long; Liu, Yang; Yan, Xiao

2014-01-01

A one-year subsidy program for energy-efficient home appliances has been implemented in China. We construct a dataset consisting of participant and non-participant households in both urban and rural areas of Rizhao city. By applying a quantile regression and counterfactual analysis, this study disentangles the impact of this subsidy program and inherent household attributes on per capita residential electricity consumption. First, contrary to the mean regression, the elasticity of electricity consumption to household's income, age, education and energy-saving awareness, varies markedly across the electricity consumption distribution and shows discrepancy between urban and rural areas. Second, while inherent household attributes are identified as a primary determinant to the changes in residential electricity consumption, the effect induced by the subsidy incentive is more significant at the middle of the electricity consumption distribution than at the tails. Third, there are significant rebound effects that lead to overall increase in household electricity consumption. Our results suggest that the disparity between urban and rural regions and targeted consumer behavior changes should be taken into account to ensure the effectiveness of a future energy-efficient subsidy program. - Highlights: • The effect of the subsidy policy on electricity consumption is assessed with a quantile regression. • Policy induced effect is more significant at the middle of the distribution than at the tails. • The rebound effects lead to overall increase in electricity consumption. • The impact of households attributes varies markedly across electricity consumption distribution
Impacts of subsidy policies on vaccination decisions in contact networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai-Feng; Wu, Zhi-Xi; Xu, Xiao-Ke; Small, Michael; Wang, Lin; Wang, Bing-Hong

2013-07-01

To motivate more people to participate in vaccination campaigns, various subsidy policies are often supplied by government and the health sectors. However, these external incentives may also alter the vaccination decisions of the broader public, and hence the choice of incentive needs to be carefully considered. Since human behavior and the networking-constrained interactions among individuals significantly impact the evolution of an epidemic, here we consider the voluntary vaccination on human contact networks. To this end, two categories of typical subsidy policies are considered: (1) under the free subsidy policy, the total amount of subsidy is distributed to a certain fraction of individual and who are vaccinated without personal cost, and (2) under the partial-offset subsidy policy, each vaccinated person is offset by a certain amount of subsidy. A vaccination decision model based on evolutionary game theory is established to study the effects of these different subsidy policies on disease control. Simulations suggest that, because the partial-offset subsidy policy encourages more people to take vaccination, its performance is significantly better than that of the free subsidy policy. However, an interesting phenomenon emerges in the partial-offset scenario: with limited amount of total subsidy, a moderate subsidy rate for each vaccinated individual can guarantee the group-optimal vaccination, leading to the maximal social benefits, while such an optimal phenomenon is not evident for the free subsidy scenario.
How to design a targeted agricultural subsidy system: efficiency or equity?

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Rong-Gang; Brady, Mark

2012-01-01

In this paper we appraise current agricultural subsidy policy in the EU. Several sources of its inefficiency are identified: it is inefficient for supporting farmers' incomes or guaranteeing food security, and irrational transfer payments decoupled from actual performance that may be negative for environmental protection, social cohesion, etc. Based on a simplified economic model, we prove that there is "reverse redistribution" in the current tax-subsidy system, which cannot be avoided. To find a possible way to distribute subsidies more efficiently and equitably, several alternative subsidy systems (the pure loan, the harvest tax and the income contingent loan) are presented and examined.
How to design a targeted agricultural subsidy system: efficiency or equity?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong-Gang Cong

Full Text Available In this paper we appraise current agricultural subsidy policy in the EU. Several sources of its inefficiency are identified: it is inefficient for supporting farmers' incomes or guaranteeing food security, and irrational transfer payments decoupled from actual performance that may be negative for environmental protection, social cohesion, etc. Based on a simplified economic model, we prove that there is "reverse redistribution" in the current tax-subsidy system, which cannot be avoided. To find a possible way to distribute subsidies more efficiently and equitably, several alternative subsidy systems (the pure loan, the harvest tax and the income contingent loan are presented and examined.
R and D Subsidies and Climate Policy. Is There a 'Free Lunch'?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popp, D.

2006-01-01

Because of the long-term nature of the climate problem, technological advances are often seen as an important component of any solution. However, when considering the potential for technology to help solve the climate problem, two market failures exist which lead to underinvestment in climate-friendly R and D: environmental externalities and the public goods nature of new knowledge. As a result, government subsidies to climate-friendly R and D projects are often proposed as part of a policy solution. Using the ENTICE model, I analyze the effectiveness of such subsidies, both with and without other climate policies, such as a carbon tax. While R and D subsidies do lead to significant increases in climate-friendly R and D, this R and D has little impact on the climate itself. Subsidies address the problem of knowledge as a public good, but they do not address the environmental externality, and thus offer no additional incentive to adopt new technologies. Moreover, high opportunity costs to R and D limit the potential role that subsidies can play. While R and D subsidies can improve efficiency, policies that directly affect the environmental externality have a much larger impact on both atmospheric temperature and economic welfare
Climate policies and learning by doing: Impacts and timing of technology subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kverndokk, Snorre; Rosendahl, Knut Einar

2007-01-01

We study the role of technology subsidies in climate policies, using a simple dynamic equilibrium model with learning by doing. The optimal subsidy rate of a carbon-free technology is high when the technology is first adopted, but falls significantly over the next decades. However, the efficiency costs of uniform instead of optimal subsidies, may be low if there are adjustment costs for a new technology. Finally, supporting existing energy technologies only, may lead to technology lock-in, and the impacts of lock-in increase with the learning potential of new technologies as well as the possibilities for early entry. (author)
Energy savings from housing: Ineffective renovation subsidies vs efficient demolition and reconstruction incentives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubois, Maarten; Allacker, Karen

2015-01-01

Energy savings in the housing sector are key to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Policies to incentivize energy savings are however disparate between countries. Taking into account environmental aspects and consumer surplus, the paper uses a stylized economic model to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of three economic instruments: subsidies for renovation, subsidies for demolition and reconstruction projects and subsidies for building new houses on virgin land. The assessment also relates to differentiated value added taxes and other financial incentives such as green loans. In a counter-intuitive way, the model highlights that subsidies for renovations with minor energy gains worsen the overall energy consumption of housing due to the inducement of lock-ins with energy inefficient houses. Structural changes are needed in the use of policy instruments. First, commonly applied support schemes for renovations with minor energy savings should be abolished. Second, scarce public resources should incentivize deep renovation and demolition and reconstruction. Finally, taxes should apply on the use of virgin land to persuade households with a high willingness to pay for a new house, to invest in demolition and reconstruction. - Highlights: • Renovation subsidies worsen overall energy consumption of housing. • Renovation induces a lock-in with energy inefficient houses. • Renovation subsidies should be abolished or structurally reformed. • Policy should incentivize demolition and reconstruction projects. • Building on virgin land should be taxed.
Energy subsidies in Argentina lead to inequalities and low thermal efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, A. D.

2009-01-01

Natural gas is the main energy resource for buildings in Argentina. Since 2002, subsidies have kept the prices of this fuel between 9 and 26 times lower than regular prices in other countries. The lowest prices are the result of climate-related subsidies. In cold areas, heating uses several times more energy than locations in Europe with a similar climate. A potential for consumption reductions of up to 70% suggests a very low building thermal performance. The main barriers to finding a solution are the heavy subsidies and public unawareness. Users, government officials, and construction professionals do not identify the very low thermal efficiency. Energy policies to encourage improvements are proposed. (author)
Energy efficiency subsidies with price-quality discrimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nauleau, Marie-Laure; Giraudet, Louis-Gaëtan; Quirion, Philippe

2015-01-01

We compare various designs of energy efficiency subsidies in a market subject to both energy-use externalities and price-quality discrimination by a monopolist. We find that differentiated subsidies can establish the social optimum. Unlike per-quality regimes, ad valorem regimes generate downstream interferences: Subsidising of the high-end good leads the monopolist to reduce the quality of the low-end good. For this reason, ad valorem differentiated rates should always decrease with energy efficiency, a result seemingly at odds with actual practice. In contrast, with per-quality differentiated subsidies, the rates can increase if the externality is large enough relative to the market share of “low” type consumers. Contrary to differentiated subsidies, what we shall call single-instrument subsidies only achieve second-best outcomes. A uniform ad valorem subsidy should have a rate higher than that needed to specifically internalise energy-use externalities. Lastly, if, as is often observed in practice, only the high-end good is to be incentivised, a per-quality regime should be preferred to an ad valorem one. An ad valorem tax on the high-end good may even be preferred to an ad valorem subsidy if the externality is small enough and low-end consumers dominate the market.
Subsidy policy and the enlargement of choice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, Sunderasan

2009-01-01

Development is the enlargement of people's choices. Optimal subsidy policy is intended to create the right incentives for each of the value chain participants. This paper contends that the interest subsidy offered by the Indian federal Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for solar thermal systems, through mainstream banking channels is superior in intent and outcome compared to the capital subsidy as currently offered for solar PV systems, routed through government controlled delivery channels. The interest subsidy enhances innovation, improves service delivery and expands the range of product available to consumers enjoying a wide range of endowments, thus leading to more inclusive development. The simple monopoly model developed by Atkinson [Atkinson AB. Capabilities, exclusion and the supply of goods. In: Basu K, Pattanaik P, Suzumura K, editor, Choice, Welfare and Development. Oxford University Press; 1995] is applied to the context of solar home systems to demonstrate price reduction and choice expansion in a liberalized market, facilitated by an interest subsidy scheme. (author)
Welfare implications of the renewable fuel standard with an integrated tax-subsidy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skolrud, Tristan D.; Galinato, Gregmar I.

2017-01-01

This paper derives the optimal integrated tax-subsidy policy where one input is taxed and revenues are used to subsidize the use of a substitute input to reduce greenhouse gas emissions given the existing policies under the Renewable Fuel Standard policies. We measure the welfare effects and impact on cellulosic ethanol production after implementing the tax-subsidy policy using a general equilibrium model. A revenue-neutral integrated tax-subsidy scheme leads to a small positive tax rate for crude oil and a large positive subsidy for cellulosic ethanol because the former has a larger emissions coefficient than the latter. The overall welfare effects of an integrated tax subsidy scheme are less than a 1% increase for the economy but the growth in the cellulosic ethanol industry could range from 28% to 238% because the revenues from taxing crude oil are directly used to subsidize cellulosic ethanol production. - Highlights: • We derive an integrated tax-subsidy interacting with the Renewable Fuel Standard. • The policy is revenue-neutral. • Policy results in a small crude oil tax and a large cellulosic ethanol subsidy. • Simulations indicate a welfare-increasing optimal policy. • Growth in the cellulosic ethanol industry ranges from 28% to 238%.
Long-term climate policy implications of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwanitz, Valeria Jana; Piontek, Franziska; Bertram, Christoph; Luderer, Gunnar

2014-01-01

It is often argued that fossil fuel subsidies hamper the transition towards a sustainable energy supply as they incentivize wasteful consumption. We assess implications of a subsidy phase-out for the mitigation of climate change and the low-carbon transformation of the energy system, using the global energy–economy model REMIND. We compare our results with those obtained by the International Energy Agency (based on the World Energy Model) and by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD-Model ENV-Linkages), providing the long-term perspective of an intertemporal optimization model. The results are analyzed in the two dimensions of subsidy phase-out and climate policy scenarios. We confirm short-term benefits of phasing-out fossil fuel subsidies as found in prior studies. However, these benefits are only sustained to a small extent in the long term, if dedicated climate policies are weak or nonexistent. Most remarkably we find that a removal of fossil fuel subsidies, if not complemented by other policies, can slow down a global transition towards a renewable based energy system. The reason is that world market prices for fossil fuels may drop due to a removal of subsidies. Thus, low carbon alternatives would encounter comparative disadvantages. - Highlights: • We assess implications of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies on the mitigation of climate change. • The removal of subsidies leads to a net-reduction in the use of energy. • Emission reductions contribute little to stabilize greenhouse gases at 450 ppm if not combined with climate policies. • Low carbon alternatives may encounter comparative disadvantages due to relative price changes at world markets
Environmental policy and the energy efficiency of vertically differentiated consumer products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brzeskot, Magdalena; Haupt, Alexander

2013-01-01

We analyse optimal environmental policies in a market that is vertically differentiated in terms of the energy efficiency of products. Considering energy taxes, subsidies to firms for investment in more eco-friendly products, and product standards, we are particularly interested in how distributional goals in addition to environmental goals shape the choice of policy instruments. We find that an industry-friendly government levies an energy tax to supplement a lax product standard, but shies away from subsidies to firms. By contrast, a consumer-friendly government relies heavily on a strict product standard and additionally implements a moderate subsidy to firms, but avoids energy taxes. - Highlights: ► We analyse how distributional goals shape environmental policy. ► Firms invest in the energy efficiency of their products and compete in prices. ► An industry-friendly government implements an energy tax and a lax product standard. ► A consumer-friendly government chooses a subsidy to firms instead of an energy tax. ► A consumer-friendly government implements a strict energy efficiency standard
Optimal subsidy policy for accelerating the diffusion of green products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongguang Peng

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: We consider a dynamic duopoly market in which two firms respectively produce green products and conventional products. The two types of product can substitute each other in some degree. Their demand rates depend on not only prices but the consumers’ increasing environmental awareness. Too high initial cost relative to conventional products becomes one of the major obstacles that hinder the adoption of green products. The government employs subsidy policy to trigger the adoption of green products. The purpose of the paper is to explore the optimal subsidy strategy to fulfill the government’s objective. Design/methodology/approach: We suppose the players in the game employ open-loop strategies, which make sense since the government generally cannot alter his policy for political and economic purposes. We take a differential game approach and use backward induction to analyze the firms’ pricing strategy under Cournot competition, and then focus upon a Stackelberg equilibrium to find the optimal subsidy strategy of the government. Findings: The results show that the more remarkable the energy or environmental performance, or the bigger the initial cost of green products, the higher the subsidy level should be. Due to the increasing environmental awareness and the learning curve, the optimal subsidy level decreases over time. Research limitations/implications: In our model several simplifying assumptions are made to keep the analysis more tractable. In particular, we have assumed only one type of green product. In reality several types of product with different energy or environmental performances exist. Our research can be extended in future work to take into account product differentiation on energy or environmental performance and devise a discriminatory subsidy policy accordingly. Originality/value: In the paper we set the objective of the government as minimizing the total social cost induced by the energy consumption or
The reform of energy subsidies for the enhancement of marine sustainability: An empirical analysis of energy subsidies worldwide and an in-depth case study of South Korea's energy subsidy policies

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Jae Hyun

reforms, first of all, humans need a new energy paradigm to replace the hitherto dominant commodification paradigm. On an international level, creation of an international renewable energy agency and creation of renewable funds will spur on energy subsidy reforms of all nations, especially developing countries. On a national level, government's role should change from growth-oriented economic policy to sustainable development that includes environmentally friendly energy systems. In terms of social welfare, energy subsidies should be transformed to direct income policy, which is more effective for the welfare of the poor. The South Korean government should exchange its current supply-oriented fishery policy, which relies heavily on energy subsidies, to a Marine Reserves policy and direct income policy. For successful energy subsidy reforms, the government, NGOs, and private market should cooperate. Specifically, NGOs' role in monitoring and pushing government's energy subsidy reform is invaluable, considering the limits of modern bureaucracy and the profit-oriented market character. Most environmental problems, including global warming, have a close relation with fossil fuel and nuclear energy use. Historically, these energy systems have become entrenched deeply in society through energy subsidy policy. Energy subsidy reforms are a key to the environmental problem and accelerated transition to renewable energy.
Energy Efficiency Under Alternative Carbon Policies. Incentives, Measurement, and Interregional Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinberg, Daniel C. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Boyd, Erin [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-08-28

In this report, we examine and compare how tradable mass-based polices and tradable rate-based policies create different incentives for energy efficiency investments. Through a generalized demonstration and set of examples, we show that as a result of the output subsidy they create, traditional rate-based policies, those that do not credit energy savings from efficiency measures, reduce the incentive for investment in energy efficiency measures relative to an optimally designed mass-based policy or equivalent carbon tax. We then show that this reduced incentive can be partially addressed by modifying the rate-based policy such that electricity savings from energy efficiency measures are treated as a source of zero-carbon generation within the framework of the standard, or equivalently, by assigning avoided emissions credit to the electricity savings at the rate of the intensity target. These approaches result in an extension of the output subsidy to efficiency measures and eliminate the distortion between supply-side and demand-side options for GHG emissions reduction. However, these approaches do not address electricity price distortions resulting from the output subsidy that also impact the value of efficiency measures. Next, we assess alternative approaches for crediting energy efficiency savings within the framework of a rate-based policy. Finally, we identify a number of challenges that arise in implementing a rate-based policy with efficiency crediting, including the requirement to develop robust estimates of electricity savings in order to assess compliance, and the requirement to track the regionality of the generation impacts of efficiency measures to account for their interstate effects.
The Impact of the Subsidy Policy on Total Factor Productivity: An Empirical Analysis of China's Cotton Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanwen Tan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper develops one model to explore the relationship between the subsidy policy and the agricultural total factor productivity (TFP. It indicates that the agricultural TFP will be lower after the subsidy policy is implemented and there exists a negative relation between the subsidy and TFP, if subsidies are associated with the acreage. Using Malmquist index, this paper measures the changes of TFP in China's cotton production before and after the subsidy policy is implemented. The results verify that the subsidy policy could not increase but decrease the TFP of China's cotton production, not only in the whole country but also in major provinces of China. Based on the positive study, some policy implications are provided in the end of this paper.
Energy subsidies: lessons learned in assessing their impact and designing policy reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltke, A. von; McKee, C.; Morgan, T.

2004-02-01

This book, which is based on the work carried out by the International Energy Agency and UNEP, explores the potential impacts of energy subsidies and provides guidelines for policy makers on how to implement reform of energy subsides. The background on energy subsidies is traced and an analytical framework is presented covering defining and measuring energy subsidies, the size of the subsidies, and analysis of the impact of subsidies and their reform. Energy subsidies in OECD countries, Czech and Slovak Republics, Russia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Iran and Senegal are examined along with the impact of removing energy subsidies in Chile, the findings of country case studies, and the design and implementation of energy subsidies reforms. Methodological approaches to analysing the economic, environmental and social effects of energy subsidy reform are considered in the Annex
The Impacts of Subsidy Policies on Vaccination Decisions in Contact Networks

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Hai-Feng; Wu, Zhi-Xi; Xu, Xiao-Ke; Small, Michael; Wang, Bing-Hong

2012-01-01

Often, vaccination programs are carried out based on self-interest rather than being mandatory. Owing to the perceptions about risks associated with vaccines and the `herd immunity' effect, it may provide suboptimal vaccination coverage for the population as a whole. In this case, some subsidy policies may be offered by the government to promote vaccination coverage. But, not all subsidy policies are effective in controlling the transmission of infectious diseases. We address the question of ...

Analysis of the effectiveness of fertilizer subsidy policy and its effect on rice production in Karanganyar Regency

Science.gov (United States)

Mulyadiana, A. T.; Marwanti, S.; Rahayu, W.

2018-03-01

The research aims to know the factors which affecting rice production, and to know the effectiveness of fertilizer subsidy policy on rice production in Karanganyar Regency. The fertilizer subsidy policy was based on four indicators of fertilizer subsidy namely exact price, exact place, exact time, and exact quantity. Data was analyzed using descriptive quantitative and qualitative and multiple linear regression. The result of research showed that fertilizer subsidy policy in Karanganyar Regency evaluated from four indicators was not effective because the distribution of fertilizer subsidy to farmers still experience some mistakes. The result of regression analysis showed that production factors such as land area, use of urea fertilizer, use of NPK fertilizer, and effectiveness of fertilizer subsidy policy had positive correlation and significant influence on rice production, while labor utilization and use of seeds factors had no significant effect on rice production in Karanganyar Regency. This means that if the fertilizer subsidy policy is more effective, rice production is also increased.
How do policies for efficient energy use in the household sector induce energy-efficiency innovation? An evaluation of European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girod, Bastien; Stucki, Tobias; Woerter, Martin

2017-01-01

Research on innovation induced by climate-mitigation policy has been focused predominantly on the supply side of the energy system. Despite considerable climate-mitigation potential on the demand side, less attention is given to the innovation effect of policies addressing the household sector. Based on a comprehensive data set, including 550 policy measures over 30 years (1980–2009) and covering 21 European countries, we find—based on econometric estimations—that policies targeting efficient energy use in the household sector significantly increase the number of patented energy-efficiency inventions. A comparison of the different policy types reveals a particularly strong influence from financial subsidies and energy labels. The results indicate that policies supporting early market adoption of energy-efficient technologies are effective in fostering innovation. - Highlights: • We evaluate the impact of energy-efficiency policy on energy-efficiency innovation. • The dataset covers patents and policies for 1980–2009 in 21 European countries. • Household policies show a positive influence on innovation activity (patented inventions). • The influence is most pronounced for financial subsidies and energy labels.
Maintenance Policy in Public-Transport Involving Government Subsidy

Science.gov (United States)

Pasaribu, U. S.; Bayuzetra, Y.; Gunawan, L. E.; Husniah, H.

2018-02-01

A public transport with government subsidy is considered to encourage the sustainability of the transportation. The transportations revenue is determined by the maximum of the uptimes of the vehicle. In this paper, we study a one-dimensional maintenance policy for new vehicle which is characterized by age parameter. We consider that the degradation of the vehicle is affected by the age of the vehicle, and modelled by using a one-dimensional approach. The owner performs both preventive and corrective maintenance actions, and the preventive maintenance action will reduce the vehicle failure rate and hence it will decrease the corrective maintenance cost during the life time of the vehicle. The decision problem for the owner is to find the optimal preventive maintenance time of the vehicle of each subsidy option offered by maximizing the expected profit for each subsidy.
The economics of gasoline subsidy cost reduction policy: Case study of Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Akimaya, Muhammad I.

A gasoline subsidy distorts the gasoline market with the resulting inefficiencies and takes substantial revenues that arguably could be spent elsewhere with a better impact on economic growth. Governments with such subsidies are aware of their cost yet face difficulties in removing the policy because of strong resistance from the public. This thesis discusses in three essays the problem faced by the government in removing the gasoline subsidy and provides an alternative policy in reducing the subsidy cost applied to the case of Indonesia. In the first essay, we examine the decision-making process from the government's perspective that has an objective of generating savings to fund other programs while maintaining political power, and the influence that the general population has over the decision. Despite the immense literature on political power, there has yet to be any research that mathematically models the decision-making process of a government with influences from the general population. Under the benchmark scenario, the equilibrium strategy is to keep the subsidy intact. However, the results are found to be very sensitive to the magnitude of the shift in political power as well as the preferences of both the government and the people. In the second essay, we estimate the cross-price elasticity of regular gasoline with respect to premium gasoline price. The importance of such knowledge is to accurately determine the impact of fuel pricing policy that tends to have different rates of tax or subsidy depending on the grade of gasoline. Using data on the Mexican gasoline market, regular gasoline demand is estimated with an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. Endogeneity of the price and structural break are also investigated. The cross-price elasticities between regular and premium gasoline is found to be -0.895, which confirms high substitutability among gasoline with different grades. In the third essay, we look at the unique case of Indonesia that
Evolving An Effective Trade Policy Against Agricultural Subsidies Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The response of developing countries to this trend has been a weak and uncoordinated trade policy. They have been unable to effectively curtail the onslaught of dumping. This paper is an analysis of Nigeria's trade policy in tackling the issue of agricultural subsidies. This took the form of an in-depth assessment of the ...
The Fiscal and Macroeconomic Impacts of Reforming Energy Subsidy Policy in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Nora Yusma Bte Mohamed Yusoff; Hussain Ali Bekhet

2017-01-01

The rationalization of a gradual subsidies reforms plan has been set out by the Malaysian government to achieve the high-income nation target. This paper attempts to analyze the impacts of energy subsidy reform policy on fiscal deficit and macroeconomics variables in Malaysia. The Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model is employed. Three simulations based on different groups of scenarios have been developed. Importantly, the overall results indicate that removal of fuel subsidy has signif...
How to Design a Targeted Agricultural Subsidy System: Efficiency or Equity?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cong, Ronggang; Brady, Mark

2012-01-01

for environmental protection, social cohesion, etc. Based on a simplified economic model, we prove that there is “reverse redistribution” in the current tax-subsidy system, which cannot be avoided. To find a possible way to distribute subsidies more efficiently and equitably, several alternative subsidy systems...... (the pure loan, the harvest tax and the income contingent loan) are presented and examined....
Economic and Environmental Effects of Public Transport Subsidy Policies: a Spatial CGE Model of Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Xu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Public transport plays an important role in the environment. This study established a Spatial Computable General Equilibrium (SCGE model to examine the economic and environmental effects of public transport subsidy policies. The model includes firms, consumers, and traffic modules in one framework. Statistical data from Beijing were used in calibration to obtain benchmark equilibrium. Based on the equilibrium, simulations compared citywide social welfare, jobs-housing spatial population distribution, and environmental outputs under four subsidy policies: fare subsidy, cash grants, road expansion, and public transport speedup. Based on the results regarding the effects of public transport policies, conclusions can be drawn about which policies will have greater overall social influence and should therefore be used.
Financial assessment of government subsidy policy on photovoltaic systems for industrial users: A case study in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Shuo-Yan; Nguyen, Thi Anh Tuyet; Yu, Tiffany Hui-Kuang; Phan, Nguyen Ky Phuc

2015-01-01

Due to Taiwan's limited energy resources, the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) in Taiwan has become one of the most important solutions for meeting future energy supply needs and ensuring environmental protection. A huge amount of researches about renewable energy sources has emerged recently in response to these issues. However, the amount of researches considering the effects of various influential parameters on the efficiency and performance of PV systems remains small, and is still limited to some specific parts of PV systems. In particular, researches considering thoughtfully the influence of government subsidies on PV financial assessment are still in development. This paper proposes an approach to analyze the benefit of installing a PV system under the impact of government financial subsidies, focusing especially on feed-in-tariff (FIT) and tax abatement policies for industrial users in Taiwan. In addition, a method for selecting the most appropriate policies is proposed for the government through the analysis of both user demand and the government's PV installation capacity target. - Highlights: • Analyzing the benefit of installing a PV system impacted by the government subsidy. • Analyzing the role of policy in the financial model of PV system. • Estimating the performance of PV system under the real weather condition. • Methods to select the policies which satisfy demands of both government and users. • Methods to select the policies which ensure cost-effectiveness of government's support.
Economic efficiency of solar hot water policy in New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillingham, Kenneth

2009-01-01

New Zealand has recently followed the path of several other countries in promoting solar hot water (SHW) systems in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet the economic efficiency of large-scale policies to encourage SHW remains a pressing question for policymakers. This paper develops an economic framework to examine policies to promote SHW in New Zealand, including the current information, training, and subsidy policy. The economic framework points to environmental, energy security, and average-cost electricity retail pricing market failures as motivation for SHW policy, with the global climate change externality the most important of these. The results indicate that domestic SHW systems are close to being financially attractive from a consumer perspective, but a more substantial subsidy policy would be necessary for SHW to appeal to a wider audience. Such a policy is far more likely to have positive net benefits than a policy of mandating SHW on all homes or all new homes in New Zealand, and could be justified on economic efficiency grounds under reasonable assumptions. However, this result reverses under an economy-wide carbon trading system that internalizes the environmental externality.
Conservation potential of agricultural water conservation subsidies

Science.gov (United States)

Huffaker, Ray

2008-07-01

A current policy subsidizes farmers to invest in improved on-farm irrigation efficiency, expecting water to be conserved off farm. Contrary to expectation, water has been increasingly depleted in some regions after such improvements. This paper investigates the policy's failure to conserve water consistently by (1) formulating an economic model of irrigated crop production to determine a profit-maximizing irrigator's range of responses to a subsidy and (2) embedding these responses into hypothetical streamflow diagrams to ascertain their potential to conserve water under various hydrologic regimes. Testable hypotheses are developed to predict the conservation potential of a subsidy in real-world application.
Research on a Microgrid Subsidy Strategy Based on Operational Efficiency of the Industry Chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Long

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Government subsidy is a powerful tool to motivate the development of a new energy industry. At the early stage of microgrid development, for the sake of the cost and benefit issue, it is necessary for the government to subsidize so as to support and promote the development of microgrids. However, a big challenge in practice is how to optimize the operational efficiency of the microgrid industry chain with varying targets and methods of subsidy. In order to explore this problem, we construct a subsidy model based on the microgrid industry chain, involving government, investor, operator, equipment supplier, and user. Through calculation and solution of this model, we obtain price and return indicators of each microgrid industry chain participant when the subsidy target differs. Based on that, we contrast and compare the optimal subsidy strategy and influencing factors when operational efficiency indicators vary. Finally, we validate and analyze this model with numerical analysis and discuss the impact of development stage, technological level, and change in subsidy amount on the operational efficiency of the microgrid industry chain and on the returns of each participant. This result is of great significance to subsidy practice for microgrids and the development of microgrids.
Subsidy modes, waste cooking oil and biofuel: Policy effectiveness and sustainable supply chains in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Huiming; Li, Lianshui; Zhou, Peng; Hou, Jianmin; Qiu, Yueming

2014-01-01

Many countries are concerned with the waste-to-energy for economic development and societal welfare. This paper constructs a dynamic game model that, for the first time compares the incentive effects of four common subsidy modes on waste cooking oil supply for biofuel refining and sales of waste cooking oil refined products. The model considers the impact of preferential tax treatment, a raw material subsidy, a sales subsidy and an investment subsidy on the profits of biofuel enterprises and waste cooking oil recyclers. Results indicate that common approaches adopted in developed economies such as raw material price subsidies and finished products sales subsidies increase the profits of both biofuel enterprises and recyclers. On the contrary, investment subsidies, which are relatively common in some regions of China, increase the profits of recyclers, while reducing revenues achieved by biofuel enterprises. To promote the supply chain, policy should give priority to raw material price subsidies and finished products sales subsidies, and for investment subsidies, however, the government should be cautious
Efficient Climate Policy with Internationally Mobile Firms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maestad, O.

2001-01-01

A major concern in the design of an incomplete climate agreement is that firms that use fossil fuels intensively may respond to emission regulations by relocating their plants from cooperating to non-cooperating countries. This paper analyses how the cooperating countries might deal with the issue of firm delocation through emission taxes, trade provisions and a localisation subsidy to mobile firms. It is shown that firms should not be induced to stay in the cooperating countries by lowering emission taxes below the Pigouvian tax rate. Incentives to stay should be given partly through trade provisions and partly through a localisation subsidy. A second best solution without localisation subsidies is also discussed. In that case, the efficient emission tax is lower than the Pigouvian tax rate. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the first best and the second best policy regimes for the pattern of firm localisation. 19 refs
A revisit of fossil-fuel subsidies in China: Challenges and opportunities for energy price reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Boqiang; Ouyang, Xiaoling

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We measure fossil-fuel subsidies and effects of subsidy removal in a systematic fashion during 2006–2010. • Fossil-fuel subsidies scale of China was CNY 881.94 billion in 2010, equivalent to 2.59% of GDP. • Impacts of removing subsidies on macroeconomic variables are examined by the CGE model. • Future policy should focus on designing transparent, targeted and efficient energy subsidies. - Abstract: Fossil-fuel subsidies contribute to the extensive growth of energy demand and the related carbon dioxide emissions in China. However, the process of energy price reform is slow, even though China faces increasing problems of energy scarcity and environmental deterioration. This paper focuses on analyzing fossil fuel subsidies in China by estimating subsidies scale and the implications for future reform. We begin by measuring fossil-fuel subsidies and the effects of subsidy removal in a systematic fashion during 2006–2010 using a price-gap approach. Results indicate that the oil price reform in 2009 significantly reduced China’s fossil-fuel subsidies and modified the subsidy structure. Fossil-fuel subsidies scale in China was 881.94 billion CNY in 2010, which was lower than the amount in 2006, equivalent to 2.59% of the GDP. The macro-economic impacts of removing fossil-fuel subsidies are then evaluated by the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Results demonstrate that the economic growth and employment will be negatively affected as well as energy demand, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions. Finally, policy implications are suggested: first, risks of government pricing of energy are far from negligible; second, an acceptable macroeconomic impact is a criterion for energy price reform in China; third, the future energy policy should focus on designing transparent, targeted and efficient energy subsidies
Market-based carbon abatement policies: the case of coal subsidy phase-out

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okogu, B.E.; Birol, F.

1993-01-01

The issue of coal subsidies in industrialized countries is explored and basic econometric techniques are used to quantify the impact on carbon emissions of phasing out such subsidies. Components with other measures for reducing global carbon emissions, such as a carbon or energy tax, deregulation of the coal market has at least equal merit in terms of cost, and it is certainly cheaper than engineering-based approaches, moreover, a policy of coal-subsidy phase-out will have a positive impact on the drive for a cleaner global environment and regional problems, such as acid rain. Coal mining is also an important source of the second major greenhouse gas, methane. Yet coal is the least taxed of all fossil fuels and enjoys significant subsidies in a number of industrialized countries. This raised serious doubts about the real intentions of the proposed new energy and environmental taxes in Europe and North America. (3 figures, 3 tables) (UK)
Reducing rebound effect through fossil subsidies reform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ren, Jingzheng; Yang, Yingkui; Li, Hong

2017-01-01

China has committed a sharp reduction in its carbon intensity by 2020 and proposed to take integrated policy package including energy subsidy reform to achieve this goal. While energy efficiency improvement is the key influencing factor for this goal, its effectiveness is significantly determined...
Annex 1: 1998 review of energy efficiency policy in EU countries and Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

This document makes a status for the year 1998 of the energy efficiency policies implemented in the European Union member states and Norway (residential, transport and industrial sectors, institutional changes, measures and programmes, budget, utilities, pricing, efficiency standards, voluntary agreements, investment subsidies, taxation and tax exemptions). (J.S.)
Comparative study of commercial building energy-efficiency retrofit policies in four pilot cities in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Jing; Liu, Yisheng; Wu, Yong; Zhou, Nan; Feng, Wei

2016-01-01

The energy efficiency of existing commercial buildings is more challenging to regulate and improve than the energy efficiency of new constructions. In 2011 and 2012, the Chinese Government selected four cities- Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Chongqing- to implement pilot commercial building energy efficiency retrofit program. Based on site surveys and expert interviews in these pilot cities, this research conducted a comparative analysis on incentive policies of local city level. The analysis results show that policy designs of existing commercial buildings should be further improved. The aspects that influence the implementation effect in the future, such as subsidy level, installments, and business model promotion, should be specified in the policy clauses. Referring to the technical solution and cost-benefit in Chongqing, we found that lighting system is the most common retrofit objects while envelope system is the least common one. And the subsidy incentive is greatest for educational buildings, followed by office buildings. In the end, we further discussed the problems and obstacles in commercial building retrofit market, and provided a series of recommendations. - Highlights: • Data and information were collected through site surveys to the four pilot cities. • Policy design and effectiveness in four cities were comparatively analyzed. • Well-designed policy increases market response, energy savings and EMC adoption. • Lighting is the most common retrofit while envelope is the least common one. • Subsidy incentive is greatest for educational buildings due to the utility tariff.
Ex-ante evaluation of profitability and government's subsidy policy on vehicle-to-grid system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Junhee; Koo, Yoonmo; Jeong, Gicheol; Lee, Jongsu

2012-01-01

Abstact: Although the electric vehicle reduces pollutant emissions and results in reduced energy costs, lack of battery charging infrastructure and relatively high vehicle prices create challenges to the automobile industry and affect government support policies. To create a battery charging infrastructure, such as a vehicle-to-grid system, stakeholders need a quantitative analysis that decreases profitability uncertainty. The high cost of an electric vehicle can be offset by government subsidies that promote early marketing efforts, but an ex-ante evaluation of consumer demand is needed to analyze the effectiveness of any policy. This study provides information about optimal pricing based on consumer demand as well as the social welfare change effected by possible government subsidy polices for electric vehicles. Results show that the maximum profit for a vehicle-to-grid service provider will be 1.27 trillion Korean won/year with an annual subscription fee of 0.65 million Korean won. The government subsidy of 1 trillion Korean won, given annually, will increase social welfare by 1.94 trillion won and also boost the profit of vehicle-to-grid service provider to 1.98 trillion won. - Highlights: ▶ We evaluate consumer preference on electric vehicle and V2G service. ▶ Based on the consumer preference, we calculate profitability of V2G service. ▶ Also, the effect of government subsidy on electric vehicle market is analyzed. ▶ The empirical results will be useful to the V2G service providers and policy makers

Encouraging energy efficiency: Policies and programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

Successfully overcoming the barriers to higher energy efficiency requires development of policies designed for specific users and locations. Reform of energy pricing, which entails removing subsidies and beginning internalization of externalities, is critical to give technology producers and users proper signals for investment and management decisions. But while a rise in energy prices increases the amount of energy-efficiency improvement that is cost-effective, it does not remove other barriers that deter investment. Minimum efficiency standards or agreements can raise the market floor, and are important because they affect the entire market in the near-term. But they may not raise the celining very much, and do little to push the efficiency frontier. To accomplish these goals, incentives and other market-development strategies are needed. Utility programs in particular can play a key role in pushing energy efficiency beyond the level where users are likely to invest on their own. Policies, programs, and pricing should complement one another. Pricing reform alone will not overcome the many entrenched barriers to higher energy efficiency, but trying to accelerate energy efficiency improvement without addressing energy pricing problems will lead to limited success. Whether tagerting new equipment or management of existing systems, policies must reflect a thorough understanding of the particular system and an awareness of the motivations of the actors. 25 refs
Sustainable energy policy: the impact of government subsidies on ethanol as a renewable fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Osuagwu, Denis Ahamarula

The United States Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1978 to promote ethanol production and reduce American dependence on foreign oil. The provision of subsidies in the act is indicative of the importance of energy in the economy. America needs a national energy policy that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. Considering the importance of these needs, this study examines (a) the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 1978 in regard to government subsidies and its effect on ethanol production, (b) the effect of gasoline consumption and cost on ethanol production, (c) the effect of corn production and price on ethanol fuel, and (d) the role of mandates and global crises on ethanol production. Secondary qualitative and quantitative data collected from various sources in 1978 through 2005 study the effect of ethanol subsidies on ethanol production. An autoregression error model is used to estimate the relevance of the explanatory variables on variations in ethanol production. The following are major study findings: (1) there is a positive correlation between corn production and ethanol production, is statistically significant; (2) government subsidies have a statistically significant positive correlation with ethanol production; (3) oil import has a statistically significant positive correlation with ethanol production, but has not contributed to a reduction the quantity of imported oil; (4) the price of corn has a statistically significant inverse relationship with ethanol production; (5) though not statistically significant, the price per barrel of oil is inversely related to ethanol production; (6) the budget surplus or deficit is associated with ethanol production; and (7) advocacy and lobbying for renewable fuel have encouraged support of ethanol production. The findings also show that global crises in the oil producing regions tend to influence the passage of favorable legislation for ethanol production. Furthermore, the
Fertilizer procurement, distribution and subsidy policies in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ... subsidy at source, and subsidy at source including transportation subsidy to delivery points. It was recommended that the National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) Onne, Port Harcourt should ...
Distributional incidence of green electricity price subsidies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Feng; Zhang, Bing

2016-01-01

Distributional incidences are fundamental to environmental and energy policies, a condition that has led to controversies on the equity of environmental and energy policy. Using data from China's Urban Household Income and Expenditure Survey data from 2007, this study quantified the distributional effects of the green electricity price subsidy policy among Chinese urban household and compared its effects by using lifetime income and annual income to classify households, respectively. The results show that total electricity subsidies are mainly driven by indirect electricity subsidies. By using lifetime income to classify households, subsidies to households in the poorest two groups accounted for less than 10.2% of the total subsidies, whereas money distributed to households in the top two deciles reached 35.4%. The comparison using annual income to group households also demonstrated the similar impact of the green electricity price subsidy policy. China’s future market reforms should allow electricity prices to reflect pollution abatement costs. Additionally, a multi-step block electricity price schedule can reduce the regressivity of the policy. - Highlights: • We quantified the distributional effects of the green electricity price subsidy. • The distributional effects of different income groups were compared. • The poorest two groups accounted for less than 10.2% of the total subsidies. • The green electricity price subsidy policy benefited the rich at household level.
Impact of a simultaneous reduction in fishing subsidies and introduction of efficient management of rents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Merayo, Eugenia; Waldo, Staffan; Nielsen, Max

2018-01-01

of the largest fishing nations within the EU. A static bio-economic model is used to analyze the effect of simultaneous elimination of subsidies and introduction of an economically efficient management system for the Northwest Spanish fleet. It is concluded that improvements in management would bring substantial......Subsidies to the fishing sector have long been criticized for fueling over-fishing, and a reduction in subsidies is currently on the agenda in the negotiations within the World Trade Organization (WTO). This article analyzes the role of subsidies and other management measures for Spain, one...... rents to the industry, up to €164 million, irrespective of subsidy level, but also a reduction in fishing effort of almost 60%. Under a management scheme that maximizes economic rents, elimination of subsidies in the fishery would increase social welfare, induced by a decrease in the equilibrium fishing...
Are subsidies for biodiesel economically efficient?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wassell, Charles S.; Dittmer, Timothy P.

2006-01-01

Biodiesel produces less pollution than petrodiesel; however, it is more expensive and will only be a viable alternative if market prices of the products are comparable. This paper examines whether the external benefits from biodiesel use justify subsidies required for adoption outside of niche alternative fuel markets. The authors establish a range of subsidies required to make biodiesel a viable substitute for petrodiesel. Published estimates of the emissions reductions from biodiesel and the dollar benefits of unit reductions in emissions are used to compute a per-gallon external benefit from use of biodiesel, versus petrodiesel. Under conservative estimates of the benefits from biodiesel use in non-road equipment, the external benefits outweigh the required subsidies.(JEL Q48, Q42, H2)
Improving Energy Efficiency Through Technology. Trends, Investment Behaviour and Policy Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Florax, R.J.G.M. [Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); De Groot, H.L.F. [VU University, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mulder, P. [Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam (Netherlands)] (eds.)

2011-10-15

This innovative book explores the adoption of energy-saving technologies and their impact on energy efficiency improvements. It contains a mix of theoretical and empirical contributions, and combines and compares economic and physical indicators to monitor and analyse trends in energy efficiency. The authors pay considerable attention to empirical research on the determinants of energy-saving investment including uncertainty, energy-price volatility and subsidies. They also discuss the role of energy modelling in policy design and the potential effect of energy policies on technology diffusion in energy-extensive sectors. Written from a multi-disciplinary perspective, this book will appeal to academics and graduates in the areas of energy-saving technologies, energy economics and natural resource economics, as well as policy makers - particularly those in energy policy.
Forest Carbon Sequestration Subsidy and Carbon Tax as Part of China’s Forestry Policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinhua Liu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Forestry is an effective strategy for climate change mitigation. However, forestry activities not only sequester carbon but also release CO2. It is therefore important to formulate carbon subsidy and carbon taxation policies on the basis of the price of carbon. In this study, a forestry-based Computable General Equilibrium (CGE model was built by using input-output data of China in 2014 to construct a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM. The model simulates different carbon price scenarios and was used to explore the effects of carbon subsidy and carbon taxation policies on the forestry economy. The main results can be summarized as follows: When the carbon price is low, the implementation of the policy increases forestry output and causes forest product prices to rise. When the carbon price is high, the carbon tax will produce an inhibitory effect, and output and prices will decline. With the constant rise of the carbon price, value addition will decrease, with flow to other industries. For the carbon sequestration policy, there is a reasonable carbon price range bound. In light of these results, relevant policies are proposed.
Fossil fuel subsidies and the new EU Climate and Energy Governance Mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartor, Oliver; Spencer, Thomas

2016-07-01

There is currently no dedicated process to track the extent of fossil fuel subsidies, nor to ensure that Member States phase them out. This situation is inconsistent with the European Union's stated decarbonization and energy efficiency dimensions under the Energy Union. The EU is therefore in need of an alternative process for tracking and ensuring the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies by the Member States. The new Energy Union governance mechanism presents an opportunity for creating this alternative. Providing the right price signals is essential part of the policy mix that is needed to achieve Europe's climate policy goals. Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in the EU is an important part of aligning energy prices with the EU's climate and energy goals. Depending on how they are measured, combined fossil fuel subsidies in the EU range from 39 to over euro 200 billion per annum (European Commission, 2014). They therefore constitute a significant source of incoherence between the EU's climate mitigation and fiscal policies for energy. However, there has recently been mixed progress in addressing fossil fuel subsidies in Europe. For instance, under the Europe 2020 Strategy, Member States had committed to begin developing plans for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies by 2020. Progress on implementing these plans was supposed to be monitored under the European Semester. However, the decision was taken to remove the focus on energy and fossil fuel subsidies from the European Semester in 2015. As yet, no new system for governing the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies has been advanced, leaving the question of fossil fuel subsidy reform in limbo. The advent of the EU's Energy Union project creates an opportunity for putting the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies back on track in Europe. This could be done by including requirements for national goal setting on specific kinds of fossil fuel subsidies in a dedicated sub-section of the National Climate and Energy Plans
Combining tariffs, investment subsidies and soft loans in a renewable electricity deployment policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mir-Artigues, Pere; Río, Pablo del

2014-01-01

Policy combinations and interactions have received a considerable attention in the climate and energy policy realm. However, virtually no attention has been paid to the analysis of the combination of different deployment instruments for the same renewable energy technology. This neglect is all the more striking given the existence in current policy practice of combinations of deployment instruments either across technologies or for the same technology, both in the EU and elsewhere. What renewable electricity support policies to use and, therefore, how to combine them in order to promote the deployment of renewable energy technologies cost-effectively is a main concern of governments. The aim of this paper is to provide insight on the cost-effectiveness of combinations of deployment instruments for the same technology. A financial model is developed for this purpose, whereby feed-in tariffs (FITs) are combined with investment subsidies and soft loans. The results show that the policy costs of combinations are the same as for the FITs-only option. Therefore, combining deployment instruments is not a cost-containment strategy. However, combinations may lead to different inter-temporal distributions of the same amount of policy costs and, thus, differently affect the social acceptability and political feasibility of renewable energy support. - Highlights: • Insight on the cost-effectiveness of combinations of deployment instruments for the same technology. • A financial model is developed. • Feed-in tariffs (FITs) are combined with investment subsidies and soft loans. • The policy costs of combinations are the same as for the FITs-only option. • Therefore, combining deployment measures is not a cost-containment strategy
Set-Asides and Subsidies in Auctions

OpenAIRE

Susan Athey; Dominic Coey; Jonathan Levin

2011-01-01

Set-asides and subsidies are used extensively in government procurement and natural resource sales. We analyze these policies in an empirical model of U.S. Forest Service timber auctions. The model fits the data well both within the sample of unrestricted sales where we estimate the model, and when we predict (out of sample) bidder entry and prices for small business set-asides. Our estimates suggest that restricting entry to small businesses substantially reduces efficiency and revenue, alth...
The energy policy and sustainability of the subsidy mechanism for retail petroleum products consumed in Trinidad and Tobago

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baksh, Timmy

2010-09-15

In 1974 the Petroleum Production Levy and Subsidy Act gave effect to legislation which detailed a mechanism to implement a subsidy on all fuel consumed within, and in the territorial waters of, Trinidad and Tobago. This paper will analyse the underlying principles of this energy policy, follow how the mechanism has evolved over the years and propose new iterations to the existing model in order to reduce the Governments liability. The sustainability of the subsidy will be examined and as well as an in-depth analysis on the possible impact on inflation if this mechanism is removed.
Energy Efficiency Policy in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beravs, F.

1998-01-01

When Slovenia gained its independence in 1991, its energy sector was characterised by largely centralised state planning and artificially low prices maintained by widespread subsidies. Supply side considerations tended to dominate the energy policy and sectoral planning. As a result the final energy intensity in Slovenia was (still albeit declining) considerably higher than the EU average. In order to support economic growth and transition to a modern market economy, integrated and competitive in the European and world market structures, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a resolution on the Strategy of Energy Use and Supply of Slovenia in early 1996. In the field of energy use, the long-term strategic orientation is to increase energy efficiency in all sectors of energy consumption. The main objective can be summarised as to secure the provision of reliable and environmentally friendly energy services at least costs. In quantitative terms the Strategy attaches a high priority to energy efficiency and environmental protection and sets the target of improving the overall energy efficiency by 2% p.a. over the next 10 to 15 years. To achieve the target mentioned above the sectoral approach and a number of policy instruments have been foreseen. Besides market based energy prices which will, according to the European Energy Charter, gradually incorporate the cost of environment and social impacts, the following policy instruments will be intensified and budget-supported: education and awareness building, energy consultation, regulations and agreements, financial incentives, innovation and technology development. The ambitious energy conservation objectives represent a great challenge to the whole society. (author)
Environmental Harm of Hidden Subsidies: Global Warming and Acidification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beers, Cees van (Dept. of Innovation Economics and Management, Delft Univ. of Technology, Delft (Netherlands)). E-mail: c.p.vanbeers@tudelft.nl; Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. van den (Inst. for Environmental Science and Technology, and Dept. of Economics and Economic History, Univ. Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Spain))

2009-10-15

We investigate environmental impacts of off-budget or indirect subsidies, which, unlike on-budget subsidies, are not visible in government budgets. Such subsidies have received little attention in economic and environmental research, even though they may be at least as important from an environmental perspective as on-budget subsidies. We offer a typology of indirect subsidies. Next, we estimate the magnitude of these subsidies and their impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) and acidifying emissions for the agriculture, energy, and transport sectors in The Netherlands. The calculations are based on a model approach that translates a particular subsidy into price and quantity changes using empirical elasticities, followed by environmental effect estimates using pollution-intensity parameters. The various environmental pollution effects are aggregated into environmental indicators. The results show, among others, that GHG emissions caused by off-budget subsidies contribute to more than 30% of the policy targets specified by the Kyoto Protocol for CO{sub 2} emissions reduction by The Netherlands. Reforming or removing off-budget subsidies may thus be an important strategy of effective climate policy
The importance of comprehensiveness in renewable electricity and energy-efficiency policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2009-01-01

Based on extensive research interviews and supplemented with a review of the academic literature, this article assesses the best way to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. It begins by briefly laying out why government intervention is needed, and then details the four most favored policy mechanisms identified by participants: eliminating subsidies for conventional and mature electricity technologies, pricing electricity accurately, passing a national feed-in tariff, and implementing a nationwide systems benefit fund to raise public awareness, protect lower income households, and administer demand side management programs. Drawing mostly from case studies in the United States, the article also discusses why these policy mechanisms must be implemented comprehensively, not individually, if the barriers to renewables and energy efficiency are to be overcome. (author)
The importance of comprehensiveness in renewable electricity and energy-efficiency policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sovacool, Benjamin K. [Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 259772 (Singapore)

2009-04-15

Based on extensive research interviews and supplemented with a review of the academic literature, this article assesses the best way to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. It begins by briefly laying out why government intervention is needed, and then details the four most favored policy mechanisms identified by participants: eliminating subsidies for conventional and mature electricity technologies, pricing electricity accurately, passing a national feed-in tariff, and implementing a nationwide systems benefit fund to raise public awareness, protect lower income households, and administer demand side management programs. Drawing mostly from case studies in the United States, the article also discusses why these policy mechanisms must be implemented comprehensively, not individually, if the barriers to renewables and energy efficiency are to be overcome. (author)
Towards a grand deal on subsidies and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moor, Andre de

2001-01-01

Recent studies have identified public subsidies as a principal cause of unsustainable development. Worldwide, governments are spending up to $US950 billion a year on subsidies. Many of these public subsidies fail to serve their purpose and in fact, often turn out as policy failures as they further distort trade and cause environmental harm. The energy sector is among the most subsidized sectors in the world, receiving over $US240 billion per annum of public subsidies. This article highlights current energy subsidies and their implications. The article examines: (i) the global size and distribution of energy subsidies in industrialized and developing countries; (ii) the impact of these subsidies on the economy, equity and the environment ana their role as barriers for sustainable development; (iii) the political economy behind public subsidies and the various political and institutional barriers and lock-in mechanisms that cause subsidies to become entrenched in economic and public structures; and (iv) proposals for effective subsidy reform in energy policies, suggesting a global strategy to eliminate energy subsidies. OECD governments are in a position to take the lead, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change presents an excellent opportunity of striking a political grand deal and linking the reform of energy subsidies to a meaningful participation of developing countries to the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, if sinks are to be included in the clean development mechanism (CDM), it is crucial to include the removal of forestry subsidies in the grand deal. (author)
Fertilizer Subsidy in India: Who are the Beneficiaries?

OpenAIRE

Sharma, Vijay Paul; Thaker, Hrima

2009-01-01

Agricultural subsidies that encourage production and productivity have been widely criticized because of the cost of subsidies and they are perceived to be far from uniformly distributed. There is a general view in academic, policy and political circles that agricultural subsidies are concentrated geographically, they are concentrated on relatively few crops and few producers and in many cases do not reach the targeted group(s). One of the most contentious issues surrounding input subsidies i...
'Frozen' media subsidies during a time of media change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rasmus Kleis

2014-01-01

documents and secondary sources, I show that media subsidies have largely remained frozen in their late-20th century form. The absence of major reform means that media subsidies are increasingly subject to policy drift, a process by which the operations and effectiveness of policies change not because......Media systems around the world have changed in significant ways in the early 21st century. In this article, I analyse how various forms of media subsidies have changed in response to these transformations in a sample of six different affluent democracies. On the basis of interviews, official......) a perceived shortage of desirable, cost-effective, and governable alternatives to existing policies....
Enhanced understanding of energy ratepayers: Factors influencing perceptions of government energy efficiency subsidies and utility alternative energy use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, Christopher A.; Allen, Myria W.

2014-01-01

This study explores factors related to energy consumers' perceptions of government subsidies for utility provided energy efficiency (EE) programs and for utility providers' use of more clean/alternative energy sources. Demographic factors, attitudes, planned purchases, and perceptions of utility provider motives in relation to governmental and utility provider EE initiatives (i.e. providing discounts and coupons for CFL bulbs), plus the influence of gain- and loss-framed messages are investigated. Over 2000 respondents completed a 16 item phone survey. Hierarchical regression explained 38% of the variance in reactions regarding government subsidies of the cost of utility provided EE programs and 43% of the variance in perceptions involving whether utility companies should use of more clean or alternative forms of energy. Gender and party differences emerged. Loss-framed messages were more important when the issue was government subsidies. Both gain- and loss-framed messages were important when clean/alternative energy was the issue. - Highlights: • Over 2000 ratepayers were surveyed on their attitudes, planned behaviors and perceptions towards energy efficiency programs. • Almost 40% of how ratepayers feel about government subsidies and utility use of clean/alternative energy was explained. • Loss-framed messages were more effective when the dependent variable was ratepayer perception of government subsidies

Technology diffusion, product differentiation and environmental subsidies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGinty, M. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States). Dept. of Economics; Vries, F.P. de [Univ. of Groningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Law and Economics

2007-07-01

Technological change is often seen as the promising device that will mitigate or solve environmental problems. Policy intervention that spurs the development, adoption and diffusion of new, environmentally benign technologies therefore holds great appear for environmental authorities. Policymakers have various instruments at their disposal to affect technological diffusion, ranging from direct regulation (command-and-control strategies) to market-based instruments, such as taxes, subsidies and tradable pollution permits. This paper examines environmental subsidies as a technology diffusion policy. The authors apply evolutionary game theory to explore the relationship between subsidies for clean technology, the diffusion of that technology and the degree of product differentiation in an imperfectly competitive market. They show that the subsidy succeeds in reducing environmental damage only when the substitution effect (the reduction in pollution associated with the clean technology) exceeds the output effect (the extent that the subsidy increases output). When the substitution effect does dominate, environmental damage decreases monotonically during the diffusion process. The extent of diffusion (the degree to which clean technolgy replaces dirty) and the likelihood that the substitution effect will dominate both decrease with the extent of product differentiation. Finally, the subsidy for clean technology will spill over to the remaining dirty producers increasing their profit as well.
A welfare perspective on Nordic media subsidies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kammer, Aske

2016-01-01

Subsidies constitute a prominent media-policy instrument, serving to correct media-market failures. However, because they interfere in the market, and because the commercial media market is under structural pressure in the digital age, there is much debate about the role of media subsidies. Within...
Study supporting the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Withana, S.; Ten Brink, P.; Franckx, L.; Hirschnitz-Garbers, M.; Mayeres, I.; Oosterhuis, F.; Porsch, L.

2012-10-15

The need to reform ineffective or harmful public subsidies has long been recognised and has been a contentious point of discussion for several years. The EU has a long-standing commitment to removing or phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS). Most recently, the need to phase out EHS is reiterated in the 'Roadmap for a resource efficient Europe' which includes a milestone that 'by 2020 EHS will be phased out, with due regard to the impact on people in need'. Despite several commitments, progress has been slow and subsidies remain an issue in most EU countries. This study focuses specifically on EHS at the level of EU Member States; it identifies key types of EHS and examines cases of existing EHS across a range of environmental sectors and issues, including subsidies from non-action. The study also analyses examples of good practices in the reform of EHS in EU Member States and the lessons that can be learnt from these cases. Finally, based on this analysis, it develops practical recommendations on phasing out and reforming EHS to support the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the resource efficiency agenda. The study was carried out between January and October 2012 and is based on an analysis of literature and consultation with experts and policy makers. The sectoral cases studied are listed and discussed in the annexes report: agriculture, climate and energy, fisheries, food, forestry, materials, transport, waste, and water.
Innovation subsidies versus consumer subsidies: A real options analysis of solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torani, Kiran; Rausser, Gordon; Zilberman, David

2016-01-01

Given the interest in the commercialization of affordable, clean energy technologies, we examine the prospects of solar photovoltaics (PV). We consider the question of how to transition to a meaningful percentage of solar energy in a sustainable manner and which policies are most effective in accelerating adoption. This paper develops a stochastic dynamic model of the adoption of solar PV in the residential and commercial sector under two sources of uncertainty – the price of electricity and cost of solar. The analytic results suggest that a high rate of innovation may delay adoption of a new technology if the consumer has rational price expectations. We simulate the model across alternative rates technological change, electricity prices, subsidies and carbon taxes. It is shown that there will be a displacement of incumbent technologies and a widespread shift towards solar PV in under 30 years – and that this can occur without consumer incentives and carbon pricing. We show that these policies have a modest impact in accelerating adoption, and that they may not be an effective part of climate policy. Instead, results demonstrate that further technological change is the crucial determinant and main driver of adoption. Further, results indicate that subsidies and taxes become increasingly ineffective with higher rates of technological change. - Highlights: •Stochastic dynamic model of solar PV adoption under two sources of uncertainty. •Simulation across electricity prices, technical change, subsidies and CO_2 taxes. •Rate of technical change indicates shift to solar in 25–28 years without incentives. •Modest impact of consumer subsidies and CO_2 taxes (up to $150/ton CO_2) in adoption. •R&D support/further technological change is the main driver of adoption of solar.
The Strategic Exercise of Options Using Government Subsidies: An Analysis of Production Subsidies for the Ground Source Heat Pump

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Sheng-Hau; Li, Jia-Hsun; Hsu, Chih-Chen; Hsieh, Jing-Chzi; Liao, Pin-Chao

2018-04-01

This study utilizes consolidation investment theory to incorporate with business strategies and government subsidy to develop a strategic exercise of options model. This empirical investigation examines the ground source heat pump (GSHP) government subsidy program, which is part of China’s 12th Five Year Plan. The developed model is applied to explain the behaviours of business investment with regard to strategic investment timing, option values, and the influence of government subsidies in duopolistic real-world investment decisions. The results indicate that subsidy policy can reduce the differences of investment timing among GSHP investors and has clearly evidenced the positive benefit–cost ratio of government subsidy, which facilitates China’s GSHP industry development.
Cross subsidy removal in electricity pricing in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Ranajoy; Ganguly, Amrita

2017-01-01

In India electricity price for agriculture is cross subsidized by the industries. The Indian government has started a process through which the extent of cross subsidization is gradually being reduced. The idea is to replace the cross subsidization by 2030 and introduce a rate structure that will increase with the amount of electricity usage. This paper uses the Computable General Equilibrium framework to evaluate the ex-ante impact of these policy changes on the Indian economy. The paper finds that removal of cross subsidies will increase inflation particularly food inflation resulting in a decline in household incomes more so in rural areas. Replacing cross subsidies with a progressive rate structure will compensate for only a small part of the negative effects of the removal of cross subsidies. Four other policy options are also investigated targeting household incomes, food inflation and general inflation. Most of these options do not work as the required increase in budget deficit is unlikely to be bearable to the government. The only feasible option appears to be a direct price subsidy to agricultural sector: in this case food prices are held down, inflation is moderate and effect on household incomes is minimal. - Highlights: • Removal of cross subsidies in electricity sector will increase inflation in India. • Different policy options are investigated targeting household incomes, food inflation and general inflation. • Feasible option appears to be a direct price subsidy to agricultural sector.
Tax and Fiscal Policies for Promotion of Industrial EnergyEfficiency: A Survey of International Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Lynn; Galitsky, Christina; Sinton, Jonathan; Worrell,Ernst; Graus, Wina

2005-09-15

The Energy Foundation's China Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) has undertaken a major project investigating fiscal and tax policy options for stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy development in China. This report, which is part of the sectoral sub-project studies on energy efficiency in industry, surveys international experience with tax and fiscal policies directed toward increasing investments in energy efficiency in the industrial sector. The report begins with an overview of tax and fiscal policies, including descriptions and evaluations of programs that use energy or energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) taxes, pollution levies, public benefit charges, grants or subsidies, subsidized audits, loans, tax relief for specific technologies, and tax relief as part of an energy or greenhouse gas (GHG) emission tax or agreement scheme. Following the discussion of these individual policies, the report reviews experience with integrated programs found in two countries as well as with GHG emissions trading programs. The report concludes with a discussion of the best practices related to international experience with tax and fiscal policies to encourage investment in energy efficiency in industry.
An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hui; Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Pi, Xing

2015-07-09

In order to recycle and dispose of all people's expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disposal. This paper establishes a tri-level programming model to study how the government can optimize an expired drug recycling logistics network and the appropriate subsidy policies. Furthermore, a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed to search for the optimal solution of the model. An experiment is discussed to illustrate the good quality of the recycling logistics network and government subsides obtained by the HGSAA. The HGSAA is proven to have the ability to converge on the global optimal solution, and to act as an effective algorithm for solving the optimization problem of expired drug recycling logistics network and government subsidies.
Analyzing Agricultural Sustainability Indicators,Under Energy Subsidy Reduction Policy(Case Study of Qorveh Plain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Balali

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Generally, subsidies are the amounts of government payments in order to provide all society members with minimum well-being. In several countries such as Iran, the agriculture sector is supported by different methods to achieve goals such as increasing farmers' income, supporting domestic producers and eliminating dependence on imports, preserving employment and reducing poverty. A significant part of agriculture subsidies has been allocated to energy resources, chemical fertilizers, seeds, agriculture machines, vaccines, animal toxins, the interest on bank loans, insurance fees, certain airplane services, distributing young saplings, and government guaranteed purchase of products. However, examining the subsidies system in Iran reveals that most government payments are in the agriculture sector and more specifically on energy resources. Recently, the extra low cost of energy in the agriculture sector, which has had certain government supports, has resulted in low productivity and environmental damage, and has resulted in increased demand for agricultural products due to population growth, changes in life pattern, deviation in energy cost in agricultural sector, environment destruction and influences on sustainable agriculture indicators. Moreover, among different production units, agriculture has the closest relationship with the environment. This relationship is a mutual.On the one hand, erosion and destruction of the environment along with pollution growth and shortage of water resources negatively influences the production and efficiency of agricultural products, and on the other hand, agricultural pollutants and irregular use of chemical fertilizers in this sector impose indispensable damages to the environment.This study aims to apply a partial equilibrium model in order to examine direct and indirect effects of reduction of energy subsidies on economic and environmental indicators of agricultural sustainability in the Qorveh
Analysis of Federal Subsidies: Implied Price of Carbon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. Craig Cooper; Thomas Foulke

2010-10-01

For informed climate change policy, it is important for decision makers to be able to assess how the costs and benefits of federal energy subsidies are distributed and to be able to have some measure to compare them. One way to do this is to evaluate the implied price of carbon (IPC) for a federal subsidy, or set of subsidies; where the IPC is the cost of the subsidy to the U.S. Treasury divided by the emissions reductions it generated. Subsidies with lower IPC are more cost effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while subsidies with a negative IPC act to increase emissions. While simple in concept, the IPC is difficult to calculate in practice. Calculation of the IPC requires knowledge of (i) the amount of energy associated with the subsidy, (ii) the amount and type of energy that would have been produced in the absence of the subsidy, and (iii) the greenhouse gas emissions associated with both the subsidized energy and the potential replacement energy. These pieces of information are not consistently available for federal subsidies, and there is considerable uncertainty in cases where the information is available. Thus, exact values for the IPC based upon fully consistent standards cannot be calculated with available data. However, it is possible to estimate a range of potential values sufficient for initial comparisons. This study has employed a range of methods to generate “first order” estimates for the IPC of a range of federal subsidies using static methods that do not account for the dynamics of supply and demand. The study demonstrates that, while the IPC value depends upon how the inquiry is framed and the IPC cannot be calculated in a “one size fits all” manner, IPC calculations can provide a valuable perspective for climate policy analysis. IPC values are most useful when calculated within the perspective of a case study, with the method and parameters of the calculation determined by the case. The IPC of different policy measures can
Analyzing Subsidies in Microsoft Excel

Science.gov (United States)

Mixon, J. Wilson, Jr.

2005-01-01

Applying the budget line/indifference curve apparatus to policy issues reveals important and sometimes counterintuitive policy implications. Also, it provides practice in using the apparatus. The author applies these tools to subsidies. The analysis follows textbook treatments but is extended at some points. In particular, the present analysis…
Energy conservation, energy efficiency and energy savings regulatory hypotheses - taxation, subsidies and underlying economics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trumpy, T. [International Legal Counsel, Brussels (Belgium)

1995-12-01

More efficient use of energy resources can be promoted by various regulatory means, i.e., taxation, subsidies, and pricing. Various incentives can be provided by income and revenue tax breaks-deductible energy audit fees, energy saving investment credits, breaks for energy saving entrepreneurs, and energy savings accounts run through utility accounts. Value added and excise taxes can also be adjusted to reward energy saving investments and energy saving entrepreneurial activity. Incentives can be provided in the form of cash refunds, including trade-in-and-scrap programs and reimbursements or subsidies on audit costs and liability insurance. Pricing incentives include lower rates for less energy use, prepayment of deposit related to peak load use, electronically dispatched multiple tariffs, savings credits based on prior peak use, and subsidized {open_quotes}leasing{close_quotes} of more efficient appliances and lights. Credits, with an emphasis on pooling small loans, and 5-year energy savings contracts are also discussed.
The economic cost of fuel price subsidies in Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Ofori, Roland Oduro

I adapt the Harberger formula for deadweight loss to develop approximations for the deadweight loss created by multiple fuel price subsidies. I also estimate the own-price, cross-price, and income elasticities of demand for gasoline and diesel in Africa. I use data on fuel prices and sales in combination with my formulas and elasticity estimates to calculate the deadweight loss of fuel price subsidies in Ghana from 2009 to 2014. I show that the average efficiency cost of the gasoline and diesel price subsidies in Ghana is 0.8% of fuel price subsidy transfers. This result stresses the futility of basing subsidy reforms on economic efficiency losses, which are relatively small due to very inelastic energy demand, and the need for such reforms to be motivated by the poor-targeting of subsidies to low-income households and the impact of subsidies on government debt-financing.
Welfare implication of reforming energy consumption subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breton, Michèle; Mirzapour, Hossein

2016-01-01

Reforming energy consumption subsidies, in particular for fossil fuels, has been frequently referred to as a quick-win policy to enhance environmental mitigation. In addition, the removal of such subsidies may release a sizeable portion of a country's national budget for use on more productive targets. One of the most recognized challenges of such reform is “selling” the new energy prices to citizens, particularly those with a more fragile purchasing power. Several empirical and technical studies have prescribed that the reform might be supported by a direct compensation mechanism in order to ensure feasibility. This is what was done during the recent energy subsidy reform in Iran. However, the compensation mechanism implemented in Iran's reform was successful at the beginning, but did not proceed as expected. This has raised questions about the feasibility and sustainability of the direct compensation mechanism, and even of the reform policy itself. In this paper, we consider a stylized model where direct compensation is the instrument proposed to restore consumers’ utility against increased energy prices. We find that, when prices of Other Goods are affected by the announced reform policy, the feasibility of a subsidy reform critically depends on the value of certain parameters: the initial subsidization rate, the share of energy in the consumers’ bundle, and the energy portion of price of Other Goods. - Highlights: • A model of energy subsidy reform with direct compensation is proposed. • Feasibility of the reform is related to three key parameters. • An illustrative example using data from the recent Iranian reform is discussed.
Carbon rentals and silvicultural subsidies for private forests as climate policy instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uusivuori, J.; Laturi, J.

2007-01-01

The impacts of potential climate policy instruments on the carbon production of privately owned and operated forests were investigated. A forest model with an endogenous growth description and age-class structure was used to describe both the output supply and input demand decisions of a private non-industrial landowner with optimized consumption flow, harvest timing, and an intertemporal allocation of forest investments. Two scenarios were examined, notably (1) a scenario in which the landowner was granted periodic carbon rental payments; and (2) a scenario in which the government subsidized the costs of silvicultural investments. The intended and unintended effects of the policies were examined. Models were used to demonstrate that the effectiveness of the instruments was significantly influenced by the age-class structure of forests when future carbon benefits were discounted. It was concluded that carbon rental payments were a more effective policy for older age-class structured forests. Silvicultural subsidies were more beneficial for forests with younger age-class structures. 21 refs., 6 figs
Cost-Sharing Contracts for Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction of a Supply Chain under the Conditions of Government Subsidies and a Carbon Tax

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Yuyin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To study the cooperation of upstream and downstream enterprises of a supply chain in energy saving and emissions reduction, we establish a Stackelberg game model. The retailer moves first to decide a cost-sharing contract, then the manufacturer determines the energy-saving level, carbon-emission level, and wholesale price successively. In the end, the retailer determines the retail price. As a regulation, the government provides subsidies for energy-saving products, while imposing a carbon tax on the carbon emitted. The results show that (1 both the energy-saving cost-sharing (ECS and the carbon emissions reduction cost-sharing (CCS contracts are not the dominant strategy of the two parties by which they can facilitate energy savings and emissions reductions; (2 compared with single cost-sharing contracts, the bivariate cost-sharing (BCS contract for energy saving and emissions reduction is superior, although it still cannot realise prefect coordination of the supply chain; (3 government subsidy and carbon tax policies can promote the cooperation of both the upstream and downstream enterprises of the supply chain—a subsidy policy can always drive energy saving and emissions reductions, while a carbon tax policy does not always exert positive effects, as it depends on the initial level of pollution and the level of carbon tax; and (4 the subsidy policy reduces the coordination efficiency of the supply chain, while the influences of carbon tax policy upon the coordination efficiency relies on the initial carbon-emission level.
The environmental effect of subsidies for clean technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Vries, F.P.; Nentjes, A.

2001-01-01

Environmental subsidies for clean technology result in a larger diffusion of such technology. However, as a result emissions can increase in imperfect markets for products. When several companies compete each other with clean and dirty technologies, production and emission will rise because of price competition.This effect will be even larger in case subsidies are applied. Therefore, subsidies are not advisable for every market. In this article an evolutionary game theory has been used with respect to the diffusion of environment-friendly innovation of products and the role of environmental policy instruments (in particular subsidies). 7 refs
Boosting solar investment with limited subsidies: Rent management and policy learning in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altenburg, Tilman; Engelmeier, Tobias

2013-01-01

In order to avoid irreversible damage to global ecosystems, new ‘green’ technologies are needed, some of which are nowhere near commercial maturity. In these cases, governments may create temporary rents to make investments ‘artificially’ attractive, but the creation of such rents involves risks of faulty allocation and political capture. This article first highlights the importance of managing rents effectively in promoting ‘green’ technologies; it then shows how India's National Solar Mission has been remarkably effective in triggering solar investments and managing the necessary subsidies, e.g. through a process of competitive reverse bidding for tariffs. Policy design and implementation also reflect considerable experimentation and learning. Some risks remain, especially regarding the enforceability of renewable energy quotas at the level of Indian states. - Highlights: • India's National Solar Mission effectively triggered solar investments. • Reverse bidding substantially decreased policy costs. • Sequenced implementation allowed for policy learning. • India's solar policy is a good example of green rent management
Global energy subsidies: An analytical taxonomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKitrick, Ross

2017-01-01

Governments around the world have pledged to eliminate or sharply reduce subsidies to energy firms in order to increase economic efficiency and reduce environmental externalities. Yet definitions of subsidies vary widely and, as a result, estimates of their global magnitude vary by orders of magnitude. I review why energy subsidies are so difficult to define and measure. I show why some non-standard measures are very poor proxies for subsidy costs and in fact may vary inversely with them. In particular, recent attempts to treat unpriced externalities as subsidies yield especially misleading results. In general, energy subsidies as conventionally understood do exist but only comprise a small portion of some very large recently-reported estimates, the bulk of which are indirect measures that may have little connection with actual costs to governments or allocational inefficiencies. - Highlights: • Estimates of national and global energy subsidies vary widely. • Microeconomic tools help clarify the various definitions in use. • Some indirect measures are invalid as proxies for normal subsidy costs. • Distorting subsidies do exist but are likely on the low end of some recent reports.
An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Huang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In order to recycle and dispose of all people’s expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disposal. This paper establishes a tri-level programming model to study how the government can optimize an expired drug recycling logistics network and the appropriate subsidy policies. Furthermore, a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA is proposed to search for the optimal solution of the model. An experiment is discussed to illustrate the good quality of the recycling logistics network and government subsides obtained by the HGSAA. The HGSAA is proven to have the ability to converge on the global optimal solution, and to act as an effective algorithm for solving the optimization problem of expired drug recycling logistics network and government subsidies.

Impacts of removing fuel import subsidies in Nigeria on poverty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddig, Khalid; Aguiar, Angel; Grethe, Harald; Minor, Peter; Walmsley, Terrie

2014-01-01

The petroleum sector contributes substantially to the Nigerian economy; however, the potential benefits are diminished due to the existence of significant subsidies on imports of petroleum products. Subsidies on imported petroleum products are considered to be an important instrument for keeping fuel prices, and hence the cost of living, low. The costs of these subsidies, however, has risen dramatically in recent years due to increased volatility in world petroleum and petroleum product prices and increased illegal exportation of subsidized petroleum products into neighboring countries. Removing the subsidy on fuel is one of the most contentious socio-economic policy issues in Nigeria today. In this paper, an economy-wide framework is used to identify the impact of removing the fuel subsidy on the Nigerian economy and investigates how alternative policies might be used to meet socio-economic objectives related to fuel subsidies. The results show that while a reduction in the subsidy generally results in an increase in Nigerian GDP, it can have a detrimental impact on household income, and in particular on poor households. Accompanying the subsidy reduction with income transfers aimed at poor households or domestic production of petroleum products can alleviate the negative impacts on household income. - Highlights: • Subsidies on imported fuel compromise the contribution of crude oil in Nigeria. • Fuel subsidies benefit households, but harm the economy. • We use an economy-wide model to identify the impact of removing the fuel subsidy. • We simulate scenarios that target the poor and promote fuel's domestic production
Determining the Environmental Effects of Indirect Subsidies. A Methodological Approach with an Application to the Netherlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Beers, C. [Department of Economics, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. [Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands); De Moor, A. [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Oosterhuis, F. [Institute for Environmental Studies IVM, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2004-04-01

Up to now a clear theoretical and methodological framework for economic-environmental analysis of environmentally damaging subsidies is lacking. Environmentally damaging subsidies are all kinds of direct and indirect subsidies aimed at achieving a certain (often non-environmental) goal that produce negative external effects to the natural environment. This article develops a transparent method to determine the environmental impact of indirect government subsidies and derive policy lessons. This method has been applied to several major subsidies in the Netherlands, namely in agriculture, energy, and transport. The results reveal large environmental effects, which need to be taken seriously by policy makers. The method enables policy makers to evaluate the environmental impacts of indirect government subsidies.
The Tricky Art of Measuring Fossil Fuel Subsidies: A Critique of Existing Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth J. McKenzie

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Fossil fuel subsidies are of enormous import to policy-makers and public opinion, making it critical to properly define them. However, traditional methodologies tend to place subsidies in the realm of tax expenditure analysis, presenting a flawed picture. A recent report on government subsidies to the Canadian energy sector prepared for the International Institute for Sustainable Development exemplifies this flawed approach along several dimensions: it is not based on a robust underlying economic framework, it fails to account for complex interactions between tax and royalty systems in existing fiscal policy, and it uses a definition of subsidies that was created for a different purpose. The authors of this paper propose an alternative “economic view”, based on economic rents, which provides a neutral benchmark against which subsidies, royalties and other energy-focused fiscal measures can be measured. Using marginal effective tax rate (METR analysis, the authors show that it is possible to obtain a more accurate picture of energy subsidies and their impact on resource allocation and economic activity. This improved schema will ideally allow governments to better understand subsidies and devise sound policies, leading to less waste and distorted investment choices.
EFFECTS OF AN EXPORT SUBSIDY ON THE U.S. COTTON INDUSTRY

OpenAIRE

Duffy, Patricia A.; Wohlgenant, Michael K.

1991-01-01

In this study, the effects of an export subsidy for cotton are analyzed using a linear elasticity model. The study explicitly addresses the interaction of current domestic policies with the proposed export subsidy. An export subsidy may be a successful method of reducing the government costs of the cotton program.
An evaluation of the impact of reducing energy subsidies on living expenses of households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saboohi, Y.

2001-01-01

A policy of subsidizing energy has been pursued in the Islamic Republic of Iran to help the poor and to utilize the relative advantages of the country. But it has been realized that energy subsidy has led to market distortion and welfare loss. Hence, elimination of energy subsidy is considered as a crucial matter. Changes in energy policy are hindered by the uncertainty on the impact of reducing energy subsidy on the living expenses of population. In the present article the distribution of resources through energy subsidy is evaluated; and the direct and indirect effect of eliminating energy subsidies on the living expenses is estimated with the help of an analytical tool that has been developed. It is then concluded that additional financial resources obtained from reduction of energy subsidies could be allocated for compensating the decrease in purchasing power of households. The results of analysis reveal that more egalitarian distribution of resources and helping the poor could be achieved through implementation of a progressive policy of social security that is supported by financial resources available from elimination of energy subsidies. (author)
Impact of government subsidies on household biogas use in rural China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Dingqiang; Bai, Junfei; Qiu, Huanguang; Cai, Yaqing

2014-01-01

In this paper, we evaluate empirically the impact of biogas subsidies on household biogas energy use in rural China. Special attention was given to the problem of sample selection bias in assessing the impact of subsidies on biogas energy use because biogas subsidies often change the propensity for installing biogas digesters. Using data from a large-scale household survey, the results indicate that biogas subsidies did promote the construction of biogas digesters. The results suggest that a 10 percentage point increase in subsidy-cost ratio would lead to a 3% increase in digester installations. We also found that biogas subsidies correlated negatively with average time of digester use. A 10 percentage point increase in the subsidy-cost ratio would result in a 4.3% reduction in the average working time of digesters. These results suggest that the net effect of the current subsidy policy on rural household biogas use was near-negligible. Indeed, a 10 percentage point increase in the subsidy-cost ratio resulted in a mere 1.15% increase in biogas use. These findings indicate that biogas subsidies have possibly not been targeted effectively at households that would actually prefer to use biogas energy. - Highlights: • We evaluate empirically the impact of biogas subsidies on household biogas energy use in rural China. • Results indicate that biogas subsidies did promote the construction of biogas digesters. • We also find that biogas subsidies were correlated negatively with average time of digester use. • The results suggest that the net effect of the current subsidy policy on rural household biogas use was near-negligible. • A 10 percentage point increase in the subsidy-cost ratio leads to merely 1.15% increases in biogas use
Environmental impact of indirect subsidies. Development and application of a policy oriented method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Beers, C.; Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.; Oosterhuis, F.; De Moor, A.

2002-12-01

The aim of this study is to develop a method for determining the environmental impact of indirect subsidies. The point of departure is a typology of subsidies to cover the large number of different types. The large-scale subsidies will be considered first, on the assumption that these will often have extensive environmental effects. Then, the environmental effects in the Netherlands will be calculated. The restriction to the Netherlands means that no attention is given to the environmental consequences of abolishing subsidies. An earlier study showed that the most extensive indirect subsidies at world and OECD level are mainly in the energy, agriculture and transport sectors. The method is tested by calculating the environmental effects of large-scale subsidies in these three sectors and in the tourism sector.
Comprehensive optimisation of China’s energy prices, taxes and subsidy policies based on the dynamic computable general equilibrium model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Y.X.; Liu, Y.Y.; Du, M.; Zhang, J.X.; Pang, Y.X.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Energy policy is defined as a complication of energy price, tax and subsidy policies. • The maximisation of total social benefit is the optimised objective. • A more rational carbon tax ranges from 10 to 20 Yuan/ton under the current situation. • The optimal coefficient pricing is more conducive to maximise total social benefit. - Abstract: Under the condition of increasingly serious environmental pollution, rational energy policy plays an important role in the practical significance of energy conservation and emission reduction. This paper defines energy policies as the compilation of energy prices, taxes and subsidy policies. Moreover, it establishes the optimisation model of China’s energy policy based on the dynamic computable general equilibrium model, which maximises the total social benefit, in order to explore the comprehensive influences of a carbon tax, the sales pricing mechanism and the renewable energy fund policy. The results show that when the change rates of gross domestic product and consumer price index are ±2%, ±5% and the renewable energy supply structure ratio is 7%, the more reasonable carbon tax ranges from 10 to 20 Yuan/ton, and the optimal coefficient pricing mechanism is more conducive to the objective of maximising the total social benefit. From the perspective of optimising the overall energy policies, if the upper limit of change rate in consumer price index is 2.2%, the existing renewable energy fund should be improved
Simulating progressive social transfers. Gas subsidies and solidarity bonds in Ecuador

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuesta, J.; Ponce, J.; Leon, M.

2004-02-01

After two decades of neglect, social expending has become a cornerstone in the current fight against poverty in Ecuador. Ecuador is presently considering the elimination of regressive gas subsidies and the shift of these resources into pro-poor targeted Solidarity Bonds. Great distributive gains are expected from this reform. There are, however, a number of considerations that may prevent this policy shift from obtaining substantial poverty and equality gains. Despite their regressivity, implicit gas subsidies still represent a considerable proportion of total household consumption among poor households. Also, solidarity bonds siphon off a substantial share of their total benefits to middle income groups. This paper estimates the redistributive consequences of policy reforms on gas subsidies and solidarity bonds in Ecuador. A simulation methodology estimates both direct and indirect (labour-driven) distributive effects of four alternative scenarios: (1) total elimination of gas subsidies; (2) selective elimination of gas subsidies among non-poor households; (3) total elimination of gas subsidies and shift of resources to solidarity bonds targeted to the poor; (4) selective elimination of gas subsidies and shift of resources to solidarity bonds targeted to the poor. Estimates confirm that the redistributive gains from these reforms are rather small both for poverty and inequality. Incentives to work following the elimination of subsidies compensate, or even outdo, immediate poverty rises. Also, the elimination of gas subsidies without further expansion of subsidy bonds will unambiguously increase poverty in Ecuador between one and one and a half percent points
Subsidies to energy in the world: their extent, their efficiency and their necessary reorientation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, D.

2010-10-01

This report aims at analyzing the extent of subsidies to energy in the world, at assessing theoretical and practical arguments against different forms of subsidy, and at synthesizing reflections on reforms of subsidies to energy, mainly in developing countries. In the first part, the author recalls the theoretical and practical backgrounds of subsidies to energy, indicates the different forms of support to energy production and consumption, and discusses the existing assessments in the world and in some regions while specifying subsidies to fuels in the transport sector. In a second part, he addresses theoretical and practical critics of subsidies (notably in terms of environmental and economical inefficiency), assessments of economical and environmental benefits of their withdrawal, and ways of reorienting subsidies for fossil fuels in developing countries
Redistribution and Education Subsidies are Siamese Twins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bovenberg, A.L.; Jacobs, B.

2001-01-01

We develop a model of human capital formation with endogenous labor supply and heterogeneous agents to explore the optimal level of education subsidies along with the optimal progressive schedule of the labor income tax and optimal capital income taxes.Subsidies on education ensure efficiency in
Fossil fuel subsidy reform: lessons from the Indonesian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savatic, Filip

2016-10-01

Global assessments of consumption and the Indonesian case show the relevance of non-household consumers of subsidized energy products. As shown in this study, understanding in more nuance how reforms affect them has the potential to improve the reforms that will be developed by policy-makers worldwide. Further study can reinforce the many benefits of successful reform for the countries and societies slowly turning away from these policies of the past. Estimates regarding the amount of public funds utilized to subsidize the production or consumption of fossil fuels are staggering. For 2011, they range from $83 billion in OECD member states, to nearly $4.1 trillion worldwide if environmental externalities are considered. Numerous studies have demonstrated that subsidies repress economic growth, undermine energy sector investment, increase public debt, benefit wealthy citizens over the poor, instigate a rise in illicit activities, and engender greater global and local pollution. The negative effects of fossil fuel subsidies have led numerous governments to reform their energy policies. There has also been a growing international consensus in favor of reform. While the components of successful reform programs have been identified through past case studies, the nature of reforms adopted by several governments that target non-households have not been systematically examined. Since the late 1990s, the Indonesian government has implemented numerous reforms of its fossil fuel subsidies, including measures targeting household as well as non-household energy consumption. In doing so, it has incurred significant fiscal savings. However, an innovative budgetary analysis reveals that households receive a minority, and a declining share, of fossil fuel subsidy funds. This is the case despite the fact that subsidies were implemented to ensure poor households have access to cheap energy. These findings demonstrate the need to consider non-household sectors in the design of fossil
Subsidies and sustainable development. Case studies in the Flemish agricultural and housing policies; Subsidies en duurzame ontwikkeling. Casestudies in het Vlaamse landbouw- en woonbeleid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bachus, K. [Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving HIVA, KU Leuven, Leuven (Belgium)

2012-04-15

This paper is the 2nd research paper as part of the Centre for Sustainable Development project on the theme 'subsidies and sustainable development'. Attention is given to an application of the methodology to map subsidies. In the 1st paper the concept and method are discussed. The method was used for two Flemish subsidies: (1) the Flemish Renovation Incentive and Surcharge Rights in the Flemish agricultural sector [Dutch] Dit paper is het 2e onderzoekspaper in het kader van het Steunpunt Duurzame Ontwikkeling over het thema 'subsidies en duurzame ontwikkeling'. Aandacht wordt besteed aan een toepassing van de methodologie om subsidies in kaart te brengen. In het 1e paper werden de concepten en de methoden besproken. De methode werd toegepast op twee Vlaamse subsidies, namelijk de Vlaamse Renovatiepremie en de Toeslagrechten in de Vlaamse landbouw.
Fossil fuel subsidy removal and inadequate public power supply: Implications for businesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazilian, Morgan; Onyeji, Ijeoma

2012-01-01

We briefly consider the impact of fossil fuel subsidy removal policies in the context of inadequate power supply, with a focus on the implications for businesses. In doing so, we utilize the case of the early 2012 fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria. The rationale for such subsidy-removal policies is typically informed by analysis showing that they lead to an economically inefficient allocation of resources and market distortions, while often failing to meet intended objectives. However, often the realities of infrastructural and institutional deficiencies are not appropriately factored into the decision-making process. Businesses in many developing countries, already impaired by the high cost of power supply deficiencies, become even less competitive on an unsubsidized basis. We find that justifications for removal often do not adequately reflect the specific environments of developing country economies, resulting in poor recommendations – or ineffective policy. - Highlights: ► We consider the impact of fuel subsidy removal in the context of energy poverty. ► Calls for subsidy removal often do not reflect the developing country realities. ► Businesses impaired by power supply deficiencies, become even less competitive.
Effectiveness of policy measures in transforming the energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, P.D.

2007-01-01

The effectiveness of public policy measures in creating energy impacts were investigated through 20 policy cases on renewable energy and efficient energy use. The policies were grouped into subsidy-type and catalyzing measures based on the use of the public financial resources. The policy cost of subsidies ranged from 1 Euro/MWh up to over 100 Euro/MWh, the feed-in tariffs being clearly the most expensive choice. The public measures that strive for catalyzing market breakthroughs lie in the range 0.1-1 Euro/MWh, but some business driven and procurement type measures could come down to even 0.01 Euro/MWh. The policy costs observed could decrease by 25-60% if accounting for lagging energy impacts. The better policy efficiency of catalytic measures is most likely due to a stronger market and business sensitiveness, understanding of market needs, and focusing more on the end-use sector with active stakeholder involvement. The magnitude of the energy impacts were in average larger from the subsidy instruments but a few end-use technologies linked to catalytic measures reached even higher effects due to the strong market penetration achieved. (author)
Effectiveness of policy measures in transforming the energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, P.D.

2007-01-01

The effectiveness of public policy measures in creating energy impacts were investigated through 20 policy cases on renewable energy and efficient energy use. The policies were grouped into subsidy-type and catalyzing measures based on the use of the public financial resources. The policy cost of subsidies ranged from 1 Euro /MWh up to over 100 Euro /MWh, the feed-in tariffs being clearly the most expensive choice. The public measures that strive for catalyzing market breakthroughs lie in the range 0.1-1 Euro /MWh, but some business driven and procurement type measures could come down to even 0.01 Euro /MWh. The policy costs observed could decrease by 25-60% if accounting for lagging energy impacts. The better policy efficiency of catalytic measures is most likely due to a stronger market and business sensitiveness, understanding of market needs, and focusing more on the end-use sector with active stakeholder involvement. The magnitude of the energy impacts were in average larger from the subsidy instruments but a few end-use technologies linked to catalytic measures reached even higher effects due to the strong market penetration achieved
TURKISH TRADE POLICY AND THE EFFICIENCY OF TURKISH COTTON MARKETS

OpenAIRE

Schmitz, Troy G.

1999-01-01

Turkish cotton markets are affected by import duties, export taxes, and a range of domestic subsidies. The degree of economic inefficiency arising from these government policies is estimated through the use of two partial equilibrium models, one for the Aegean market and another for the non-Aegean market. The welfare implications of these policies are also explored.
Study supporting the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies. Annexes to Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Withana, S.; Ten Brink, P.; Franckx, L.; Hirschnitz-Garbers, M.; Mayeres, I.; Oosterhuis, F.; Porsch, L.

2012-10-15

The need to reform ineffective or harmful public subsidies has long been recognised and has been a contentious point of discussion for several years. The EU has a long-standing commitment to removing or phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS). Most recently, the need to phase out EHS is reiterated in the 'Roadmap for a resource efficient Europe' which includes a milestone that 'by 2020 EHS will be phased out, with due regard to the impact on people in need'. Despite several commitments, progress has been slow and subsidies remain an issue in most EU countries. This study focuses specifically on EHS at the level of EU Member States; it identifies key types of EHS and examines cases of existing EHS across a range of environmental sectors and issues, including subsidies from non-action. The study also analyses examples of good practices in the reform of EHS in EU Member States and the lessons that can be learnt from these cases. Finally, based on this analysis, it develops practical recommendations on phasing out and reforming EHS to support the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the resource efficiency agenda. The study was carried out between January and October 2012 and is based on an analysis of literature and consultation with experts and policy makers. The sectoral cases studied are listed and discussed in this annex report: agriculture, climate and energy, fisheries, food, forestry, materials, transport, waste, and water.
The International Effects of U.S. Farm Subsidies

OpenAIRE

Eric O'N. Fisher; Harry de Gorter

1992-01-01

Using dynamic programming, this paper examines effects of farm subsidies on U.S. exports of corn, cotton, rice, and wheat. The six policy simulations described here explore alternative proposals in the current round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The analysis leads to two conclusions. First, abolishing domestic subsidies lowers world prices of these crops. Second, imposing tighter supply controls may not actually decrease exports in the short run.
Energy efficiency and renewables policies: Promoting efficiency or facilitating monopsony?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennan, Timothy J.

2011-01-01

The cliche in the electricity sector, the 'cheapest power plant is the one we don't build,' neglects the benefits of the energy that plant would generate. That economy-wide perspective need not apply in considering benefits to only consumers if not building that plant was the exercise of monopsony power. A regulator maximizing consumer welfare may need to avoid rationing demand at monopsony prices. Subsidizing energy efficiency to reduce electricity demand at the margin can solve that problem, if energy efficiency and electricity use are substitutes. Renewable energy subsidies, percentage use standards, or feed in tariffs may also serve monopsony as well with sufficient inelasticity in fossil fuel electricity supply. We may not observe these effects if the regulator can set price as well as quantity, lacks buyer-side market power, or is legally precluded from denying generators a reasonable return on capital. Nevertheless, the possibility of monopsony remains significant in light of the debate as to whether antitrust enforcement should maximize consumer welfare or total welfare. - Research Highlights: → Subsidizing energy efficiency can promote monopsony, if efficiency and use are substitutes. → Renewable energy subsidies, portfolio standards, or feed-in tariffs may also promote monopsony. → Effects require buyer-side market power and ability to deny generators a reasonable return. → Monopsony is significant in light of whether antitrust should maximize consumer or total welfare.

Considering environmental aspects of subsidies - sector study housing; Beruecksichtigung von Umweltgesichtspunkten bei Subventionen - Sektorstudie Wohnungsbau

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sprenger, R.U.; Triebswetter, U.; Behring, K.; Rave, T. [Ifo-Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung e.V., Muenchen (Germany)

2003-06-01

This study is linked to another study which took stock of German subsidy policy from an environmental point of view (Sprenger and Rave, 2003). However, subsidies are discussed with respect to sector-specific peculiarities of housing in this report. Due to the fact that the housing sector receives a considerable amount of subsidies on the one hand and influences the state of the environment on the other hand (especially due to land use, high energy and resource consumption, waste) this study aims to develop reform option for a subsidy policy which is committed to sustainable development. First of all the ecological impacts of housing and the subsidy intensity of the housing sector are examined more closely. Then we look at some goals of housing policy and contrast them with goals of environmental policy. Some of the subsidies are singled out to determine their potential environmental impact. For example, it can be shown that the home-owner support scheme (Eigenheimzulage) promotes new construction activites in the country side and contributes to urban sprawl. (Other negative environmental side effects occur in social housing schemes and due to tax subsidies). With respect to the home-owner support scheme we propose to lower the basic support (Grundzulage) in a multi-tier system and to introduce an ecological component. This component is based on criteria which can be administered easily (like kind of land used, amount of land designed for construction or housing, number of persons in household). Overall a policy package is proposed which contributes to a considerable reduction of CO{sub 2}-emissions and land use. (orig.)
How to subsidize energy efficiency under duopoly efficiently?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, Pu-yan; Yang, Yong-cong; Chen, You-hua; Wang, Zhao-hui

2016-01-01

Highlights: • This article captures the effects of output subsidy. • Firms without subsidy are not willing to improve energy efficiency. • Subsidy stimulates the subsidized firms’ outputs and deters the others’ outputs. • The subsidy intensity depends on firms’ position. • Overdue subsidy cannot reach the environmental object. - Abstract: Establishing a game theory model, this paper captures the effects of output subsidy on energy efficiency under Cournot competition and Stackelberg competition. Three types of subsidies are considered in the model, namely without subsidy, unilateral subsidy and bilateral subsidy. The findings indicate that firms without subsidy are not willing to improve energy efficiency. Also, subsidy stimulates the subsidized firms’ outputs while deters the outputs of other firms. Meanwhile, the equilibrium subsidy intensity depends on firms’ position. Furthermore, the minimal subsidy budgets under different situations are presented. Especially, given the fixed subsidy budget, the output of the subsidized firm is the highest if this firm plays the leading position. In addition, certain subsidy can reduce the total emission, while overdue subsidy cannot reach the environmental object.
Progress in Energy Storage Technologies: Models and Methods for Policy Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Matteson, Schuyler W.

Climate change and other sustainability challenges have led to the development of new technologies that increase energy efficiency and reduce the utilization of finite resources. To promote the adoption of technologies with social benefits, governments often enact policies that provide financial incentives at the point of purchase. In their current form, these subsidies have the potential to increase the diffusion of emerging technologies; however, accounting for technological progress can improve program success while decreasing net public investment. This research develops novel methods using experience curves for the development of more efficient subsidy policies. By providing case studies in the field of automotive energy storage technologies, this dissertation also applies the methods to show the impacts of incorporating technological progress into energy policies. Specific findings include learning-dependent tapering subsidies for electric vehicles based on the lithium-ion battery experience curve, the effects of residual learning rates in lead-acid batteries on emerging technology cost competitiveness, and a cascading diffusion assessment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle subsidy programs. Notably, the results show that considering learning rates in policy development can save billions of dollars in public funds, while also lending insight into the decision of whether or not to subsidize a given technology.
Tariffs and subsidy policy for wind energy in the Netherlands and foreign countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Zuylen, E.J.; Van Wijk, A.J.M.

1993-04-01

In the European countries different methods are used to stimulate renewable energy, in particular wind energy. In the Netherlands use is made of investment subsidies to install wind turbines on a large scale. In other countries (in this report Denmark, Germany, Great Britain and a few other countries) mainly use is made of the sellback method: electricity, generated by the wind turbines, is supplied to the grid. Also a combination of investment subsidies and sellback is applied. An overview is given of the financial incentive regulations in the above-mentioned countries. Also attention is paid to the underlying motivation and argumentation for the subsidies, the relation between wind energy subsidies and subsidies for other decentralized power generating options, and the impact of the European Union regulations in this matter. Finally an indication is given of how the regulations are financed: out of the general fund, out of environmental levies or directly from the electric companies. Most of the data presented in this report are the results of interviews with representatives of the different countries. 8 tabs
Financial subsidies to the Australian fossil fuel industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedy, Chris; Diesendorf, Mark

2003-01-01

A common claim during international greenhouse gas reduction negotiations has been that domestic emissions cuts will harm national economies. This argument fails to consider the distorting effect of existing financial subsidies and associated incentives to fossil fuel production and consumption provided by governments in most developed countries. These subsidies support a fossil fuel energy sector that is the major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and conflict with attempts to expand the role of sustainable energy technologies. Reform of these types of subsidies has the potential to provide substantial gains in economic efficiency as well as reductions in carbon dioxide emissions--a 'no regrets' outcome for the economy and the environment. This paper examines financial subsidies to fossil fuel production and consumption in Australia and estimates the magnitude of the subsidies. Subsidies and associated incentives to fossil fuel production and consumption in Australia are similar to those in the United States and the other countries that have pushed for increased 'flexibility' during international negotiations
Economic potential of energy-efficient retrofitting in the Swiss residential building sector: The effects of policy instruments and energy price expectations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amstalden, Roger W.; Kost, Michael; Nathani, Carsten; Imboden, Dieter M.

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse the profitability of energy-efficient retrofit investments in the Swiss residential building sector from the house owner's perspective. Different energy price expectations, policy instruments such as subsidies, income tax deduction and a carbon tax, as well as potential future cost degression of energy efficiency measures were taken into account. The discounted cash flow method was used for the investment analysis of different retrofit packages applied to a model building scheduled for renovation, i.e. a single-family house constructed between 1948 and 1975. The results show that present Swiss policy instruments push investments for energy-efficient retrofitting to profitability. Cost degression has a minor significance for investment profitability. However, the most relevant factor for the investment analysis is the expected energy price. Expecting a future fuel oil price at the level of 2005, efficiency investments are close to profitability even without policy support. If higher energy prices were expected, energy-efficient retrofitting would be an attractive investment opportunity
Tax shift : eliminating subsidies and moving to full cost electricity pricing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbons, J.

2008-01-01

In order to ensure that Ontario's service needs are met at the lowest possible total cost, energy conservation and small-scale distributed generation options must be able to compete with large scale-centralized generation and transmission options on a level playing field. This report discussed how electricity is priced in Ontario. The report described the policies that subsidize coal and nuclear generation and promote excessive consumption of grid-supplied electricity. The report also presented an analysis of the impact of these subsidies and policies on Ontario's electricity consumption, electricity productivity, standard of living and air pollutant emissions. It described a practical strategy whereby these subsidies can be eliminated by recycling or shifting the monies currently spent on subsidies in a way that creates an incentive to reduce electricity consumption. It also described how full cost pricing could lead to a net financial benefit for residential customers as well as an adaptation strategy for businesses that would ensure that they remain competitive. Finally the report identified ten major subsidies that artificially reduce the cost of electricity in Ontario. These included below-market water royalty rates; corporate income tax revenue subsidy for nuclear debt; sales tax exemption; average cost pricing; and bulk metering. It was concluded that phasing out the subsidies for grid-supplied electricity and moving to full cost pricing will provide multiple benefits for Ontario. 36 refs., 5 tabs., 5 figs
Designing Efficient College and Tax Policies

OpenAIRE

Findeisen, Sebastian; Sachs, Dominik

2015-01-01

The total social benefits of college education exceed the private benefits because the government receives a share of the monetary returns in the form of income taxes. We study the policy implications of this fiscal externality in an optimal dynamic tax framework. Using a variational approach we derive a formula for the revenue effect of an increase in college education subsidies and for the excess burden of income taxation caused by the college margin. We also show how the optimal nonlinear ...
Recommendation on the Dutch MEP subsidy 2006 for cogeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmsen, R.

2005-11-01

The results of an analysis of the impact of the Dutch subsidy scheme 'MEP' (environmental quality of electric power generation) on the cost-effectiveness of CHP (combined heat and power production) plants. The MEP scheme provides a reward for the CO2 reduction by CHP plants and offers therefore an incentive for energy efficient operation. In 2006 the MEP subsidy is available for CHP plants that started their operation after 1 January 1997. The subsidy will be differentiated based on CHP type and power capacity. Main outcome of the report is a subsidy advise, which complies with the European Community Guidelines on Aid for Environmental Protection. Based on the subsidy advise a budget for the CHP MEP scheme has been estimated [nl
Global progress and backsliding on gasoline taxes and subsidies

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Michael L.; Hazlett, Chad; Mahdavi, Paasha

2017-01-01

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades, many governments will have to reform their energy policies. These policies are difficult to measure with any precision. As a result, it is unclear whether progress has been made towards important energy policy reforms, such as reducing fossil fuel subsidies. We use new data to measure net taxes and subsidies for gasoline in almost all countries at the monthly level and find evidence of both progress and backsliding. From 2003 to 2015, gasoline taxes rose in 83 states but fell in 46 states. During the same period, the global mean gasoline tax fell by 13.3% due to faster consumption growth in countries with lower taxes. Our results suggest that global progress towards fossil fuel price reform has been mixed, and that many governments are failing to exploit one of the most cost-effective policy tools for limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Estonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through feed-in premiums (FiP). In addition, investment subsidies are available for biogas/biomass-based RES-E and wind power installations. Renewable heat is stimulated through investment subsidies to CHP plants generating renewable heat and electricity, as well as subsidies for private heat consumers. Renewable transport fuels are currently mainly incentivised by way of a support scheme to promote the purchase of electric cars that use power produced from renewable energy sources. Recently, a measure for supporting bio-methane in the transport sector has been adopted. Generally, a number of investment subsidy schemes are in place to promote the development, installation and use of renewable energy production installations. However, certain subsidy conditions still have to be announced and implemented. The total amount of financial support to be allocated to renewable energy and energy efficiency related projects during period 2014-2020 will be over euro 490 million. The current administratively determined FiP scheme is set to be replaced by an auction-based scheme within short
Net private benefits of purchasing eco-labeled air conditioners and subsidization policies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Junxiu; Yin, Haitao; Wang, Feng

2014-01-01

Built on a data set of 527 air conditioner models collected from an online retailer, this study investigates whether the savings that consumers realize on their private electricity bills from purchasing energy-efficient appliances compensate for the additional cost of the appliances on the market, and if not, the size of the gap between the savings and the cost. Our findings show that, except for the most energy-efficient category, the cost savings from using energy-efficient air conditioners does compensate for their higher price. Therefore, any government subsidy should be reserved for the most efficient products. For less energy-efficient appliances, the best policy may be to provide more effective information instead of a subsidy because the subsidy might attract consumers away from more energy-efficient air conditioners and result in an unwanted effect. - Highlights: • This paper analyses the net private benefits of purchasing eco-labeled air conditioners in China. • There is no need to subsidize less energy-efficient air conditioners. • The most recently proposed policy development in China is a reform headed in the right direction
Estimating the Impact of US Agriculture Subsidies on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Eshel, G.; Martin, P. A.

2006-12-01

It has been proposed in the popular media that US agricultural subsidies contribute deleteriously to both the American diet and environment. In this view, subsidies render mostly corn-based, animal products and sweeteners artificically cheap, leading to enhanced consumption. Problems accompanying this structure mentioned include enhanced meat, fat and sugar consumption and the associated enhancement of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes and possible various types of cancer, as well as air, soil and water pollution. Often overlooked in these discussions is the potential enhancement of greenhouse gas emissions accompanying this policy-based steering of food consumption toward certain products at the expense of others, possibly more nutritionally and environmentally benign. If such enhancements are in fact borne out by data, the policies that give rise to them will prove to constitute government-sponsored enhancement of greenhouse gas emissions, in contrast to any climate change mitigation efforts. If so, they represent low- hanging fruits in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which may one day be launched. Agriculture subsidies impact the emissions of CO2 (by direct energy consumption), nitrous oxide (by land use alteration and manure management), and methane (by ruminant digestion and manure treatment). Quantifying the impacts of agricultural subsidies is complicated by many compounding and conflicting effects (many related to human behavior rather than the natural sciences) and the relatively short data timeseries. For example, subsidy policies change over time, certain subsidy types are introduced or eliminated, food preferences change as nutritional understanding (or propaganda) shift, etc. Despite the difficulties, such quantification is crucial to better estimate the overall effect and variability of dietary choices on greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately minimize environmental impacts. In this study, we take preliminary
Environmental impacts of coal subsidies in Turkey: A general equilibrium analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acar, Sevil; Yeldan, A. Erinc

2016-01-01

In this study we aim at providing an analytical framework for Turkey to study the macroeconomics and environmental impacts of the existing coal subsidization scheme. To this end we develop a regionally differentiated applied general equilibrium model spanning over 2015–2030. Our analytical apparatus focuses exclusively on the fiscal implications as well as the environmental repercussions of the removal of the subsidies on greenhouse gas emissions. With the aid of a set of alternative policy scenarios against a “business as usual” path, we study the regional and sectorial performances of growth, employment, investment and capital accumulation, consumption/welfare and trade balance. Our results indicate that by simple elimination of the coal subsidization scheme, Turkey can reduce its aggregate gaseous emissions by as much as 5% without a significant loss in its GDP. - Highlights: • Turkey supports the coal sector providing both production and investment subsidies. • Eliminating production subsidies leads to a 2.5% decline in total CO2(eq) by 2030. • Additionally, removal of regional investment subsidies reduces CO2(eq) by 5.4%. • The macro-effects of both scenarios are found to be quite small. • Coal subsidies could be transferred to the financing of green policy alternatives.
The transition between energy efficient and energy inefficient states in Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adom, Philip Kofi

2016-01-01

I use a two-state (energy efficient/inefficient) Markov-switching dynamic model to study energy efficiency in Cameroon in a novel manner, employing yearly data covering 1971 to 2012. I find that the duration of an energy inefficient state is about twice as long as an energy efficient state, mainly due to fuel subsidies, low income, high corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, poorly developed infrastructure and undeveloped markets. To escape from an energy inefficient state a broad policy overhaul is needed. Trade liberalization and related growth policies together with the removal of fuel subsidies are useful, but insufficient policy measures; the results suggest that they should be combined with structural policies, aiming at institutional structure and investment in infrastructure. - Highlights: • I investigate the transition between energy efficient/inefficient states. • On the average, energy inefficient state persists more than energy efficient state. • The duration of energy inefficient state is about twice as long as energy efficient state. • Price, income and trade openness have distinct energy saving effect irrespective of state. • A broad policy overhaul is needed to escape the energy inefficient state.
Converting Energy Subsidies to Investments: Scaling-Up Deep Energy Retrofit in Residential Sector of Ukraine

Science.gov (United States)

Denysenko, Artur

After collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited vast and inefficient infrastructure. Combination of historical lack of transparency, decades without reforms, chronical underinvestment and harmful cross-subsidization resulted in accumulation of energy problems, which possess significant threat to economic prosperity and national security. High energy intensity leads to excessive use of energy and heavy reliance on energy import to meet domestic demand. Energy import, in turn, results in high account balance deficit and heavy burden on the state finances. A residential sector, which accounts for one third of energy consumption and is the highest consumer of natural gas, is particularly challenging to reform. This thesis explores energy consumption of the residential sector of Ukraine. Using energy decomposition method, recent changes in energy use is analyzed. Energy intensity of space heating in the residential sector of Ukraine is compared with selected EU member states with similar climates. Energy efficiency potential is evaluated for whole residential sector in general and for multistory apartment buildings connected to the district heating in particular. Specifically, investments in thermal modernization of multistory residential buildings will result in almost 45TWh, or 3.81 Mtoe, of annual savings. Required investments for deep energy retrofit of multistory buildings is estimated as much as $19 billion in 2015 prices. Experience of energy subsidy reforms as well as lessons from energy retrofit policy from selected countries is analyzed. Policy recommendations to turn energy subsidies into investments in deep energy retrofit of residential sector of Ukraine are suggested. Regional dimension of existing energy subsidies and capital subsidies required for energy retrofit is presented.
Three Essays on Energy Efficiency and Environmental Policies in Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Gamtessa, Samuel

2011-09-01

This thesis is organized into five Chapters. In Chapter 1, we provide an introduction. In Chapter 2, we present a study on residential energy-efficiency retrofits in Canada. We describe the EnerGuide for Houses data and model household decisions to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits. Our results show that government financial incentives have important positive effects. The decision to invest in energy-efficiency retrofits is positively related to potential energy cost savings and negatively related to the costs of the retrofits. We find that household characteristics such as the age composition of household members are important factors. All else remaining constant, low income households are more likely to undertake energy-efficiency retrofits. In the third Chapter, we present our study on price-induced energy efficiency improvements in Canadian manufacturing. Our study employs a new approach to the estimation of price-induced energy efficiency improvements and the results have important empirical and policy implications. In the fourth chapter, we present our study on the implications of the "shale gas revolution" on Alberta greenhouse gas emission abatement strategy. Given that the strategy is centered on deployment of CCS technologies, we analyze the effects of the declines in natural gas price on CCS deployment in the electricity sector. We use the CIMS simulation model to simulate various policy scenarios under high and low natural gas price assumptions. Comparison of the results shows that CCS market penetration in the electricity sector is very minimal in the low natural gas price scenario even when a 50% cost subsidy is applied. Accordingly, there is little gain from subsidizing CCS given the "shale gas revolution." We provide a few concluding remarks in Chapter 5.
Distributional effects of subsidy removal and implementation of carbon taxes in Mexican households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosas-Flores, Jorge Alberto; Bakhat, Mohcine; Rosas-Flores, Dionicio; Fernández Zayas, José Luis

2017-01-01

This paper presents a microsimulation using data from the National Households Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) from 1994 to 2010 to determine the distributional effects of the price changes arising from energy and environmental policies and their impact on Mexican households. We reported simulations of several changes in energy prices as a result of partial or total energy subsidy removal, including carbon tax. In order to examine whether the subsidy mechanism and carbon tax tend to be progressive or regressive, we evaluated the households' burden in different income levels. These simulations respond to the need for an assessment of economic and environmental impacts of energy subsidies in Mexico. This is of great importance for Mexico because of effort that has been taken in the development of energy policies, and the rising interest of the Mexican government in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions and their concomitant environmental damage. - Highlights: • The results indicate that subsidies in electricity are progressive (indeed less progressive for LPG). • Some regression evidence is shown in gasoline subsidies, that is, low-income households benefit less from the subsidies than do high-income households. • The analysis demonstrates that a hypothetical CO_2 tax is regressive in LPG and progressive in the case of gasoline.
Labour Market Programmes and the Equity-Efficiency Trade-Off

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filges, Trine; Kennes, John; Larsen, Birthe

2011-01-01

This paper studies optimal labour market policy in a society where differently gifted individuals can invest in training to further increase their labour market productivity and where the government seeks both efficiency and equity. Frictions in the matching process create unemployment...... and differently skilled workers face different levels of risk of unemployment. We show that in such an environment, training programmes that are targeted at the disadvantaged workers complement passive transfers (UI benefits), unlike general training subsidies. Combining passive subsidies with a training subsidy...... conditioned on the individual being unemployed (for a period) – the typical Active Labour Market Programme – creates a favourable trade-off between equity and efficiency and this encourages high spending on training...
The validation of State subsidies to the production of carbonated and nuclear energies, or the varying winds of the EU environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rambour, Muriel

2015-01-01

As the Court of the European Union has validated subsidies awarded by the Spanish government to some coal power plants, as the European Commission has agreed with the financial support mechanism the British government wants to implement for the renewal of its electronuclear fleet, these decisions can be perceived as an incentive support to conventional energies whereas the EU is committed in a policy of struggle against climate change and of development of renewable energies. Thus, this article first discusses the compatibility of public subsidy with the European rules for concurrence and the operation of the European inner market. The author comments the Court and Commission decisions which imply an exemption of the taking of environmental concerns into account. She also comments the apparent contradiction with the environmental policy by referring to the market reality, and explains the support to nuclear energy by a required energy supply guarantee for the British Islands

Government Subsidy for Remanufacturing or Carbon Tax Rebate: Which Is Better for Firms and a Low-Carbon Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tong Shu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The government as a policy maker wishing to promote remanufacturing and proper disposal of hazardous old products which are harmful to environment has taken many actions, ranging from carbon regulation and financial incentives such as trade-in subsidy. However, carbon tax can result in loss of profit for firms to some degree, so the government has to give other subsidy to balance the profits and carbon emission. Thus, this article investigates two subsidy mechanisms: remanufacturing subsidy or tax rebate. The optimal pricing and production decision under these policies are examined. Our results show that carbon tax has a great impact on pricing strategies. Trade-in subsidy can encourage customers to replace their existing products with new and remanufactured products. Both remanufacture subsidy and tax rebate are beneficial to manufacturer and can further promote remanufacturing development.
Energy subsidies in California's electricity market deregulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschel, Alexander; Smestad, G.P.

2003-01-01

Deregulation and re-regulation of California's electricity market not only failed in terms of anticipated cost reductions, improved customer service and higher competition, it also led to the introduction of various additional energy subsidies. This paper analyzes California's electricity market deregulation process from a subsidy viewpoint. Under deregulation in California, investor-owned utilities were not allowed to pass their energy procurement costs fully on to their customers, and therefore subsequently, and inevitably, ran into severe financial problems. Such retail price regulation is an energy subsidy that is both economically and environmentally unfavorable, because it veils true price signals to electricity consumers and, in this way, discourages energy conservation. Other policies implemented in California that represent perverse energy subsidies are the purchase of power by the state of California, the suspension of retail competition, and the potential misuse of money from the recovery of stranded costs. Many interventions implemented by the state to smooth out the impacts of the energy crisis insulated electricity consumers from market realities, supported the existing structure of California's electricity market, which is predominantly based on fossil fuels, and suppressed market incentives to improve energy conservation
The Norwegian support and subsidy policy of electric cars. Should it be adopted by other countries?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holtsmark, Bjart; Skonhoft, Anders

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The Norwegian policy to promote the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) is unusually powerful. • Numerical examples show that the policy means an approximate tax relief for a EV owner about 8000 USD/year. • The same time an average EV is might imply an emission reduction of less than 1 tonne CO 2 . • The policy might cause small emission reductions at high costs. • The policy might have the unfortunate side-effect that households buy more cars and drive more. - Abstract: As a result of generous policies to increase the use of electric vehicles (EVs), the sales of EVs in Norway are rapidly increasing. This in sharp contrast to most other rich countries without such generous policies. Due to the subsidies, driving an EV implies very low costs to the owner on the margin, probably leading to more driving at the expense of public transport and cycling. Moreover, because most EVs’ driving range is low, the policy gives Norwegian households incentives to purchase a second car, again stimulating the use of private cars instead of public transport and cycling. These effects are analysed in light of possible greenhouse gas (GHG) emission benefits as well as other possible benefits of utilizing EVs versus conventional cars. We discuss whether the EV policy can be justified, as well as whether this policy should be implemented by other countries
The Impact of Government Subsidies on Private R&D and Firm Performance: Does Ownership Matter in China’s Manufacturing Industry?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenji Jin

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Government subsidies as a policy instrument are used to alleviate market failure in research and development (R&D activities. We aim to understand the influence of government subsidies on enterprises’ R&D investment and performance. We are also interested in examining how the attributes of enterprise ownership act as a moderating variable for the relationship between government subsidies, R&D investment, and firm performance. We use firm-level data on China’s manufacturing listed companies from 2011 to 2015. The results show that receiving government subsidies improves private R&D investment and firm performance, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs can obtain more subsidies than private-owned enterprises (POEs. However, the impact of government subsidies on private R&D investment is stronger in POEs than in SOEs of China. In additional analyses, we also examine this relationship by industry, region, subsidy intensity, and R&D intensity. This study has important policy implications for regulators to improve the effectiveness of government subsidies.
Industrial energy demand and the effect of taxes, agreements and subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bue Bjoerner, T.; Holm Jensen, H.

2000-10-01

This report presents an econometric analysis of industrial companies demand for energy. The effect of energy taxes, energy agreements and subsidies to investments in energy efficiency, which have been applied as policy instruments in Denmark since 1993, is also quantified. The econometric analysis is based on an extensive database, which contains information on industrial companies consumption of energy and their value added in a number of years covering the period 1983 to 1997 (information from the years 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997 is included). The database has been constructed by combining information from different registers in Statistics Denmark. The database contains information on the majority of all existing industrial companies with more than 20 employees (from 1995 to 1997 primary data on energy consumption were only collected for half the industrial companies with 20-50 employees). The database has a panel (longitudinal) nature, where each industrial company can be followed over time. This makes it possible to compare energy consumption in companies before and after they have been given a subsidy to invest in energy efficiency or entered an energy agreement with the Danish Energy Agency. The econometric analysis utilises the panel nature of the data by relying on so-called fixed effect estimators. (EHS)
Subsidy Agreements

OpenAIRE

Kyle Bagwell; Robert W. Staiger

2004-01-01

International disputes over subsidies are increasingly disrupting the world trading system. The creation of the WTO was nearly prevented by disputes in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations over the issue of negotiating disciplines on agricultural subsidies, an issue which continues to plague the ongoing Doha Round of WTO negotiations. Ongoing disputes over subsidies that violate existing WTO rules have led to the largest amount of authorized retaliation in GATT/WTO history. Yet the internat...
Cross-subsidy in electricity tariffs: evidence from India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, P.

2004-01-01

The recent reforms in India have been equated to the reduction of cross-subsidization in electricity tariffs. Examining the usefulness of cross subsidies in electricity tariffs in India, I have argued that they are prone to considerable inefficiencies and should be discontinued. I have also formally examined the viability of above-cost tariffs in the industrial sector to allow subsidized domestic and agricultural consumption. Finally, I have used data from a distribution company in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India to estimate industrial demand for electricity and have found that the policy of cross-subsidy may have indeed gone overboard in India. (author)
Do Child Care Subsidies Influence Single Mothers' Decision to Invest in Human Capital?

Science.gov (United States)

Herbst, Chris M.; Tekin, Erdal

2011-01-01

A child care subsidy is one of the most effective policy instruments to facilitate low-income individuals' transition from welfare to work. Although previous studies consistently find that subsidy receipt is associated with increased employment among single mothers, there is currently no evidence on the influence of these benefits on the decision…
Do Targeted Hiring Subsidies and Profiling Techniques Reduce Unemployment?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahn, Elke; Wagner, Thomas

2008-01-01

To reduce equilibrium unemployment targeted hiring subsidies and profiling techniques for long-term unemployed are often recommended. To analyze the effects of these two instruments, our model combines two search methods: the public employment service and random search, jobseekers choose between...... an active and a passive search strategy, while labour market policy has two options available. First, only the long-term unemployed placed by the public employment service are subsidized. Second, the subsidy is paid for each match with a long-term unemployed irrespective of the search method used. We show...
Do Targeted Hiring Subsidies and Profiling Techniques Reduce Unemployment?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahn, Elke; Wagner, Thomas

To reduce equilibrium unemployment targeted hiring subsidies and profilin techniques for long-term unemployed are often recommended. To analyze the effects of these two instruments, our model combines two search methods: the public employment serviceand random search, jobseekers choose between...... an active and a passive search strategy, while labour market policy has two options available. First, only the long-term unemployed placed by the public employment service are subsidized. Second, the subsidy is paid for each match with a long-term unemployed irrespective of the search method used. We show...
Subsidy programs on diffusion of solar water heaters: Taiwan's experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Keh-Chin; Lin, Wei-Min; Lee, Tsong-Sheng; Chung, Kung-Ming

2011-01-01

Financial incentives are essentially one of the key factors influencing diffusion of solar water heaters in many countries. Two subsidy programs were initiated by the government of Taiwan in 1986 (1986-1991) and 2000 (2000-present), respectively. Those long-term national programs are considered to be the driving force on local market expansion. In 2008, the regional subsidy programs for solar water heaters were announced by Kaohsiung city and Kiemen county, which resulted in the growth in sales. A revised subsidy was also initiated by the government of Taiwan in 2009. The subsidy is 50% more. However, the tremendous enlargement of market size with a high-level ratio of subsidy over total installation cost might result in a negative impact on a sustainable SWH industry and long-term development of the local market, which is associated with system design and post-installation service. This paper aims to address the relative efficiency and pitfalls of those national and regional programs. - Research Highlights: → The direct subsidy has been the driving force on market expansion in Taiwan. → Higher subsidy would certainly increase the total number of systems installed. → A high-level subsidy results in a negative impact on users or a sustainable industry.
The measurement and regulation of cross subsidy. The case of the Scottish water industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawkins, John W.; Reid, Scott

2007-01-01

There is a widespread belief that significant cross subsidies exist in the water, gas and electricity utility industries, particularly those under public ownership. In this paper we discuss the measurement of cross subsidy and its regulatory implications in the context of a publicly owned utility on the verge of being opened up to product market competition. Using the case of the publicly owned Scottish water industry the paper outlines the definition and measurement of cross subsidy in theoretical terms before reviewing the policy debate over the desirability of cross subsidy between different customer groups and services. It then explains the approach to measurement recently adopted by the Scottish Executive. Having established the size and direction of cross subsidy the regulatory implications are considered. (author)
Impact of energy subsidies on energy consumption and supply in Zimbabwe. Do the urban poor really benefit?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dube, Ikhupuleng

2003-01-01

Twenty percent of Zimbabwe's urban poor households are still to be connected to the grid. The majority of these households are poor. There are several reasons why the Zimbabwe urban poor are still not connected to the grid, the most important one being the household incomes and the cost of different sources of energy. In order to facilitate wider usage of electricity by the poor, the policy makers have introduced a subsidy policy. The objective of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which the poor urban households could afford the cost of electricity with or without subsidies. This gives an indication on whether contrary to the current thinking, subsidies are decisive for the affordability of electricity by the urban households. The paper also examines the distribution of the subsidies, amongst the different urban household income categories and other economic sectors. Furthermore the impact of such subsidies on the utility's finances is assessed
Energy efficiency programs and policies in the industrial sector in industrialized countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galitsky, Christina; Price, Lynn; Worrell, Ernst

2004-06-01

About 37% of the primary energy consumed both in the U.S. and globally is used by the industrial sector. A variety of energy efficiency policies and programs have been implemented throughout the world in an effort to improve the energy efficiency of this sector. This report provides an overview of these policies and programs in twelve industrialized nations and the European Union (EU). We focus on energy efficiency products and services that are available to industrial consumers, such as reports, guidebooks, case studies, fact sheets, profiles, tools, demonstrations, roadmaps and benchmarking. We also focus on the mechanisms to communicate the availability and features of these products and services and to disseminate them to the industrial consumers who can use them. Communication channels include customer information centers and websites, conferences and trade shows, workshops and other training mechanisms, financial assistance programs, negotiated agreements, newsletters, publicity, assessments, tax and subsidy schemes and working groups. In total, over 30 types of industrial sector energy efficiency products, services and delivery channels have been identified in the countries studied. Overall, we found that the United States has a large variety of programs and offers industry a number of supporting programs for improving industrial energy efficiency. However, there are some products and services found in other industrialized countries that are not currently used in the U.S., including benchmarking programs, demonstration of commercialized technologies and provision of energy awareness promotion materials to companies. Delivery mechanisms found in other industrialized countries that are not employed in the U.S. include negotiated agreements, public disclosure and national-level tax abatement for energy-efficient technologies.
Are tax subsidies for private medical insurance self-financing? Evidence from a microsimulation model.

Science.gov (United States)

López Nicolás, Angel; Vera-Hernández, Marcos

2008-09-01

This paper develops an empirical strategy to estimate whether subsidies to private medical insurance are self-financing in countries where public and private insurance coexist and the latter covers the same treatments as the former. We construct a simulation routine based on a micro-econometric discrete choice model that allows us to evaluate the impact of premium changes on the utilization of outpatient and inpatient health care services. As an application, we estimate the budgetary effects of scrapping a subsidy from the purchase of individual private policies, using micro-data from Catalonia. Our results suggest that the subsidy is not self-financing. This result is driven by the fact that private medical insurance holders make concurrent use of public and private services, and by the price inelasticity of the demand for private policies.
Efficient scale for photovoltaic systems and Florida's solar rebate program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkart, Christopher S.; Arguea, Nestor M.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a critical view of Florida's photovoltaic (PV) subsidy system and proposes an econometric model of PV system installation and generation costs. Using information on currently installed systems, average installation cost relations for residential and commercial systems are estimated and cost-efficient scales of installation panel wattage are identified. Productive efficiency in annual generating capacity is also examined under flexible panel efficiency assumptions. We identify potential gains in efficiency and suggest changes in subsidy system constraints, providing important guidance for the implementation of future incentive programs. Specifically, we find that the subsidy system discouraged residential applicants from installing at the cost-efficient scale but over-incentivized commercial applicants, resulting in inefficiently sized installations. - Highlights: ► Describe a PV solar incentive system in the U.S. state of Florida. ► Combine geocoded installation site data with a detailed irradiance map. ► Estimate installation and production costs across a large sample. ► Identify inefficiencies in the incentive system. ► Suggest changes to policy that would improve economic efficiency.
An Optimization Model for Expired Drug Recycling Logistics Networks and Government Subsidy Policy Design Based on Tri-level Programming

OpenAIRE

Huang, Hui; Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Pi, Xing

2015-01-01

In order to recycle and dispose of all people’s expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disp...
Incentive Policy Options for Product Remanufacturing: Subsidizing Donations or Resales?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaodong; Wang, Yue; Li, Bangyi

2017-01-01

Remanufactured products offer better environmental benefits, and governments encourage manufacturers to remanufacture through various subsidy policies. This practice has shown that, in addition to product sales, remanufactured product can also achieve its value through social donation. Based on the remanufactured product value realization approaches, governments provide two kinds of incentive policies, which are remanufactured product sales subsidies and remanufactured product donation subsidies. This paper constructs a two-stage Stackelberg game model including a government and a manufacturer under two different policies, which can be solved by backward induction. By comparing the optimal decision of the two policies, our results show that, compared with the remanufacturing sales subsidy, donation subsidy weakens the cannibalization of remanufactured products for new products and increases the quantity of new products. It reduces the sales quantity of remanufactured products, but increases their total quantity. Under certain conditions of low subsidy, the manufacturer adopting sales subsidy provides better economic and environmental benefits. Under certain conditions of high subsidy, the manufacturer adopting donation subsidy offers better economic and environmental benefits. When untreated product environmental impact is large enough, donation subsidy policy has a better social welfare. Otherwise, the choice of social welfare of these two different policies depends on the social impact of remanufactured product donated. PMID:29194411
Incentive Policy Options for Product Remanufacturing: Subsidizing Donations or Resales?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaodong; Wang, Zhe; Wang, Yue; Li, Bangyi

2017-12-01

Remanufactured products offer better environmental benefits, and governments encourage manufacturers to remanufacture through various subsidy policies. This practice has shown that, in addition to product sales, remanufactured product can also achieve its value through social donation. Based on the remanufactured product value realization approaches, governments provide two kinds of incentive policies, which are remanufactured product sales subsidies and remanufactured product donation subsidies. This paper constructs a two-stage Stackelberg game model including a government and a manufacturer under two different policies, which can be solved by backward induction. By comparing the optimal decision of the two policies, our results show that, compared with the remanufacturing sales subsidy, donation subsidy weakens the cannibalization of remanufactured products for new products and increases the quantity of new products. It reduces the sales quantity of remanufactured products, but increases their total quantity. Under certain conditions of low subsidy, the manufacturer adopting sales subsidy provides better economic and environmental benefits. Under certain conditions of high subsidy, the manufacturer adopting donation subsidy offers better economic and environmental benefits. When untreated product environmental impact is large enough, donation subsidy policy has a better social welfare. Otherwise, the choice of social welfare of these two different policies depends on the social impact of remanufactured product donated.
Labour Market Programmes and the Equity-Efficiency Trade-off

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filges, Trine; Kennes, John; Larsen, Birthe

This paper studies labour market policy in a society where differently gifted individuals can invest in training to further increase their labour market productivity and where the government seeks both effiency and equity. Frictions in the matching process create unemployment and differently...... skilled workers face different unemployment risks. We show that in such an environment, training programmes that are targeted to the unemployed complement passive transfers (UI benefits), unlike a general training subsidy. Combining passive subsidies with a training subsidy conditioned on the individual...... being unemployed (for a while) - the typical Active Labour Market Programme - implies a favorable trade-off between equity and efficiency which encourages high spending on training....

Labour Market Programmes and the Equity-Efficiency Trade-off

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kennes, John; Larsen, Birthe; Tranæs, Torben

2005-01-01

This paper studies labour market policy in a society where differently gifted individuals can invest in training to further increase their labour market productivity and where the government seeks both effiency and equity. Frictions in the matching process create unemployment and differently...... skilled workers face different unemployment risks. We show that in such an environment, training programmes that are targeted to the unemployed complement passive transfers (UI benefits), unlike a general training subsidy. Combining passive subsidies with a training subsidy conditioned on the individual...... being unemployed (for a while) - the typical Active Labour Market Programme - implies a favorable trade-off between equity and efficiency which encourages high spending on training....
Economic and environmental gains of China's fossil energy subsidies reform: A rebound effect case study with EIMO model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Li; Liang, Dong; Di, Wang

2013-01-01

Energy consumption and efficiency emerged as the hottest topic in the context of China's sustainable development. Energy subsidies and “rebound effect” were closely related to this topic while few combinative studies on them with a focus on China. This paper employed a co-thinking approach, focusing on how the energy subsidies reform could mitigate the rebound effect in China, and how to achieve an “economic and environmental gains” that reduced pecuniary spending, improved the distorted energy market and reduced energy consumption simultaneously. Firstly, with price-gap approach we calculated the total energy subsidies scale of China in 2007, which amounted to582.0 billion CNY; then we detected and identified rebound effect of China energy consumption with the features. Furthermore, based on China 2007 monetary input–output table and energy flow analysis, we compiled a hybrid physical energy input and monetary output model (EIMO) to simulate the mitigation effect of subsidies reform. Results showed that removing energy subsidies would decrease ultimate demand of different economy sectors and reduce the accumulatively physical consumption of coal, oil, natural gas and electricity by 17.74, 13.47, 3.64 and 15.82 million tce, respectively. Finally we discussed relevant policy issues on China's energy subsidies reform in depth. - Highlights: ► Analyze the economic and environmental gains of fossil energy subsidies reform in China. ► Energy input and monetary output model was applied for analysis. ► Subsidies reform would help to reduce the rebound effect. ► The benefits of money saving, energy saving and CO 2 mitigation were achieved
Playing Hot and Cold: How Can Russian Heat Policy Find Its Way Toward Energy Efficiency?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roshchanka, Volha; Evans, Meredydd

2012-09-15

The Russian district heating has a large energy-saving potential, and, therefore, need for investments. The scale of needed investments is significant: the government estimates that 70 percent of the district heating infrastructure needs replacement or maintenance, a reflection of decades of under investment. Government budgets will be unable to cover them, and iInvolvingement ofthe private industry will be critical to attracting the necessary investementis necessary. For private parties to invest in district heating facilities across Russia, and not only in pockets of already successful enterprises, regulators have to develop a comprehensive policy that works district heating systems under various conditionscost-reflective tariffs, metering, incentives for efficiency and social support for the neediest (instead of subsidies for all).
Effect of subsidies to fossil fuel companies on United States crude oil production

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Peter; Down, Adrian; Lazarus, Michael; Koplow, Doug

2017-11-01

Countries in the G20 have committed to phase out `inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies. However, there remains a limited understanding of how subsidy removal would affect fossil fuel investment returns and production, particularly for subsidies to producers. Here, we assess the impact of major federal and state subsidies on US crude oil producers. We find that, at recent oil prices of US50 per barrel, tax preferences and other subsidies push nearly half of new, yet-to-be-developed oil investments into profitability, potentially increasing US oil production by 17 billion barrels over the next few decades. This oil, equivalent to 6 billion tonnes of CO2, could make up as much as 20% of US oil production through 2050 under a carbon budget aimed at limiting warming to 2 °C. Our findings show that removal of tax incentives and other fossil fuel support policies could both fulfil G20 commitments and yield climate benefits.
Dampak Pemberian Subsidi Produksi Terhadap Keseimbangan Pasar pada Pasar Persaingan Sempurna dan Pasar Monopoli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hardiani Hardiani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract. This study aimed to analyze: (1 the impact of subsidies on the market equilibriumin perfect competition and monopoly markets (2 the impact of subsidies on the efficiency of markets, surplus buyer-seller on the market perfect competition and monopoly market. Research using method of experimental economics. The simulated market in the form of a a perfectly competitive market with goods subsidized and non-subsidized goods; b a monopoly market with goods subsidized and non-subsidized goods. Data were analyzed at each simulation and the market structure of each type of goods. The result showed that: (1 Empirical equilibrium price higher than the market monopoly of perfect competition and the higher the subsidy conditions than non-subsidized either on transaction systems double action or decentralization; (2 market with subsidized monopoly has a level of market efficiency is better than a perfectly competitive market both with and without subsidies; (3 The allocation of the surplus on the market almost entirely monopoly enjoyed by the seller. In contrast to the perfectly competitive market, relatively more surplus enjoyed by the buyer, but the difference is not too great. Keywords: experimental economics, monopoly market, perfect competition market, subsidies Abstrak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis: (1 dampak subsidi terhadap keseimbangan pasar pada pasar persaingan sempurna dan pasar monopoli (2 dampak subsidi terhadap efisiensi pasar, surplus pembeli-penjual pada pasar persaingan sempurna dan pasar monopoli. Penelitian menggunakan metode percobaan ekonomi. Pasar disimulasi dalam bentuk a pasar persaingan sempurna dengan barang non subsidi dan barang subsidi desentralisasi; b pasar monopoli dengan barang non subsidi dan barang subsidi desentralisasi. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis pada masing-masing simulasi struktur pasar dan pada masing-masing jenis barang. Dari hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa: (1 Harga keseimbangan
Rationality of the subsidy regime for wind power in Sweden and Denmark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helby, P [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Environmental and Energy System Studies

1996-12-31

This study comprise analysis and discussion of incentives inherent in the Swedish and Danish subsidy regimes for household owned wind power. New results include an evaluation of the subsidy value of income and VAT tax breaks available to investors, and a demonstration of the importance of the choice of ownership arrangements for the profitability of wind power projects. The study outlines the complex restrictions associated with different forms of wind power ownership. These cause the investment market to be highly segmented. The discussion includes several irrational system effects of the subsidy regimes. Among these are collision with energy saving goals, excessive capital costs, dubious siting decisions, and distorted competition among technologies. In conclusion, come policy recommendations are suggested. (author)
Rationality of the subsidy regime for wind power in Sweden and Denmark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helby, P. [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Environmental and Energy System Studies

1995-12-31

This study comprise analysis and discussion of incentives inherent in the Swedish and Danish subsidy regimes for household owned wind power. New results include an evaluation of the subsidy value of income and VAT tax breaks available to investors, and a demonstration of the importance of the choice of ownership arrangements for the profitability of wind power projects. The study outlines the complex restrictions associated with different forms of wind power ownership. These cause the investment market to be highly segmented. The discussion includes several irrational system effects of the subsidy regimes. Among these are collision with energy saving goals, excessive capital costs, dubious siting decisions, and distorted competition among technologies. In conclusion, come policy recommendations are suggested. (author)
Rationality of the subsidy regime for wind power in Sweden and Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helby, P.

1995-01-01

This study comprise analysis and discussion of incentives inherent in the Swedish and Danish subsidy regimes for household owned wind power. New results include an evaluation of the subsidy value of income and VAT tax breaks available to investors, and a demonstration of the importance of the choice of ownership arrangements for the profitability of wind power projects. The study outlines the complex restrictions associated with different forms of wind power ownership. These cause the investment market to be highly segmented. The discussion includes several irrational system effects of the subsidy regimes. Among these are collision with energy saving goals, excessive capital costs, dubious siting decisions, and distorted competition among technologies. In conclusion, come policy recommendations are suggested. (author)
Contracts, Vouchers, and Child Care Subsidy Stability: A Preliminary Look at Associations between Subsidy Payment Mechanism and Stability of Subsidy Receipt

Science.gov (United States)

Holod, Aleksandra; Johnson, Anna D.; Martin, Anne; Gardner, Margo; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2012-01-01

Background: The federal child care subsidy program, funded through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), is the nation's largest public investment in early child care. However, little is known about whether and how subsidy payment mechanisms relate to the stability of subsidy receipt or the stability of children's care arrangements.…
The regulation for delivery of subsidies for measures of promoting power source location for nuclear power generating facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

According to the law for the arrangement of surrounding areas of power generating facilities, the regulations concern the allocation of subsidies to promote the most efficient way of siting nuclear power facilities. The contents consist of the following: limits on the subsidies, terms of subsidy allocations, the sum of subsidies for each respective year, applications for subsidies, determination of subsidy allocations, withdrawal of applications, the conditions attached to the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of the subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for disposal of the properties, payment of subsidies, accounting of the subsidy operations, a record of the subsidies, and the chief in the governmental office concerned. (Mori, K.)
How to Turn an Industry Green: Taxes versus Subsidies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dröge, Susanne; Schröder, Philipp

2003-01-01

welfare effects. For a strong green policy (a severe reduction of the dirty sector) a tax is the dominant instrument. For moderate policy targets, a subsidy will be superior (inferior) if the initial situation features a large (small) share of dirty output. These findings have implications for policies......Environmental policies frequently target the ratio of dirty to green output within the same industry. To achieve such targets the green sector may be subsidised or the dirty sector be taxed. This paper shows that in a monopolistic competition setting the two policy instruments have different...... such as the Californian Zero Emission Bill or the EU Action Plan for Renewable Energy Sources....
Pricing for Efficiency, Equity, and Simplicity: A Model Policy for an Interlibrary Courier Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Gassler, Robert Scott

1985-01-01

Presents an example of a pricing policy for any interlibrary courier service which (1) calculates fixed, travelling, and stopping costs; (2) charges by how often the courier stops at each participating library; and (3) uses any subsidies for costs libraries cannot control. (CDD)
CVD Prevention Through Policy: a Review of Mass Media, Food/Menu Labeling, Taxation/Subsidies, Built Environment, School Procurement, Worksite Wellness, and Marketing Standards to Improve Diet

OpenAIRE

Afshin, Ashkan; Penalvo, Jose; Del Gobbo, Liana; Kashaf, Michael; Micha, Renata; Morrish, Kurtis; Pearson-Stuttard, Jonathan; Rehm, Colin; Shangguan, Siyi; Smith, Jessica D.; Mozaffarian, Dariush

2015-01-01

Poor diet is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in the USA and globally. Evidence-based policies are crucial to improve diet and population health. We reviewed the effectiveness for a range of policy levers to alter diet and diet-related risk factors. We identified evidence to support benefits of focused mass media campaigns (especially for fruits, vegetables, salt), food pricing strategies (both subsidies and taxation, with stronger effects at lower income levels), school procuremen...
Alternative policies to subsidize rural household biogas digesters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Changbo; Zhang, Yaoqi; Zhang, Lixiao; Pang, Mingyue

2016-01-01

Existing policies of household biogas projects focus mainly on supports on construction, but less consider management and maintenance, resulting in high scrap rate and waste of resources. Alternative policies must be explored to balance construction and operation. Taking the costs and benefits from a typical rural household biogas project, this paper assesses the economic performance at three different subsidy levels, i.e., no subsidy, existing standard and positive externality based standard. Furthermore three subsidy alternatives, one-time, annual and combined option are applied to the externality based standard. The results show that household biogas digesters have unsatisfactory economic performance without any subsidy and even in current subsidy policies. Environmental benefits of the digester were estimated as 2732 Chinese Yuan, significantly larger than existing subsidy standard. To keep continuous work during the 20-year lifespans of digesters, the income disparity of farmers among regions must be considered for policy application. With the increasing of labor costs, the ratio of initial subsidies must be reduced. These results provide policy implications to the future development of biogas projects in terms of both their construction and follow-up management, reuse of the abandoned digesters as well as the exploitation of other emerging renewable energy projects. - Highlights: •Cost-benefit analysis of biogas was conducted involving its positive externalities. •Current subsidy level and scheme discourages sustained biogas use. •Biogas subsidy level should be raised based on the value of positive externalities. •Regionalized subsidy system is needed to address the current inefficiency.
Analysing oil-production subsidies

Science.gov (United States)

Steenblik, Ronald

2017-11-01

Understanding how subsidies affect fossil-fuel investment returns and production is crucial to commencing new reforms. New analysis on the impact of subsidies on US crude-oil producers finds that, at recent oil prices of around US50 per barrel, tax preferences and other subsidies push nearly half of new oil investments into profitability.
Struggling between resources-based and sustainable development schemes-An analysis of Egypt's recent energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suding, Paul H.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses Egypt's recent energy sector and policy developments against objectives and issues of the energy policy strategy adopted in 2007. It reviews energy supply and demand, pricing and subsidies as well as institutional arrangements and respective reform projects from the perspective of assessing achievements. It identifies the consequences of the policy and the long-term outlook and reports on the internal policy struggle. The policy strategy of 2007 is directed at energy security, social and industrial development. Environmental or climate objectives play no role. Energy efficiency is at best considered an instrument. The implementation of the strategy has been successful on the supply side, but not on the demand side. Price reform, refocusing subsidies and sector reform were not achieved. This has negatively affected energy efficiency and diversification, energy availability and supply security, the State budget and the sector's financial capacity. It causes rising energy import requirements and increasing risks to the current account balance. In spite of that, 'old guard' and industrial establishment favour the resource-based development based on cheap energy and protract price reform, whereas another group of businessmen wants a sustainable development concept and monetize the oil and gas production to invest in Egypt's competitiveness. - Research Highlights: → Egyptian energy policy has not delivered demand side results and institutional reform. → The consequences are disparities in supply, external balance, financing and subsidies. →The prevailing interest groups succeed in protracting the implementation of the policy.
Input subsidies and demand for improved maize : relative prices and household heterogeneity matter!

OpenAIRE

Holden, Stein Terje

2013-01-01

This study uses simple non-separable farm household models calibrated to household, market, farming and policy context conditions in Central and Southern Malawi. The models are used to simulate how household characteristics, design and access to input subsidies affect the demand for improved maize seeds; how increasing land scarcity affects the cropping system and demand for improved maize; and how access to improved maize seeds affects household welfare with varying access to input subsidies...
Cotton Production in Mali: Subsidies or Sustainable Development?

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Lindsey

2007-01-01

Current trade rules concerning cotton subsidies are intricately linked with poverty and hunger in Mali. Over half of Mali's economy and over 30 million people depend directly on cotton. It is the main cash crop and the most important source of export revenue. Cotton also plays a key role in development policies and in the fight against poverty by…
Redistributive Taxation vs. Education Subsidies: Fostering Equality and Social Mobility in an Intergenerational Model

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Andrea

2010-01-01

Redistributive taxation and education subsidies are common policies intended to foster education attendance of poor children. However, this paper shows that in an intergenerational framework, these policies can raise social mobility only for some investment situations but not in general. I also study the impact of both policies on the aggregate…
Carbon sequestration and climate policy: elements of economic analysis. CGDD-TSE partnership

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubreu, Nathalie; Hardelin, Julien; Gilles Lafforgue

2012-05-01

In September 2011 the General Commission for Sustainable Development and Toulouse School of Economics jointly organized a conference on 'Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and climate policies: an economic analysis'. This paper presents an overview of the main results of the conference concerning the optimal energy mix and carbon emission path in the presence of CCS, the superiority of a policy mix combining an environmental tax with R and D subsidies, as well as the inter-generational equity-efficiency trade-off. It is based on presentations by Gilles Lafforgue, Andre Grimaud and Michel Moreaux, researchers from the Toulouse School of Economics. This overview confirms that a climate policy is more effective if it combines several instruments (tax and subsidies) and if it is quickly implemented. (authors)

Designing incentive schemes for promoting energy-efficient appliances: A new methodology and a case study for Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galarraga, Ibon; Abadie, Luis M.; Kallbekken, Steffen

2016-01-01

The energy-efficiency gap has been high on research and policy agendas for several decades. Incentive schemes such as subsidies, taxes and bonus-malus schemes are widely used to promote energy-efficient appliances. Most research, however, considers instruments in isolation, and only rarely in the context of political constraints on instrument use, or for alternative policy goals. This paper presents a methodology for the optimal design of incentive schemes based on the minimisation of Dead Weight Loss for different policy goals and policy restrictions. The use of the methodology is illustrated by designing optimal combinations of taxes and subsidies in Spain for three types of appliance: dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines. The optimal policies are designed subject to different policy goals such as achieving a fixed reduction in emissions or a certain increased market share for efficient appliances, and for policy constraints such as budget neutrality. The methodology developed here can also be used to evaluate past and current incentive schemes. - Highlights: • A new methodology for the optimal design of incentive schemes is presented. • This is done minimising the Dead Weight Loss for different goals and restrictions. • Efficient bonus malus schemes can be designed with this method.
Financial crisis, subsidies and climate change in the equation of sustainable development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bran, F.; Ioan, I. [Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (Romania). Faculty of Agro-Food and Environmental Economics; Popa, C.

2011-07-01

The challenges of sustainable development remains after more than two decades of converging efforts at high decision levels. Its environmental dimension is a great contributor in this respect with climate change at the top of the priority list. The paper examined two means to contribute in this area: changes in investment patterns due to the new growth model emerging in the aftermath of the financial crisis and the removal of subsidies for fossil fuel production and consumption. In the first case we found that the new growth model has a 'green' component stemming in green-tax reform, reforming and removing inefficient policy measures, and removing barriers of energy and transport efficiency. As long as the second component is regarded, the triple 'dividend' that could be obtained includes pushing the green agenda. However there are important barriers to overcome, such as social impact and income loss for oil exporting countries. Further research should consider the economic and social implications of this global picture in Romania and if there are measures to be applied in order to prevent revenue and GDP loss due to subsidies removal.
Green roof adoption in atlanta, georgia: the effects of building characteristics and subsidies on net private, public, and social benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullen, Jeffrey D; Lamsal, Madhur; Colson, Greg

2013-10-01

This research draws on and expands previous studies that have quantified the costs and benefits associated with conventional roofs versus green roofs. Using parameters from those studies to define alternative scenarios, we estimate from a private, public, and social perspective the costs and benefits of installing and maintaining an extensive green roof in Atlanta, GA. Results indicate net private benefits are a decreasing function of roof size and vary considerably across scenarios. In contrast, net public benefits are highly stable across scenarios, ranging from $32.49 to $32.90 m(-2). In addition, we evaluate two alternative subsidy regimes: (i) a general subsidy provided to every building that adopts a green roof and (ii) a targeted subsidy provided only to buildings for which net private benefits are negative but net public benefits are positive. In 6 of the 12 general subsidy scenarios the optimal public policy is not to offer a subsidy; in 5 scenarios the optimal subsidy rate is between $20 and $27 m(-2); and in 1 scenario the optimal rate is $5 m(-2). The optimal rate with a targeted subsidy is between $20 and $27 m(-2) in 11 scenarios and no subsidy is optimal in the twelfth. In most scenarios, a significant portion of net public benefits are generated by buildings for which net private benefits are positive. This suggests a policy focused on information dissemination and technical assistance may be more cost-effective than direct subsidy payments.
The potential role of taxes and subsidies on food in the prevention of obesity in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Zapata, Laura Inés; Alvarez-Dardet, Carlos; Millstone, Erik; Clemente-Gómez, Vicente; Holdsworth, Michelle; Ortiz-Moncada, Rocio; Lobstein, Tim; Sarri, Katerina; De Marchi, Bruna; Horvath, Katalin Z

2010-08-01

Obesity implies costs not only for the individual but also for society. The authors explore the opinions of stakeholders on the potential of taxes or subsidies, as measures for tackling obesity in Europe. Structured interviews were conducted using Multicriteria Mapping, a computer-based, decision-support tool, with 189 interviewees drawn from 21 different stakeholder categories across nine members of the EU interviews, to appraise 20 predefined policy options aimed at reducing obesity, including 'taxing obesity-promoting foods' and 'subsidising healthy foods.' A four-step approach involved selecting options, defining criteria, scoring options quantitatively and weighting criteria to provide overall rankings of options. Interviews were recorded and transcribed to yield qualitative data. Compared with other policy options appraised, taxation and subsidies were not favourably received, mainly because they were considered difficult to implement. Overall, trade unions rated both options more favourably than all other stakeholder groups. As anticipated, both options received their lowest scores from representatives of the farming, food processing and advertising industries. Nutritional/obesity advisory experts and public sector caterers gave the most positive ratings to subsidies overall. Along with public health professionals, large commercial retailers were most in favour of taxation. Taxation and subsidies were poorly appraised compared with other policy measures, with stakeholders expressing reservations mainly focussed on the practicalities and cost of introducing such measures. Although applying taxes/subsidies could be useful to combat obesity, the study suggests that most stakeholders still need to be convinced of their viability and acceptability when compared with other measures.
Healthy food subsidies and unhealthy food taxation: A systematic review of the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Niebylski, Mark L; Redburn, Kimbree A; Duhaney, Tara; Campbell, Norm R

2015-06-01

The Global Burden of Disease Study and related studies report unhealthy diet is the leading risk for death and disability globally. Given the evidence associating diet and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), international and national health bodies including the World Health Organization and United Nations have called for population health interventions to improve diet as a means to target NCDs. One of the proposed interventions is to ensure healthy foods/beverages are more accessible to purchasers and unhealthy ones less accessible via fiscal policy, namely taxation and subsidies. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence base to assess the effect of healthy food/beverage subsidies and unhealthy food/beverage taxation. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed publications and seventy-eight studies were identified for inclusion in this review. This review was performed in keeping with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. Although moderate in quality, there was consistent evidence that taxation and subsidy intervention influenced dietary behaviors. The quality, level and strength of evidence along with identified gaps in research support the need for further policies and ongoing evaluation of population-wide food/beverage subsidies and taxation. To maximize success and effect, this review suggests that food taxes and subsidies should be a minimum of 10 to 15% and preferably used in tandem. Implementation of population-wide polices for taxation and subsides with ongoing evaluation of intended and unintended effects are supported by this review. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Limited emission reductions from fuel subsidy removal except in energy-exporting regions

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, Jessica; McCollum, David; Emmerling, Johannes; Bertram, Christoph; Gernaat, David E. H. J.; Krey, Volker; Paroussos, Leonidas; Berger, Loïc; Fragkiadakis, Kostas; Keppo, Ilkka; Saadi, Nawfal; Tavoni, Massimo; van Vuuren, Detlef; Vinichenko, Vadim; Riahi, Keywan

2018-02-01

Hopes are high that removing fossil fuel subsidies could help to mitigate climate change by discouraging inefficient energy consumption and levelling the playing field for renewable energy. In September 2016, the G20 countries re-affirmed their 2009 commitment (at the G20 Leaders’ Summit) to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and many national governments are using today’s low oil prices as an opportunity to do so. In practical terms, this means abandoning policies that decrease the price of fossil fuels and electricity generated from fossil fuels to below normal market prices. However, whether the removal of subsidies, even if implemented worldwide, would have a large impact on climate change mitigation has not been systematically explored. Here we show that removing fossil fuel subsidies would have an unexpectedly small impact on global energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions and would not increase renewable energy use by 2030. Subsidy removal would reduce the carbon price necessary to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration at 550 parts per million by only 2-12 per cent under low oil prices. Removing subsidies in most regions would deliver smaller emission reductions than the Paris Agreement (2015) climate pledges and in some regions global subsidy removal may actually lead to an increase in emissions, owing to either coal replacing subsidized oil and natural gas or natural-gas use shifting from subsidizing, energy-exporting regions to non-subsidizing, importing regions. Our results show that subsidy removal would result in the largest CO2 emission reductions in high-income oil- and gas-exporting regions, where the reductions would exceed the climate pledges of these regions and where subsidy removal would affect fewer people living below the poverty line than in lower-income regions.
Limited emission reductions from fuel subsidy removal except in energy-exporting regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, Jessica; McCollum, David; Emmerling, Johannes; Bertram, Christoph; Gernaat, David E H J; Krey, Volker; Paroussos, Leonidas; Berger, Loïc; Fragkiadakis, Kostas; Keppo, Ilkka; Saadi, Nawfal; Tavoni, Massimo; van Vuuren, Detlef; Vinichenko, Vadim; Riahi, Keywan

2018-02-07

Hopes are high that removing fossil fuel subsidies could help to mitigate climate change by discouraging inefficient energy consumption and levelling the playing field for renewable energy. In September 2016, the G20 countries re-affirmed their 2009 commitment (at the G20 Leaders' Summit) to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and many national governments are using today's low oil prices as an opportunity to do so. In practical terms, this means abandoning policies that decrease the price of fossil fuels and electricity generated from fossil fuels to below normal market prices. However, whether the removal of subsidies, even if implemented worldwide, would have a large impact on climate change mitigation has not been systematically explored. Here we show that removing fossil fuel subsidies would have an unexpectedly small impact on global energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions and would not increase renewable energy use by 2030. Subsidy removal would reduce the carbon price necessary to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration at 550 parts per million by only 2-12 per cent under low oil prices. Removing subsidies in most regions would deliver smaller emission reductions than the Paris Agreement (2015) climate pledges and in some regions global subsidy removal may actually lead to an increase in emissions, owing to either coal replacing subsidized oil and natural gas or natural-gas use shifting from subsidizing, energy-exporting regions to non-subsidizing, importing regions. Our results show that subsidy removal would result in the largest CO 2 emission reductions in high-income oil- and gas-exporting regions, where the reductions would exceed the climate pledges of these regions and where subsidy removal would affect fewer people living below the poverty line than in lower-income regions.
Energy consumption, energy efficiency, and consumer perceptions: A case study for the Southeast United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, Christopher A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Interaction between climate, efficiency, and electricity consumption were examined. • 2450 state residents were surveyed about clean energy and subsidy policies. • Indirect energy efficiency costs negatively influenced electricity consumption. • Cooling degree days were positively related to electricity consumption. • Resident awareness influenced policy perceptions about clean energy and subsidies. - Abstract: This study examined the interaction between climatic variability and residential electricity consumption in a Southeast US state. Residential electricity consumers were surveyed to better understand how to diffuse positive attitudes and behaviors related to energy efficiency (EE) into households. The study found that 16.8% of the variability in residential electricity consumption for heating applications was explained by indirect EE costs. 36.6% of the variability in residential electricity consumption for cooling applications was explained by indirect EE costs and cooling degree days (CDD). A survey of 2450 residential electricity consumers was analyzed using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Significant findings suggest that those residents are aware of utility EE programs are more likely to participate, view utility company motives more favorably, to support governmental subsidies for EE programs, and to support the use of clean energy by utility companies.
Which Subsidy Mode Improves the Financial Performance of Renewable Energy Firms? A Panel Data Analysis of Wind and Solar Energy Companies between 2009 and 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huiming Zhang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The effectiveness of subsidies in improving the performance of renewable energy firms has aroused significant research attention in recent years. As subsidy modes may affect corporate financial performance,we have chosen companies specializing in wind and solar energy in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets as samples.The relationships between the subsidy modes and financial performance of these two types of companies are investigated with a panel data model. Results of the total sample indicate that both indirect and non-innovative subsidy have significant effects on the financial performance of renewable energy companies. The regressive coefficient of the former,however, is a negative value, which illustrates that taxation, bonus, and other market-based mechanisms impair corporate profitability. Moreover, the influence of innovative subsidy is weak, which means that the subsidy used for research and development, technical demonstration, and other innovations of renewable energy enterprises have failed to effectively enhance corporate financial performance. In terms of sub-industries, the direct subsidy for wind energy companies has achieved a significant effect. Incomparison, the indirect subsidy and innovative subsidy acquired by solar energy companies have notably reduced corporate profitability. Thissuggests an urgent reform of subsidy policy for this industry is needed. The government should consider differences in the effects subsidies have for wind and solar energy companies when improving subsidy policy. In addition, market-based subsidy mechanisms should be perfected, and the structure of innovative subsidies should be ameliorated.
Agricultural subsidies in the budget of the Republic of Serbia

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Popović Vesna

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the authors analyse the dynamics of agricultural subsidies, compared to the developments in public revenue and public expenditure and the total subsidies of the republic budget, in the years of 2006-2013. We performed desk research using official statistical data and processing them with standard statistical methods, and studying and quoting a number of scientific papers and documents of national and EU institutions. We also considered the government's projection of the scope and structure of agricultural subsidies by 2024, having in mind the fiscal consolidations and the obligations of adjusting legislation, support policy and institutional framework in agriculture with those of the EU. A three-year fiscal consolidation programme, which includes, among other things, reducing and re-examining agricultural support programmes, should create a healthy basis for stable and growing budget transfers to agriculture. Investment support will still be very important, and producers could expect a more significant growth in direct payments just before and just after joining the EU.
Power shifts: the dynamics of energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edenhofer, O.; Jaeger, C.C.

1998-01-01

Induced technical change is crucial for tackling the problem of timing in environmental policy. However, it is by no means obvious that the state has the ability to impose its will concerning technical change on the other relevant actors. Therefore, we conceptualize power in a non-linear model with social conflict and induced technical change. The model shows how economic growth, business cycles and innovation waves interact in the dynamics of energy efficiency. We assess three different ways of government control: energy taxes, energy and labor subsidies, and energy caps. Energy taxes help to select more energy efficient technologies. However, a successful selection of such technologies presupposes that they are available in the pool of technologies. As for energy subsidies, their existence helps to explain why in contemporary economies labor productivity grows faster than energy efficiency. With an energy cap, the social network of the relevant agents may be stabilized via social norms. It seems plausible that innovation waves comprise several business cycles and that such a wave is currently in the making. Proposals to postpone policies for improving energy efficiency increase the risk of energy inefficient lock-in effects. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)
Actual interaction effects between policy measures for energy efficiency-A qualitative matrix method and quantitative simulation results for households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boonekamp, Piet G.M.

2006-01-01

Starting from the conditions for a successful implementation of saving options, a general framework was developed to investigate possible interaction effects in sets of energy policy measures. Interaction regards the influence of one measure on the energy saving effect of another measure. The method delivers a matrix for all combinations of measures, with each cell containing qualitative information on the strength and type of interaction: overlapping, reinforcing, or independent of each other. Results are presented for the set of policy measures on household energy efficiency in the Netherlands for 1990-2003. The second part regards a quantitative analysis of the interaction effects between three major measures: a regulatory energy tax, investment subsidies and regulation of gas use for space heating. Using a detailed bottom-up model, household energy use in the period 1990-2000 was simulated with and without these measures. The results indicate that combinations of two or three policy measures yield 13-30% less effect than the sum of the effects of the separate measures
A sequential input–output framework to analyze the economic and environmental implications of energy policies: Gas taxes and fuel subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jun-Ki; Bakshi, Bhavik R.; Hubacek, Klaus; Nader, Jordan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Novel framework integrates monetary and physical changes in sequential input–output analysis. • Estimate economy-wide environmental changes as a result of combined energy policies. • Life cycle resource consumption and emission data for the U.S. economic sectors are adopted. • Ecosystem impacts could increase as a consequence of combined gasoline tax and bio-subsidy. - Abstract: A novel generic sequential input–output framework is developed to model the economy-wide changes in resource consumption and environmental emissions as a result of combined applied energy policies, e.g. taxes for non-renewables and subsidies for renewables. Many input–output analyses are based on a single period analysis. However, in the case of analyzing the effects of multiple policy interventions over time, the input–output table reflecting the state of the economy before the energy policy was introduced cannot be used for analyzing the economic effects of another policy intervention in the next time period since the monetary and physical transaction of commodities have already been affected. To show the efficacy of the proposed method, a case study is developed that introduced a gasoline tax and earmarks the revenues to subsidize biofuel production in the subsequent time period in the United States. In order to assess the change of environmental indicators after sequential policy interventions, Ecologically-based Life Cycle Analysis (ECO-LCA) inventories which include data on resource consumption, emissions, ecosystem goods and services related to the U.S. economic sectors are adopted. The environmentally extended input–output framework is ideally suited to model the interlinkages between a range for environmental indicators and detailed structural economic information at the sector level for the analysis of energy policies. The proposed framework can be utilized as a tool for leveraging the energy and environmental policy trade-off decisions which
An optimal U.S. biodiesel fuel subsidy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Huiting; Colson, Gregory; Escalante, Cesar; Wetzstein, Michael

2012-01-01

Enhanced environmental quality, fuel security, and economic development, along with reduced prices of blended diesel, are often used as justifications for a U.S. federal excise tax exemption on biodiesel fuels. However, the possible effect of increased overall consumption of fuel in response to lower total prices, mitigating the environmental and fuel security benefits, are generally not considered. Taking this price response into account, the optimal U.S biodiesel subsidy is derived. Estimated values of the optimal subsidy are close to the recently expired subsidy, revealing the subsidy's environmental and security benefits. However, further positive environmental and security benefits from the biodiesel tax-exemption subsidy may be obtained if the subsidy is combined with a federal excise tax on petroleum diesel. - Highlights: ► Taking price response into account, the optimal theoretical U.S biodiesel subsidy is derived. ► Estimated values of the optimal subsidy are close to the recently expired subsidy, revealing the subsidy's environmental and security benefits. ► Further positive environmental and security benefits from the biodiesel tax-exemption subsidy may be obtained if the subsidy is combined with a federal excise tax on petroleum diesel.
Optimal energy efficiency policies and regulatory demand-side management tests: How well do they match?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennan, Timothy J.

2010-01-01

Under conventional models, subsidizing energy efficiency requires electricity to be priced below marginal cost. Its benefits increase when electricity prices increase to finance the subsidy. With high prices, subsidies are counterproductive unless consumers fail to make efficiency investments when private benefits exceed costs. If the gain from adopting efficiency is only reduced electricity spending, capping revenues from energy sales may induce a utility to substitute efficiency for generation when the former is less costly. This goes beyond standard 'decoupling' of distribution revenues from sales, requiring complex energy price regulation. The models' results are used to evaluate tests in the 2002 California Standard Practice Manual for assessing demand-side management programs. Its 'Ratepayer Impact Measure' test best conforms to the condition that electricity price is too low. Its 'Total Resource Cost' and 'Societal Cost' tests resemble the condition for expanded decoupling. No test incorporates optimality conditions apart from consumer choice failure.
Price-Cost Ratios in Higher Education: Subsidy Structure and Policy Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yan

2010-01-01

The diversity of US institutions of higher education is manifested in many ways. This study looks at that diversity from the economic perspective by studying the subsidy structure through the distribution of institutional price-cost ratio (PCR), defined as the sum of net tuition price divided by total supplier cost and equals to one minus…
Functioning of the direct subsidies system in Poland and other European Union countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Marks-Bielska

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper was to present the functioning of the direct subsidies system in Poland. Given the profitable nature of this instrument the particular attention has been paid to the disposal of funds received by agricultural producers in the region of Warmia and Mazury in the form of subsidies. There is no doubt that the direct payments represent an important aid instrument supporting agriculture within the frameworks of the first pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy. The survey revealed that subsidies have significantly contributed to the improvement of financial condition of farms. Funds received in the form of direct payments have been mainly spent on financing current expenditures and to purchase means of production used in the farms (72.88%.
Reducing fuel subsidies and the implication on fiscal balance and poverty in Indonesia: A simulation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dartanto, Teguh

2013-01-01

There is an urgent need for phasing out fuel subsidies in Indonesia due to a severe budget deficit and a worsening of income distribution. Fuel subsidies, of which almost 72% are enjoyed by the 30% of the richest income groups, have consumed on average 63.8% of the total subsidies between 1998 and 2013. This paper aims at evaluating the relationship between existing fuel subsidies and fiscal balance and at analysing the poverty impact of phasing out fuel subsidies. Applying a CGE-microsimulation, this study found that removing 25% of fuel subsidies increases the incidence of poverty by 0.259 percentage points. If this money were fully allocated to government spending, the poverty incidence would decrease by 0.27 percentage points. Moreover, the 100% removal of fuel subsidies and the reallocation of 50% of them to government spending, transfers and other subsidies could decrease the incidence of poverty by 0.277 percentage points. However, these reallocation policies might not be effective in compensating for the adverse impacts of the 100% removal of fuel subsidies if economic agents try to seek profit through mark-up pricing over the increase of production costs. - Highlights: ► Massive fuel subsidies reduce fiscal spaces used to alleviate poverty in Indonesia. ► Indonesia can avoid a budget deficit by 78% cutting of fuel subsidies. ► A CGE-microsimulation is applied to analyse the impacts of fuel subsidy reallocation. ► The 50% of reallocation fuel subsidies decreases the poverty by 0.277 percentage points. ► Mark-up pricing done by economic agents reduces the effectiveness of reallocation
Economic, welfare and environmental impact of feed-in tariff policy: A case study in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabatabaei, Sharareh Majdzadeh; Hadian, Ebrahim; Marzban, Hossein; Zibaei, Mansour

2017-01-01

Following a particular attention given to environmental issues over the last few decades, establishing proper developmental policies to increase electricity production from renewable energy (RE) has not only been an important issue but also a challenge for many countries. Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Policy is one of the tools that is being used to facilitate the development of RE. This research evaluated the economic, welfare and environmental impact of this policy on Iran's economy. Therefore, after developing an Economic-Energy-Environmental (E3) type of Hybrid General Equilibrium model, the effect of FIT policy was examined under different scenarios in order to find an optimal condition in which 10% of electrical energy could be produced from renewable resources. The comparison between the results showed that the application of subsidies to RE and the way the government finances these subsidies can affect the results of FIT policy. Meanwhile, regardless of the role considered for the impact of environmental factors, our policies under the scenario of technology neutral is the most efficient, as it has less impact on the decline of GDP of different sectors and also has less financial cost for government. - Highlights: • E3 type of Hybrid CGE model is used under two different financing policies. • Technology neutral and technology specific scenarios are applied to these policies. • Results show the effect of our policies and scenarios on the efficiency of FIT policy. • This efficiency comes from the impact on GDP balance and government's financial cost. • The results show that, the scenario of technology neutral is the most efficient.
Financial Development, Government R&D Subsidies and Green Innovation

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Wang Shuying

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the low carbon economic era, green innovation has become an important basis for an enterprise to obtain and maintain a sustained competitive advantage. In paper, explores the path of green innovation using the panel data of 30 regions in China from 2008 to 2014.It finds that financial development has heterogeneity and different dimensions of financial development have different effects on green innovation of enterprises. That is, financial development structure has a negative impact on enterprise green innovation, and financial development efficiency has a positive impact on green innovation. Howere, the impact between financial development scale and green innovation is not significant. In addition, the study also finds that government R&D subsidies has no significantly effect on green innovation. Finally, this paper aims to provide the government and enterprises some theoretical and practical guidance to carry out policy-making of green innovation.

Manufacturing Decisions and Government Subsidies for Electric Vehicles in China: A Maximal Social Welfare Perspective

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Xiaoxue Zheng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In order to address challenges in the sustainable development of transportation, economy, and environment, governments of China and conventional automobile manufacturers are extremely concerned about the development of the electric vehicle (EV manufacturing industry and market. However, owing to the limitations of EVs and the government economic policies on decreasing subsidies in China, many manufacturers are worried about entering the EV market. Given the low consumer preference for EVs, using a leader-follower Stackelberg game model, we investigate the impact of government a subsidy on the optimal production and pricing decisions of an auto manufacturer who could produce both EVs and conventional vehicles. We characterize whether/under what conditions the manufacturer’s decision to offer EV products under government subsidy, whilst increasing its profits (a win-win situation. On the policy side, we delineate how government a subsidy can be set to realize the inherent economic, environmental, and social benefits of EV production (the triple win of EV production. We further investigate the impact of EV manufacturing- and society-related factors on the balance among manufacturer profits, environmental impact and social welfare. This study also finds that the adoption of EVs is not bound to be beneficial for the environment.
The "common sense" of the nonprofit hospital tax exemption: a policy analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, S M

1995-01-01

Although rarely discussed prior to the 1985 Utah Supreme Court ruling against Intermountain Health Care Inc., the question of whether to grant tax exemptions to nonprofit hospitals is currently being debated by federal, state, and local legislators, and by the courts. Changes to current policy seem likely. This policy analysis: (1) presents the historical and legal background; (2) examines the economic, political, and organizational implications of current tax-exemption policy; and (3) offers three alternatives to this current policy. The analysis indicates that the current policy provides little incentive for nonprofit hospitals to make contributions of charity care. Of the alternatives, eliminating the exemption is not politically feasible at this time; regulating hospital operations and outputs portends an implementation nightmare; and tying tax subsidy levels to output levels of charity care--perhaps the strongest and most efficient incentive--would require an unlikely political consensus on what constitute valid and reliable measures of charity care. If there is a movement toward subsidies, then linking subsidy amounts to levels of charity care will depend on whether policy analysts can design satisfactory empirical measures. With the advent of universal health coverage, the demand for charity care will decrease. The problem for tax-exempt hospitals will then become justifying the exemption by demonstrating the extent to which they generate community benefits at no or reduced cost to society.
Role of Subsidies Allocated by the Second Pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy and Diversification in Romanian Farms through Agritourism

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NICOLA GALLUZZO

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses about the role and the economic impact of subsidies allocated by the Common Agricultural Policy between 2007 and 2012, predominantly through the second pillar, in order to stimulate farmers to stay in the countryside and diversify their activities by agritourism. The analysis has used a quantitative approach aimed at assessing the main correlations between the growth of agritourisms and the financial supports paid by the European Union in eight Romanian administrative regions using the Farm Accountancy Data Network. Findings have pointed out that in regions where the higher has been the development of agritourism, the more significant has been the positive socio-economic impact of the funds allocated by the European Union in favour of rural development. Rural areas characterized by a low level of farmer’s income and by a high incidence of subsidies paid by the European Union in supporting rural development have brought about a considerable growth of farm diversification through agritourism. This has also corroborated the hypothesis according to which the diversification in the countryside is sensitive both to the funds allocated by the EU and to a low level of income in farms.
Transportation Costs and Subsidy Distribution Model for Urban and Suburban Public Passenger Transport

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Marko Ševrović

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Public transport (PT subsidy provides the means to impose the optimal combination of fare and Level of Service (LoS offered to passengers. In regions where one PT operator services multiple local communities on multiple lines it becomes hard to uniformly link the actual cost of a line and thus the LoS offered, to a particular local community. This leads to possible disproportions in the overall subsidy distribution that can result in being unfair to some local communities, mainly the ones that are sparsely populated or geographically isolated. In order to extricate this problem the appropriate level of PT subsidisation according to the average values in the European cities was investigated and the current subsidy policies in Croatia were investigated. Based on this research and the hypothesis that the offered LoS must be reflected in the subsidy amount a new subsidy distribution model was established that involves a series of analytical procedures and processes. This model introduces several factors used for the calculation of the actual share in costs. Thus, the amount of subsidies for individual lines in a region can be determined based on the actual service offered to the local community, The proposed model has been tested and successfully implemented in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in the Republic of Croatia.
Optimal Fare, Vacancy Rate, and Subsidies under Log-Linear Demand with the Consideration of Externalities for a Cruising Taxi Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Hsiao Chu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Externality is an important issue for formulating the regulation policy of a taxi market. However, this issue is rarely taken into account in the current policy-making process, and it has not been adequately explored in prior research. This study extends the model proposed by Chang and Chu in 2009 with the aim of exploring the effect of externality on the optimization of the regulation policy of a cruising taxi market. A closed-form solution for optimizing the fare, vacancy rate, and subsidy of the market is derived. The results show that when the externality of taxi trips is taken into consideration, the optimal vacancy rate should be lower and the subsidy should be higher than they are under current conditions where externality is not considered. The results of the sensitivity analysis on the occupied and vacant distance indicate that the relation of the vacant distance to the marginal external cost is more sensitive than the occupied distance. The result of the sensitivity analysis on the subsidy shows the existence of a negative relationship between the marginal external cost and the optimal subsidy.
Designing Canada's low-carb diet : options for effective climate policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaccard, M. [Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, BC (Canada)

2007-11-28

This document presented a framework for future Canadian action in designing effective climate policies. The document provided background information on the rationale for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and discussed how much and how quickly. It also discussed Canada-specific targets. The author cautioned that the threat of anthropogenic climate change is worth insuring against and presented a number of criteria for evaluating potential premiums Canadians might pay for an insurance policy. Other options such as subsidies and offsets were also discussed, as well as emission taxation. The document also included a novel suggestion for a carbon-management standard that would apply to all producers and importers of fossil fuels for domestic use. It was concluded that energy efficiency is more expensive to achieve than advocates suggest, but an understanding of this fact is critical if greenhouse gas abatement policies are to be well designed. In addition, subsidies and information programs are largely ineffective by themselves. The author suggested that a carbon tax would be the most economically efficient and administratively simple way to price the atmosphere. 34 refs., 2 figs.
Price Signals from Electricity Markets and Subsidy Schemes for Renewable Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabolic, D.

2013-01-01

Increasing share of renewable generation itself gives rise to price risks on the electricity markets. Subsidy schemes, in general, additionally distort price signals produced by economic mechanisms of otherwise free markets. In the electricity industry, subsidy schemes, once designed merely to incentivize electricity system decarbonization in its kick-off phase, seem to have grown to such a volume, that they, too, started to profoundly interfere with the whole market structure, and to distort price signals that used to govern long-term development of an adequately structured generation system. This article was made as an attempt to discuss contemporary electricity system policies in relation to RES integration. The economic relations in the sector are growingly influenced, or sometimes even hard-handedly guided, by political institutions, rather than by economic interests of the investors, which may in turn cause considerable problems in achieving ultimate policy goals due to unsustainability of such an economic arrangement.(author)
Diverting indirect subsidies from the nuclear industry to the photovoltaic industry: Energy and financial returns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelenika-Zovko, I.; Pearce, J.M.

2011-01-01

Nuclear power and solar photovoltaic energy conversion often compete for policy support that governs economic viability. This paper compares current subsidization of the nuclear industry with providing equivalent support to manufacturing photovoltaic modules. Current U.S. indirect nuclear insurance subsidies are reviewed and the power, energy and financial outcomes of this indirect subsidy are compared to equivalent amounts for indirect subsidies (loan guarantees) for photovoltaic manufacturing using a model that holds economic values constant for clarity. The preliminary analysis indicates that if only this one relatively ignored indirect subsidy for nuclear power was diverted to photovoltaic manufacturing, it would result in more installed power and more energy produced by mid-century. By 2110 cumulative electricity output of solar would provide an additional 48,600 TWh over nuclear worth $5.3 trillion. The results clearly show that not only does the indirect insurance liability subsidy play a significant factor for nuclear industry, but also how the transfer of such an indirect subsidy from the nuclear to photovoltaic industry would result in more energy over the life cycle of the technologies. - Highlights: → The indirect insurance liability subsidy has been quantified over the life cycle of the U.S. nuclear fleet. → It was found to play a significant factor in the economics of the nuclear industry. → A transfer of such an indirect subsidy from the nuclear to photovoltaic industry would result in significantly more energy over the life cycle of the technologies.
[Social and population policy. Considerations on efficiency and equity].

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez De Leon Cruces, J

1991-01-01

It is generally accepted that modern governments have a series of obligations and responsibilities to their citizens, and that the modern state should institutionalize its responses to social demands of its citizens in its social policy. Social policy should assure the production of public goods, defined as goods available to all society and distributed equally to all members, whose consumption does not deprive any other individual of similar consumption. Private goods by contrast are those whose benefits are consumed by an individual without providing any benefit to others. Many goods fall between the 2 categories and share characteristics of each. The state should finance and subsidize goods that generate social benefits and should establish rules of operation for the private sector. 2 goals of government participation are that it be efficient and just. Efficiency means that it is clearly oriented to production of public goods, or to the public component of goods that are a mixture of public and private, and that it does not interfere with the "social efficiency" that results from the free development of private institutions. Justice implies equity and equality of opportunities for citizens to promote their personal goals. The specific cases of education and health care demonstrate that efficiency and redistribution may conflict. Although primary and secondary education are recognized as a social good that produces greater social benefits than university education, investment in higher education is frequently greater than that in primary and secondary education, with severe distributive biases. Following the focus of the classic theory of welfare, health expenditures should be concentrated on preventive interventions, increasing the availability of potable water and sanitary facilities, providing basic health services to the least favored groups, and similar actions. But institutionalized medicine in Mexico strongly favors curative services, typically devoting 2
Sustainability Policy and Environmental Policy

OpenAIRE

John C. V. Pezzey

2001-01-01

A theoretical, representative agent economy with a depletable resource stock, polluting emissions and productive capital is used to contrast environmental policy, which internalises externalised environmental values, with sustainability policy, which achieves some form of intergenerational equity. The obvious environmental policy comprises an emissions tax and a resource stock subsidy, each equal to the respective external cost or benefit. Sustainability policy comprises an incentive affectin...
Energy Efficiency Policy and Carbon Pricing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

The main message of this paper is that while carbon pricing is a prerequisite for least-cost carbon mitigation strategies, carbon pricing is not enough to overcome all the barriers to cost-effective energy efficiency actions. Energy efficiency policy should be designed carefully for each sector to ensure optimal outcomes for a combination of economic, social and climate change goals. This paper aims to examine the justification for specific energy efficiency policies in economies with carbon pricing in place. The paper begins with an inventory of existing market failures that attempt to explain the limited uptake of energy efficiency. These market failures are investigated to see which can be overcome by carbon pricing in two subsectors -- electricity use in residential appliances and heating energy use in buildings. This analysis finds that carbon pricing addresses energy efficiency market failures such as externalities and imperfect energy markets. However, several market and behavioural failures in the two subsectors are identified that appear not to be addressed by carbon pricing. These include: imperfect information; principal-agent problems; and behavioural failures. In this analysis, the policies that address these market failures are identified as complementary to carbon pricing and their level of interaction with carbon pricing policies is relatively positive. These policies should be implemented when they can improve energy efficiency effectively and efficiently (and achieve other national goals such as improving socio-economic efficiency).
The effectiveness of selected housing subsidies in the Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lux, Martin; Sunega, Petr; Boelhouwer, P.

2009-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 3 (2009), s. 249-269 ISSN 1566-4910 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA403/09/1915 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70280505 Keywords : Housing policy * Welfare economics * Subsidy effectiveness Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.springerlink.com/content/y8km555k622v8vu0/
Effects of asymmetric medical insurance subsidy on hospitals competition under non-price regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chan; Nie, Pu-Yan

2016-11-15

Poor medical care and high fees are two major problems in the world health care system. As a result, health care insurance system reform is a major issue in developing countries, such as China. Governments should take the effect of health care insurance system reform on the competition of hospitals into account when they practice a reform. This article aims to capture the influences of asymmetric medical insurance subsidy and the importance of medical quality to patients on hospitals competition under non-price regulation. We establish a three-stage duopoly model with quantity and quality competition. In the model, qualitative difference and asymmetric medical insurance subsidy among hospitals are considered. The government decides subsidy (or reimbursement) ratios in the first stage. Hospitals choose the quality in the second stage and then support the quantity in the third stage. We obtain our conclusions by mathematical model analyses and all the results are achieved by backward induction. The importance of medical quality to patients has stronger influence on the small hospital, while subsidy has greater effect on the large hospital. Meanwhile, the importance of medical quality to patients strengthens competition, but subsidy effect weakens it. Besides, subsidy ratios difference affects the relationship between subsidy and hospital competition. Furthermore, we capture the optimal reimbursement ratio based on social welfare maximization. More importantly, this paper finds that the higher management efficiency of the medical insurance investment funds is, the higher the best subsidy ratio is. This paper states that subsidy is a two-edged sword. On one hand, subsidy stimulates medical demand. On the other hand, subsidy raises price and inhibits hospital competition. Therefore, government must set an appropriate subsidy ratio difference between large and small hospitals to maximize the total social welfare. For a developing country with limited medical resources
The Effect of Subsidies on the Offer of Sea Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drago Pupavac

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this academic discussion is to study the effect of subsidies on the offer of sea transport. Research results are based on the method of microeconomic analysis. The knowledge obtained through this academic discussion may prove to be of assistance to managers in the area of sea transport in deliberating on more efficient and market-oriented business models. The results of this work reveal that subsidies in sea transport make sense if they contribute to the improvement of the quality of transport or are of help to those for whom they are intended.
Canadian tax policy and renewable energy : are the benefits illusory : a comparison of Canadian and US approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chant, A.

2008-01-01

Tax policies for targeted activities such as wind energy need to be efficient and effective in promoting activities that may not otherwise take place. An efficient tax policy will not have unintended consequences that may lead to tax leakage or benefits outside the targeted activity, and will be consistent with other incentives promoting the target activity. This presentation discussed Canadian tax policies related to wind power and then compared them to tax policies in the United States directed at promoting wind energy development. Benefits and subsidies available to Canadian wind energy producers include the ecoEnergy program, the Canadian Renewable and Conservation Expense (CRCE) program; and Class 43.2 directed at high efficiency and renewable energy generation equipment. The Canadian valuation methodology considers capacity factors; capital costs; leverage; interest rates; corporate tax rates; and required equity. While the ecoEnergy program is valuable as it removes the tax risk for the recipient, the CRCE may be more valuable as it does not expire and is not subject to limitations on amounts deductible. Class 43.2 is valuable but constrained by the limitations of a project's income. The United States has a production tax credit (PTC) for wind developers based on a tax credit of $15 per MWh subject to adjustment, and is available for a 10-year period, is transferable to taxable investors, and has a current value of $20. It was concluded that while Canadian subsidies are the equivalent of $7.15, US subsidies are the equivalent of $17. tabs., figs
The regulations for delivery of subsidies to radiation monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for equipment and operation of a radiation monitoring facility around a nuclear power generating facility. Subsidies are provided to the prefectures concerned for equipment, etc. required in radiation monitoring, pre-service radiation monitoring and in-service radiation monitoring conducted by a prefecture. The contents are as follows: terms of subsidy allocations, the sum of subsidy allocations, applications for subsidies, decisions on the allocation of subsidies, withdrawal of applications, conditions of the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of the subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for disposal of the properties, payment of the subsidy, accounting of the subsidy operations, and a record on the subsidy. (Kubozono, M.)
The regulations for delivery of subsidies to radiation monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for equipment and operation of a radiation monitoring facility around a nuclear power generating facility. Subsidies are provided to the prefectures concerned for equipment, etc. required in radiation monitoring, pre-service radiation monitoring and in-service radiation monitoring conducted by a prefecture. The contents are as follows: terms of subsidy allocations, the sum of subsidy allocations, applications for subsidies, decisions on the allocation of subsidies, withdrawal of applications, conditions of the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of the subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for disposal of the properties, payment of the subsidy, accounting of the subsidy operations, and a record on the subsidy. (Mori, K.)
Sports Subsidies Soar. Commentary

Science.gov (United States)

Toma, J. Douglas

2010-01-01

Doug Lederman's article, "Sports Subsidies Soar," discusses the issue on institutional subsidies for sports program. His article invites an obvious question: why are so many universities willing to subsidize athletics through either a direct transfer of institutional funds, assessing a dedicated student fee, or a combination of these? This…
The Incidence of Employment Subsidies for Vocational Training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albæk, Karsten

2013-01-01

This paper analyses employment subsidies for vocational training under union wage bargaining. The analysis includes an investigation of the consequences of financing the subsidy by a levy on employment, which is the typical way of financing these types of subsidies in many countries. The paper de...... demonstrates high incidence rates of subsidies for vocational training under standard assumptions about the preference structure of the union. The financing scheme appears to counteract the purpose of the subsidy.......This paper analyses employment subsidies for vocational training under union wage bargaining. The analysis includes an investigation of the consequences of financing the subsidy by a levy on employment, which is the typical way of financing these types of subsidies in many countries. The paper...
Heterogeneity in rebound effects: Estimated results and impact of China’s fossil-fuel subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ke; Lin, Boqiang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Rebound effects for China’s sectors are estimated. • The input–output model is a suitable model to analysis energy rebound effects across sectors. • The impacts of fossil-fuel subsidies on rebound effects are evaluated. • Technological progress has varies impactions on energy conservation, thereby rebound effects. - Abstract: Improving energy efficiency through technological advancement has become a primary measure to achieve energy conservation targets in China. However, the existence of energy rebound effects may completely or partially offset energy savings associated with technological advancement. From sectors perspective, technological advancement is not a necessary condition for energy conservation for a given sector because of varied rates of technological advancement and dependence among sectors. Adopting the input–output model, this article presents a detailed analysis of energy rebound effects in China’s economy at the aggregate and sectoral level over 2006–2010. The results show that the aggregate sectors’ rebound effect is about 11.31%, which is larger than without considering the interaction among sectors (11.25%); and strongly suggests that technological advancement has varied impacts on energy conservation and rebound effects. Thus various strategies of technological advancement and incorporated mitigation measures are necessary for energy conservation across sectors. Furthermore, the current study confirms that China’s total value of fossil-fuel subsidies reached 160.23 billion US$ (constant 2005 price) in 2006–2010; and after removal of subsidies, the energy use is expected to save 411.35 million toe and the rebound effects for aggregate sectors become 10.64%. Finally, some relevant policy issues are discussed in depth

Government subsidies for the Chinese photovoltaic industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Yongqing; Yang, Xiaohan

2016-01-01

Since 2009, the subsidy for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants had been launched, which effectively promoted the development of PV industry. At the same time, negative effects, like serious oversupply of PV industry, were brought about by these large scale governmental subsidies. Although governmental subsidy strongly supports the China PV companies, few of them have competitiveness in the global market. This dramatically conflictive phenomenon attracted many researchers’ attentions in recent years. However, investigations on the best entry and exit occasions of governmental subsidies for the PV industry were rarely reported in previous studies. Therefore, based on the existing division method of enterprise development model, classification of 72 PV companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in China was firstly carried out in this paper. This is followed by studying the influence of governmental subsidies on the indexes of different stages of enterprise development. Finally, a conclusion was drawn that the governmental subsidies at Early Exploratory Stage can maximize the social and economic effects, suggesting the best entry occasion, and subsidies at Intermediate Stage and Mature Stage have little effects on its turnover and aggravate the overcapacity of PV supply, suggesting a suitable exit occasion. - Highlights: • Enterprise development stages were determined based on net revenue. • Subsidy effects on PV companies at different developing stages were studied. • The occasion to provide subsidy at different developing stages was investigated. • Z-score formula method was used to find the best exit occasion of subsidy.
Food security, agricultural subsidies, energy, and the environment: a process of 'glocalization' in Sri Lanka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendis, P.

2001-07-01

This paper analyzes the interplay of policy dilemma in the areas of food security, agricultural subsidies, energy consumption, and the environment in the 'glocalization' process of Sri Lanka. It demonstrates that the domestic agricultural and food sector is intricately interconnected with the global economy and world market forces. While this paper gives a primary focus on domestic rice production and wheat import policies, it further examines the environmental consequences and public health issues that are associated with the process of 'glocalization' as part of globalization. This 'glocalization' has led to a series of intended and unintended externalities for Sri Lanka whose economic integration is irreversibly linked to agricultural and subsidy policies of other food exporting and producing countries of Asia and the United States. (author)
Energy taxes and subsidies downstream: transparency and dissemination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aissaour, A.

2001-01-01

The reasons why governments levy taxes are discussed with special reference to the energy sector. The article focuses on the quantitative aspect of policies and gives a guide to the relevant statistical sources. It summarises the basis of taxes and subsidies and discusses the incidence of energy taxation together with the structure of taxes and subsidies in energy downstream. It reviews the main sources of data and issues highlighted by published statistics and the impact of taxes levied on the consumption of energy products and other taxes (e.g. VAT) which directly affect end-user prices. Production-based levies such as royalties, petroleum revenue taxes, windfall taxes and import and export taxes on fuels are not discussed. The paper is presented under the sub-headings of (i) theoretical foundations in a nutshell; (ii) the incidence of taxation; (iii) the structure and main features of energy taxation (iv) base rate and level of taxation (v) sources of data and methods and (vi) observability and comparability
The rationale for energy efficiency policy: Assessing the recognition of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency retrofit policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, Niall; Gouldson, Andy; Barrett, John

2017-01-01

The rationale for energy efficiency policy can be framed in terms of a variety of different benefits. This paper considers how different benefits have been used within the overall rationale for energy efficient retrofit policy in different contexts. We posit that different rationales may be used for the same policy response, and that the form of rationale used may affect the design, delivery or the level of policy support, with different rationales making it easier to account for different results. Considering retrofit policy in the contexts of the UK, Germany, New Zealand and Ireland, we characterise policy rationale in each case, assessing what the key perceived benefits have been, and whether they have changed over time. The analysis identifies some marked differences between cases with the recognition of benefits and the ensuing policy rationale resulting from a complex mix of political, social and economic influences. We find that recognition of multiple benefits may not equate with multiplied policy support, and instead it is more likely that different rationales will have relevance at different times, for different audiences. The findings highlight that, alongside evidence for policy, it is important to also consider how the overall rationale for policy is eventually framed. - Highlights: • Energy efficiency as a policy issue with perceived multiple benefits. • Assessment of the influence of different benefits on rationale for energy efficient retrofit policy. • How does the rationale for retrofit policy differ in different national policy contexts. • To what extent are the perceived multiple benefits of policy recognised. • What influence does eventual rationale for policy have on the policy implemented.
Fiscal impacts of energy efficiency programmes—The example of solid wall insulation investment in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenow, Jan; Platt, Reg; Demurtas, Andrea

2014-01-01

Programmes supporting the installation of energy efficiency measures typically incur a cost in the form of subsidies as well as lost VAT income due to reduced energy consumption. Those costs are to some extent offset by the tax receipts and other revenue streams generated as a result of the activities promoted under the programme. In this paper we analyse the budgetary effects of energy efficiency programmes focusing on the example of solid wall insulation in the UK. Three distinct subsidy options have been defined and modelled for the purpose of this research including two policies with varying degrees of direct subsidy and a low interest loan scheme. Our analysis shows that a significant amount of the cost of a scheme funding solid wall insulation would be offset by increased revenues and savings. A loan scheme, due to the high leverage, achieves not only budget neutrality but generates additional revenue for the Exchequer. - Highlights: • First assessment of fiscal effects of subsidising energy efficiency technologies in the UK. • Contribution to debate around wider benefits of funding energy efficiency. • Original economic modelling
Carbon Emissions, Renewable Electricity, and Profits: Comparing Policies to Promote Anaerobic Digesters on Dairies

OpenAIRE

Key, Nigel D.; Sneeringer, Stacy E.

2012-01-01

Anaerobic digesters can provide renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure management. Government policies that encourage digester adoption by livestock operations include construction cost-share grants, renewable electricity subsidies, and carbon pricing (offset) programs. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these policies is not well understood. For the U.S. dairy sector, we compare predicted digester adoption rates, carbon emission reductions, renewable elect...
Influence Factors of Willingness to Pay for Vegetable Cleaner Production Technology Subsidies: Taking the Questionnaire Investigation on the Application of Vegetable Residue Composting Technology as an Example

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHOU Ying

2016-05-01

WTP. It thus proposed three policy suggestions to guide farmers to use the composting technology, which included:advancing the technology innovation of safe and high efficient vegetable production, fully playing the important role of the vegetable professional cooperative organization, establishing an effective subsidies mechanism of vegetable clean production to improve the efficiency of agricultural ecological subsidies.
Innovation policy for directing technical change in the power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aalbers, Rob; Shestalova, Victoria; Kocsis, Viktória

2013-01-01

This paper discusses policy instruments for redirecting technical change within the electricity sector to mitigate climate change. First, we unravel the mechanism behind directed technical change, explaining why markets may underprovide innovations in expensive renewable technologies in comparison to innovations in energy-efficient fossil-fuel generators. Subsequently, we characterize technical change in electricity generation technologies, stressing the heterogeneity of knowledge spillovers both within and between clean electricity generation technologies. We argue that there exists a rationale for a portfolio approach to innovation in the electricity sector, i.e., optimal innovation policies are neither fully generic nor fully specific; and they need to be adapted, in response to new information learned by the government. The existing innovation literature does not, however, provide a clear-cut answer for designing such a policy. We compare policy instruments and argue that public R and D support to clean technologies, either in the form of subsidies or prizes, seems to be the prime candidate for implementing non-generic innovation policy. - Highlights: • We analyze policies for spurring innovations in renewable electricity technologies. • The analysis unravels why research markets underprovide such innovations. • We conclude that non-generic R and D subsidies and prizes are the most suitable policies
Fossil fuel subsidies in Latin America: the challenge of a perverse incentives structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlino, Hernan; Carlino, Micaela

2015-11-01

Fossil fuel subsidies have considerable negative, environmental, economic, and social effects. The reform of the fossil fuel subsidy regime in Latin America and the Caribbean allows us to benefit from the favourable economic, fiscal, social and environmental impacts resulting from the removal of the existing subsidies. The change in the incentives structure for the energy system also facilitates the development of renewable energy, contributing to removing the investment barriers put in place by the current incentives and freeing up fiscal resources that can be re-routed into social policies and help fulfil sustainable development objectives. Despite the benefits of removing the subsidies, experiences in LAC demonstrate that there are substantial barriers standing in the way of subsidy reform, from a wide-reaching social base, that limit the room for the reforms, often causing delays or neutralising them completely. Although the drive for reform has gained impetus both in the region and on a global scale, it is necessary to define a careful reform strategy that protects the most vulnerable groups from potential negative impacts, and which clearly communicates the favourable effects of the various stages of the reforms, eliminating the price distortions that result from wasteful consumption and the inefficient allocation of resources. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to the removal of fossil fuel subsidies is considerable, according to global and regional estimates. The 2015 agreement should promote and facilitate the reforms by recognising their importance, providing technical support for quantifying the impacts, and supplying funding for the transformation processes implied by these reforms. Implementing a work program on the reform of the subsidy regime within the framework of the Convention, with technical and methodological components, should facilitate reforms on a global scale
Environmental effects of indirect subsidies. The development and use of a policy-oriented methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Beers, C.P.; De Moor, A.P.G.; Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.; Oosterhuis, F.H.

2002-12-01

The aim of the study on the title subject is to develop a transparent integrated method to determine and analyze the environmental impacts of indirect subsidies, applied in the sectors agriculture, energy, mobility, and tourism [nl
Analysis of tax incentives for energy-efficient durables in the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markandya, Anil; Ortiz, Ramon Arigoni; Mudgal, Shailendra; Tinetti, Benoit

2009-01-01

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges faced by societies this century. Energy consumption is directly associated with CO 2 emissions and climate change. The European Commission has set out emission reduction targets that require a great deal of energy consumption savings in the next 10 years in European countries. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the potential cost-effectiveness of different policy options aimed to foster the production and consumption of energy-efficient appliances in different European countries. Our results suggest that incentives to promote the use of energy-efficient appliances can be cost-effective, but whether or not they are depends on the particular country and the options under consideration. From the cases considered, tax credits on boilers appear to be a cost-effective option in Denmark and Italy, while subsidies on CFLi bulbs in France and Poland are cost-effective in terms of Euro /ton of CO 2 abated. Comparing the subsidies against the energy tax options, we find that the subsidies are in most cases less cost-effective than the energy tax.
The impact of government subsidies and enterprises’ R&D investment: A panel data study from renewable energy in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Feifei; Guo, Yue; Le-Nguyen, Khuong; Barnes, Stuart J.; Zhang, Weiting

2016-01-01

In this research, we aim to understand the influence of government subsidies on enterprises’ research and development (R&D) investment behavior, particularly in China’s renewable energy sector. We are also interested in examining how the attributes of enterprise ownership act as a moderating variable for the relationship between government subsidies and R&D investment behavior. Three classical panel data analysis models including the pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) model, the fixed effect model and the random effect model are employed. We find that government subsidies have a significant crowding out influence on enterprises’ R&D investment behavior and that the influence is further moderated by the attributes of enterprise ownership. Moreover, a panel threshold regression model is used to demonstrate how the influence of government subsidies on enterprises’ R&D investment behavior will change when government subsidies increase. Two thresholds, 0.6% and 10.1%, are identified. We recommend that relevant government departments should motivate enterprise R&D investment behavioral intention by increasing subsidies within a certain range. Different attributes of enterprise ownership should also be considered as part of policy reform and re-structuring relating to government subsidies. - Highlights: • Government subsidies have a significant crowding-out effect on enterprises’ R&D. • The moderating role of the attributes of company ownership is examined. • A panel threshold regression model is used to explore the influence of subsidy. • First examining the effect of subsidy in the renewable industry in China.
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Cyprus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources is promoted through investment subsidies in combination with a net metering scheme. Renewable heating and cooling is promoted by investment subsidies to enterprises and households respectively. To date, no incentives for production and use of bio-fuels in the transport sector are in place
The conflicting economic and environmental logics of North American governance : NAFTA, energy subsidies, and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roff, R.J.; Krajnc, A.; Clarkson, S.

2003-01-01

One of the incentives behind the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was to promote a green economy. It offered the hope that environmentally sustainable trade was possible through provisions against downward harmonization, the respect for state autonomy in environmental regulation, and the creation of the Commission for Environmental Co-operation. However, cleaner energy trade has actually been inhibited by subsidies for fossil fuel development, government's inability to regulate the rate of resource depletion, and by favoring the priorities of transnational corporations. The authors reviewed perverse subsidies and recommended a combination of environmentally sensitive policy changes, such as the elimination of perverse subsidies, the subsidization of environmentally friendly energy sources, and the imposition of carbon taxes and demand-side management initiatives. 67 refs., 1 fig
Evaluation of renewable energy policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kancs, D.

2006-01-01

Energy efficiency in Poland is driven primarily by price signals. Due to Poland's recent international obligations towards addressing climate change, various sustainable energy policies have been established to foster energy efficiency as well as to define the conditions of conducting economic activities in the energy sector. This paper presented the results of an empirical ex-ante analysis which examined the effects of various potential energy policies in the Polish bioenergy sector. An applied general equilibrium model was used in which producers responded to changes in market prices of different energy products by adjusting their output and input levels. The model consisted of 3 major sections, namely production, consumption, and equilibrium conditions. The model used a set of simultaneous linear and non-linear equations to define the behaviour of economic agents. Each solution provided a full set of economic indicators, including household incomes, prices, supply and demand quantities for factors and commodities, and welfare indicators. Consumers in the model responded to changes in energy product prices with a reduced demand of certain goods and services, as well as by increasing demand for other services. Results of the simulation showed that a uniform subsidy led to the same increase of renewable energy supply as an equivalent uniform fossil energy tax. Results also indicated that reductions in the output of fossil fuel energy sectors below the reference case did not impact all fossil energy sectors equally. A subsidy was found to lower the average cost of production, while taxation was found to increase the average cost of production. It was concluded that the bioenergy sector will benefit more from an indirect tax reduction than from a removal of fossil energy sector subsidies. 25 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs
Subsidy as an agent to enhance the effectiveness of the energy performance certificate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGilligan, Charles; Sunikka-Blank, Minna; Natarajan, Sukumar

2010-01-01

Since more than two-thirds of the United Kingdom housing stock in 2050 will comprise houses that have already been built, the need for a focus of policy on the already-built private housing stock is apparent. This study examines the impact that subsidy can make in bolstering the performance of the Energy Performance Certificate by reducing carbon emissions in the residential sector. The results of a survey of new homeowners' uptake of nine commonly installed energy saving measures in response to subsidy are examined. A cost-benefit analysis is performed using the recently introduced concept of the Shadow Price of Carbon and a model is presented which allows the carbon savings for any level of subsidy to be calculated. The model suggests that subsidisation of the installation of hot water tank insulation, draught proofing measures, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation may be cost-effective, but that the subsidisation of others, most notably interior solid wall insulation, are unlikely to significantly bolster carbon savings.
Subsidy as an agent to enhance the effectiveness of the energy performance certificate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGilligan, Charles; Natarajan, Sukumar [Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom); Sunikka-Blank, Minna [Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PX (United Kingdom)

2010-03-15

Since more than two-thirds of the United Kingdom housing stock in 2050 will comprise houses that have already been built, the need for a focus of policy on the already-built private housing stock is apparent. This study examines the impact that subsidy can make in bolstering the performance of the Energy Performance Certificate by reducing carbon emissions in the residential sector. The results of a survey of new homeowners' uptake of nine commonly installed energy saving measures in response to subsidy are examined. A cost-benefit analysis is performed using the recently introduced concept of the Shadow Price of Carbon and a model is presented which allows the carbon savings for any level of subsidy to be calculated. The model suggests that subsidisation of the installation of hot water tank insulation, draught proofing measures, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation may be cost-effective, but that the subsidisation of others, most notably interior solid wall insulation, are unlikely to significantly bolster carbon savings. (author)
Consequences of Food Safety Abolishing Energy Subsidies on Iranian Meat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Fathi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Policies of the Fifth Five-year Socio Economic Development Plan on Iran emphasize on improving factors such as air quality and food security, reduction of the risks and infections that threatens health as well as to change dietary patterns by improving food composition and safety. To this end, the government required to support measures to increase production of animal protein obtained from livestock and poultry. The Iranian targeted subsidy plan started in 2010 which increased energy prices significantly. The increase in energy price after start of targeted subsidies included gasoline (3.6-6.2 times, Kerosene (5.4 times, gas oil (8.1-18.9 and fuel oil (18.8. In terms of supply of animal protein, meat has an important role in nutrition and a major share in family food expenditure so that the willingness to consume it has been obvious in the country's consumer culture. On the other hand, according to international standards, every individual needs 70 grams of protein a day (for average body weight of 70 kg. About one-quarter of this amount (about 25 g should be animal protein. With commence the second phase of a targeted subsidy plan, it is important to get familiar with the effects of this policy on the livestock and poultry industry. A change in livestock prices due to increased production and transport costs have increased the consumer price and have led to changes in the intake of animal protein and calories. With introduction of this plan and recognition of its need in the country, there has been a need to investigate the effects of increasing energy prices on the livestock and poultry industries and to quantify the effects of these policies. This study is trying to investigate the effects of the increase in energy prices for beef, sheep and poultry meat prices, including on a farm and retail prices under various scenarios, the amount of demand and supply and ultimately the effects on food security in Iran. Materials and
Optimal Policy under Restricted Government Spending

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Anders

2006-01-01

Welfare ranking of policy instruments is addressed in a two-sector Ramsey model with monopoly pricing in one sector as the only distortion. When government spending is restricted, i.e. when a government is unable or unwilling to finance the required costs for implementing the optimum policy...... effectiveness canexceed the welfare loss from introducing new distortions. Moreover, it is found that the investment subsidy is gradually phased out of the welfare maximizing policy, which may be a policy combining the two subsidies, when the level of government spending is increased.Keywords: welfare ranking......, indirect and direct policy instruments, restricted government spending JEL: E61, O21, O41...
On the Incidence of Employment Subsidies to Vocational Training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albæk, Karsten

The present paper analyses employment subsidies to vocational training under union wage bargaining. The analysis includes an investigation of the consequences of financing the subsidy by a levy on employment, which is the typical way of financing these types of subsidies in many countries. The pa....... The paper demonstrates high incidence rates of subsidies to vocational training under standard assumptions about the preference structure of the union. The financing scheme appears to counteract the purpose of the subsidy.......The present paper analyses employment subsidies to vocational training under union wage bargaining. The analysis includes an investigation of the consequences of financing the subsidy by a levy on employment, which is the typical way of financing these types of subsidies in many countries...

Housing Subsidies and Homelessness: A Simple Idea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brendan O’Flaherty

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Reducing homelessness is an indisputable social good, and housing subsidies offer one way to do so. However, subsidies come in many different varieties and are intricately bound up with economic and social policies. This paper, written by one of North America’s leading urban economists, cuts through the tangle and argues that the simplest approach is the best. The ideal way to deter people from harmful acts is to reward them for abstaining. Thus, to combat homelessness, governments should offer housing allowances to people for every night they are not homeless. This optimal homelessness-reducing home allowance (OHRHA is open to adjustment to suit individual circumstances and the effects of homelessness on different demographics. It is meant to reduce homelessness by aligning individual and societal incentives, forcing people to bear the consequences or realize the benefits that their actions impose on others. The author explores methods for financing OHRHA, examines means for tailoring it to meet the diverse needs of the homeless and discusses the policy’s effect on urban housing markets, all while comparing and contrasting the proposal to existing homelessness-reduction measures in Alberta, Canada and the US.
Energy efficient policy impact in India: case study of investment in industrial energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, M.

2006-01-01

The objective of this paper is to identify the effectiveness of energy policy and capital investment in energy efficiency technologies in the industrial sector in India. Indian energy policies relating to industrial energy efficiency over the past 25 years are briefly reviewed, and a comparison study of these energy efficiency policies and strategies in India and China has been carried out. Interviews were conducted with a number of government policy-making institutions and a national industrial development bank. The accounts of 26 industrial enterprises which applied and used a loan of the Asian Development Bank were audited for data collection. Field-visits to seven industrial entrepreneurs were undertaken in a case study. Methodologies used in this study include documentation, cross-country reviews on energy policies, questionnaire design and distribution in the industrial sector, and on-site auditing of energy efficiency technologies. This paper concludes that current energy policies and strategies in India need further improvement to promote energy efficiency investment and energy efficiency technology development in the industrial sector. This paper will interest those policy makers and industrial entrepreneurs who are willing to finance energy efficiency projects and improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector. (author)
Energy efficiency policy impact in India: case study of investment in industrial energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Ming

2006-01-01

The objective of this paper is to identify the effectiveness of energy policy and capital investment in energy efficiency technologies in the industrial sector in India. Indian energy policies relating to industrial energy efficiency over the past 25 years are briefly reviewed, and a comparison study of these energy efficiency policies and strategies in India and China has been carried out. Interviews were conducted with a number of government policy-making institutions and a national industrial development bank. The accounts of 26 industrial enterprises which applied and used a loan of the Asian Development Bank were audited for data collection. Field-visits to seven industrial entrepreneurs were undertaken in a case study. Methodologies used in this study include documentation, cross-country reviews on energy policies, questionnaire design and distribution in the industrial sector, and on-site auditing of energy efficiency technologies. This paper concludes that current energy policies and strategies in India need further improvement to promote energy efficiency investment and energy efficiency technology development in the industrial sector. This paper will interest those policy makers and industrial entrepreneurs who are willing to finance energy efficiency projects and improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector
Child Care Subsidies and School Readiness in Kindergarten

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Anna D; Martin, Anne; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2013-01-01

The federal child care subsidy program represents one of the government’s largest investments in early care and education. Using data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this paper examines associations, among subsidy-eligible families, between child care subsidy receipt when children are 4 years old and a range of school readiness outcomes in kindergarten (sample n ≈ 1,400). Findings suggest that subsidy receipt in preschool is not directly linked to subsequent reading or social-emotional skills. However, subsidy receipt predicted lower math scores among children attending community-based centers. Supplementary analyses revealed that subsidies predicted greater use of center care, but this association did not appear to affect school readiness. PMID:23461769
46 CFR 281.1 - Information and procedure required under liner operating-differential subsidy agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... shall be sent to the Division of Trade Studies, Office of Subsidy Administration, Maritime... in the American insurance market. Therefore, when a renewal of policies or new insurance is under... options (such as facsimile and Internet) for transmission of required information to MARAD, if practicable...
46 CFR 282.30 - Payment of subsidy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... include for payment in such voucher the amount of ODS accrued for the voyages terminated during the period. ... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment of subsidy. 282.30 Section 282.30 Shipping... COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES Subsidy Payment and Billing Procedures § 282.30 Payment of subsidy...
Renewable fuels: Policy effectiveness and project risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leach, Andrew; Doucet, Joseph; Nickel, Trevor

2011-01-01

This paper examines the impact of government policy on the risk profile of a small ethanol production facility. We derive four key results from a simulation model. First, we show that commodity price risk may discourage investment in a project, despite a positive expected rate of return. Second, we show that political uncertainty may have significant impacts on the risk profile of a project. Next, we show that using only production subsidies to attract investors is expensive, since the financial assistance is paid regardless of whether the plant is operating under positive or negative financial conditions. Finally, we show that a capital grant provides a valuable complement to a subsidy, because the grant reduces the amount of value investors must put at risk, and increases their leverage thereby enhancing returns, while the subsidy mitigates commodity price risk. Our results show that compared to a subsidy-only approach, a grant and subsidy combination provides an investment environment with similar downside protection and expected returns for less than 60% of the cost. Further, we show that the two policy tools combined yield a superior investment environment to that created by an equivalent or greater total investment deployed entirely in either of the policy tools without the other. - Research highlights: → We find that government policy may increase both project returns and risk. → We find a policy of capital grants combined with an output price support to be preferred. → Price supports alone will tend to reward those plants which need them the least.
Essays on Environmental Policy in Energy Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Boomhower, Judson Paul

related to groundwater contamination, also improved sharply. These results suggest that incomplete internalization of environmental and safety costs due to bankruptcy protection is an important determinant of industry structure and safety effort in hazardous industries, with significant welfare consequences. The second chapter focuses on the importance of a regulator's inability to distinguish between households responding to a subsidy, and households doing what they would also have done in the absence of policy. Economists have long argued that many recipients of energy-efficiency subsidies may be "non-additional,'' getting paid to do what they would have done anyway. Demonstrating this empirically has been difficult, however, because of endogeneity concerns and other challenges. In this paper we use a regression discontinuity analysis to examine participation in a large-scale residential energy-efficiency program. Comparing behavior just on either side of several eligibility thresholds, we find that program participation increases with larger subsidy amounts, but that most households would have participated even with much lower subsidy amounts. The large fraction of inframarginal participants means that the larger subsidy amounts are almost certainly not cost-effective. Moreover, the results imply that about half of all participants would have adopted the energy-efficient technology even with no subsidy whatsoever. Finally, the third chapter addresses consequences of renewable energy subsidies in other markets. Electricity generated from logging residues provides a large and growing share of US renewable electricity generation. Much of the low-value wood used by biomass power plants might otherwise be left in the field. This increased harvest can negatively affect forest health. I investigate the supply of woody biomass fuel in Maine using a 15-year panel of prices and quantities for whole tree wood chips. I find that doubling the price of woody biomass increases
Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aalbers, Rob; Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan; Van Soest, Daan; Vollebergh, Herman

2009-01-01

We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)
Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aalbers, Rob [Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, P.O. Box 80510, 2508 GM The Hague (Netherlands); Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan [CentER and Department of Economics, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg (Netherlands); Van Soest, Daan [Department of Spatial Economics/IVM, VU University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Vollebergh, Herman [Tinbergen Institute, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, P.O. Box 303, 3720 AH Bilthoven (Netherlands)

2009-05-15

We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)
Energy efficiency consultants as change agents? Examining the reasons for EECs’ limited success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feser, Daniel; Runst, Petrik

2016-01-01

Residential energy consumption has been increasingly singled out by public policies as a key area for potential emission reduction. The public implementation of energy efficiency consultants (EECs) as change agents aims at the diffusion of innovation in residential building efficiency and overcoming information asymmetries in the construction sector. However, the success of these measures has been described as low. We conducted a case study involving 17 in-depth expert interviews to examine the causes of this failure in the case of Germany. In Germany, EECs are organized in a certification scheme which is prerequisite to participate in the publicly funded subsidy system. This analysis has important implications for EECs in general and hence other European countries pursuing such policies. We show that information asymmetries (ex-ante/ex-post) in the ECC market lead to a low willingness to pay. Certification of EECs does not suffice to overcome information asymmetries. We also identify a mismatch between EECs and customer incentives. As top-down policies have failed to facilitate a viable EEC market, we recommend a greater role for private and private-public networks, the cutting of EEC subsidies and a closer alignment between climate policy goals and home owners’ economic efficiency considerations. - Highlights: • Energy Efficiency Consultants have not increased the rate of energetic retrofits of residential buildings in Germany. • We show that information asymmetries (ex-ante/ex-post) in the ECC market led to a low willingness to pay. • Certification of EECs does not suffice to overcome information asymmetries.
Environmental taxes and subsidies 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2003-01-01

The statistics presents statements of environmental taxes for the period 1970 - 2002 and statements of environmentally related subsidies for the years 1996 - 2002. Environmental taxes are a concept for pollution, energy, transportation, and resource related taxes. The State's revenue from environmental taxes have increased from 4,0 billions DKK in 1970 to 65,7 billions DKK in 2002. The environmental taxes' part of the GNP has increased from 3,2 % in 1970 to 4,8 % in 2002. The part of the environmental taxes of the total taxes and tariffs has increased from 8,2 % in 1970 to 9,8 % in 2002. >From 2001 to 2002 the environmental taxes increased with 5,6 %, primarily because the taxes in the transportation sector increased with 13,5 % due to more new cars. The pollution taxes increased with 6 % while the environmental taxes for energy increased with only 0,8 %. In 2002 the energy related taxes amounted to 54 %, the transport related taxes to 39 %, and pollution and resource related taxes amounted to 7 % of the total environmental taxes. The public environmentally related subsidies to companies and households has been on a stable level of a little more than 10 billions DKK through the latest years. The energy related subsidies have, however, been transferred to transport related subsidies, i.e. primarily subsidies to the public transport. (ln)
European Commission study on energy costs and subsidies in the EU. Report for EDF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roques, Fabien; Perekhodtsev, Dmitri; Verhaeghe, Charles

2014-01-01

The European Commission (EC) has launched a study in order to provide a complete and consistent view on the subsidies and external costs associated with different power generation technologies. Such study is expected to provide input for policy making in years to come. FTI CL Energy has been mandated by EDF to provide a critical review of the methodology developed in the EC study, and to identify potential gaps in coverage and/or contestable assumptions. The study provides a description of best practice to improve the methodology and surveys the literature to provide a range of estimates for critical assumptions on costs and subsidies
China’s electric vehicle subsidy scheme: Rationale and impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao, Han; Ou, Xunmin; Du, Jiuyu; Wang, Hewu; Ouyang, Minggao

2014-01-01

To promote the market penetration of electric vehicles (EV), China launched the Electric Vehicle Subsidy Scheme (EVSS) in Jan 2009, followed by an update in Sep 2013, which we named phase I and phase II EVSS, respectively. In this paper, we presented the rationale of China’s two-phase EVSS and estimated their impacts on EV market penetration, with a focus on the ownership cost analysis of battery electric passenger vehicles (BEPV). Based on the ownership cost comparison of five defining BEPV models and their counterpart conventional passenger vehicle (CPV) models, we concluded that in the short term, especially before 2015, China’s EVSS is very necessary for BEPVs to be cost competitive compared with CPVs. The transition from phase I to phase II EVSS will generally reduce subsidy intensity, thus resulting in temporary rise of BEPV ownership cost. However, with the decrease of BEPV manufacturing cost, the ownership cost of BEPV is projected to decrease despite of the phase-out mechanism under phase II EVSS. In the mid term of around 2015–2020, BEPV could become less or not reliant on subsidy to maintain cost competitiveness. However, given the performance disadvantages of BEPV, especially the limited electric range, China’s current EVSS is not sufficient for the BEPV market to take off. Technology improvement associated with battery cost reduction has to play an essential role in starting up China’s BEPV market. - Highlights: • China’s phase I and phase II electric vehicle subsidy schemes were reviewed. • Major electric vehicle models in China’s vehicle market were reviewed. • The ownership costs of five defining electric passenger vehicle models were compared. • Policies to promote electric vehicle deployment in China were discussed
Technical efficiency and productivity differentials of dairy farms in three EU countries: the role of CAP subsidies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xueqin Zhu, Xueqin; Demeter, R.M.; Oude Lansink, A.G.J.M.

2012-01-01

The impact of EU agricultural support policies on farms’ economic performance is an interesting issue for policy makers. The objective of this paper is to investigate technical efficiency and technical efficiency change of specialized German, Dutch and Swedish dairy farms and to compare their
The Impact of Subsidies on the Prevalence of Climate-Sensitive Residential Buildings in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David T. Tan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Dependence on air-conditioning (AC for residential cooling and ventilation is a health and sustainability challenge. In hot temperatures, climate-sensitive buildings (CSB can complement and/or substitute for AC usage in achieving thermal comfort. Many countries facing such conditions—particularly in tropical climates—are developing quickly, with rising populations and income creating demand for new housing and AC. This presents a window for adoption of CSB but could also result in long term lock-in of AC-dependent buildings. Here, a simple system dynamics model is used to explore the potential and limitations of subsidies to affect futures of housing stock and night-time AC usage in Malaysia. The effectiveness of subsidies in achieving high uptake of CSB and resulting health benefits is highly dependent on homebuyer willingness to pay (WTP. A detailed understanding of WTP in the Malaysian context and factors that can shift WTP is necessary to determine if CSB subsidies can be a good policy mechanism for achieving CSB uptake.
An Affinity-to-Commons Model of Public Support For Environmental Energy Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrill, Ryan; Sintov, Nicole

2016-01-01

As atmospheric CO_2 continues to rise above 450 PPM, policymakers struggle with uncertainty concerning predictors of citizen support for environmental energy policies (EEPs) and preferences for their design, topics which have received limited attention in empirical literature. We present an original model of policy support based on citizens’ affinity-to-commons: pathways by which individuals enjoy natural public goods that in turn shape preferences between alternative policy mechanisms. We evaluate this model using a survey of southern California electricity customers, with results indicating the model's utility in predicting public support of EEP. Stronger community ties are associated with preferences for “pull”-type subsidies, whereas stronger connections to natural commons are linked to support for both “pull” and “push”-type sanctions. Findings have implications for coalition building as advocates may engender support for green energy policy by framing sanctions as protecting natural commons, and framing subsidies either in this same way and/or as producing benefits for communities. - Highlights: • A commons-oriented model of citizen support for environmental energy policy is proposed (Thaler (2012)). • A factor analysis identifies local tax shifts, green subsidies, and energy taxes (Schultz et al. (1995)). • Community connections predict support for policies with employing subsidies (Sabatier (2006)). • Connection to nature predicts support for policies using both sanctions and subsidies. (Stern et al. (1999)).
A Quasi-Feed-In-Tariff policy formulation in micro-grids: A bi-level multi-period approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taha, Ahmad F.; Hachem, Nadim A.; Panchal, Jitesh H.

2014-01-01

A Quasi-Feed-In-Tariff (QFIT) policy formulation is presented for micro-grids that integrates renewable energy generation considering Policy Makers' and Generation Companies' (GENCOs) objectives assuming a bi-level multi-period formulation that integrates physical characteristics of the power-grid. The upper-level problem corresponds to the PM, whereas the lower-level decisions are made by GENCOs. We consider that some GENCOs are green energy producers, while others are black energy producers. Policy makers incentivize green energy producers to generate energy through the payment of optimal time-varying subsidy price. The policy maker's main objective is to maximize an overall social welfare that includes factors such as demand surplus, energy cost, renewable energy subsidy price, and environmental standards. The lower-level problem corresponding to the GENCOs is based on maximizing the players' profits. The proposed QFIT policy differs from the FIT policy in the sense that the subsidy price-based contracts offered to green energy producers dynamically change over time, depending on the physical properties of the grid, demand, and energy price fluctuations. The integrated problem solves for time-varying subsidy price and equilibrium energy quantities that optimize the system welfare under different grid and system conditions. - Highlights: • We present a bi-level optimization problem formulation for Quasi-Feed-In-Tariff (QFIT) policy. • QFIT dictates that subsidy prices dynamically vary over time depending on conditions. • Power grid's physical characteristics affect optimal subsidy prices and energy generation. • To maximize welfare, policy makers ought to increase subsidy prices during the peak-load
Getting a grip on tariffs and subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, C.

1993-01-01

The tariff and subsidy support available for windpower producers in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. is compared. Tariffs and subsidies, along with the availability of finance, are important supportive factors in the development of wind energy in Europe. The available tariffs, subsidies and financing mechanisms available in a country determines how the wind energy programme develops. (author)
Barriers, Risks and Policies for Renewables in the Gulf States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan Lilliestam

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC have both large fossil fuel resources and vast renewable energy potentials. Here, we investigate in a literature meta-analysis and a survey, whether there is a need for renewables in the GCC, what barriers and risks presently deter investments, and what possible policy-solutions could be. We find that there is a long-term need for renewables, to diversify the economy and prepare for a post-fossil fuel era. In the short term, two main obstacles deter investments: inefficient bureaucracy, and the combination of fossil fuel/electricity subsidies and the absence of renewable energy support. Removing fossil fuel and consumption subsidies or introducing a support scheme could make investments in renewables profitable. Eliminating energy subsidies appears particularly beneficial to the economic outlook but this seems particularly difficult to implement, due to the political economy of rentier states. Increased bureaucratic transparency and efficiency is needed, so that potentially attractive investments can rapidly and predictably obtain the necessary permissions. Hence, the administrative and economic environment for renewable energy investments in the GCC is not right today, and no breakthrough is on the horizon, but there is a range of policy solutions to enable investments in the future.

Environmental effects of indirect subsidies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Beers, C.P.; De Moor, A.P.G.; Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.; Oosterhuis, F.H.

2003-01-01

The aim of the study on the title subject is to develop a transparent integrated method to determine and analyze the environmental impacts of indirect subsidies, applied in the sectors agriculture, energy, mobility, and tourism. From the results it appears that the hazardous effects of subsidies are big. Examples are milk, the regulating energy levy, and kerosene [nl
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Luxembourg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Main support instruments for incentivising electricity from renewable energy sources are feed-in tariffs and feed-in premiums. A subsidy instrument is used as well. Households operating small solar installations are entitled to tax benefits. Renewable heat production is promoted through four subsidy instruments. Renewable transport fuels are promoted by way of a bio-fuels blending quota scheme
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. The promotion of renewable electricity in Romania relies primarily on a renewable quota scheme. Since 2017 the scheme has been closed for new projects. Renewable heating and cooling is promoted through investment subsidies. Renewable energy sources in the transport sector are promoted by a bio-fuels quota scheme and indirectly through a subsidy scheme for the purchase of electric vehicles
Energy Efficiency Policy Developments: September 2011-September 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

The purpose of this report is to highlight energy efficiency policy action and planning in IEA member and key non-member countries over the period from September 2011 to September 2012. The report provides an overview of energy efficiency policy developments across the seven sectors covered by the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations (25 EEPR) – Cross-sectoral activities, Buildings, Appliances and Equipment, Lighting, Transport, Industry and Energy Providers.
Cutting export subsidies, cropping domestic production: input-output analysis of the Swiss dairy sector after abolishment of the ‘Chocolate law’ subsidies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyhan KÂHYA

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The `Chocolate law’ in Switzerland enables subsidies for dairy and wheat farmers, bound to the condition that their products are exported after processing (Swiss Federation, 2011. Though the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization has decided in December 2015 that this law has to be abolished by 2021 [WTO, 2015]. Cutting subsidies might lead to a demand shock and consequently a cropped domestic production (Miller and Blair, 1985. We analysed in this study the interdependence of the agro-food sectors by a Leontief input-output model and their linkages to other sectors (Chereny and Watanabe, 1958, Leontief 1986 and additionally, the amount, direction and dispersion of the possible demand shock. Hence, non-meat food processors and dairy processing were determined as key sectors as they have strong linkage effects and are rather concentrated to few sectors. Both sectors rely strongly on the output of the raw milk producers and have few sectors to sell their products. Outside of the cut sectors, these sectors will be challenged the most from this new policy.
Pricing, subsidies, and the poor : demand for improved water services in Central America

OpenAIRE

Walker, Ian; Ordonez, Fidel; Serrano, Pedro; Halpern, Jonathan

2000-01-01

Reformulating tariff and subsidy policies is central to improving water and sanitation services in developing countries. The traditional model of state enterprise service provision, coupled with residential tariffs set well below the cost of service, has generally delivered unsatisfactory results. Low internal generation of funds has impeded expansion of networks into poor communities and ...
Industrial energy efficiency: A policy perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandler, W.U.

1990-01-01

Policies that promote energy efficiency can work; but potential energy savings are unlikely to be realized without effective policy leadership. This article discusses the opportunities in several countries for increasing energy efficiency. Both ''open'' and centrally planned economies could be much more energy efficient. In the United States, for example, the government needs to stimulate energy efficiency. This could be done by sponsoring research to develop new processes, creating favourable financial conditions for investment in efficiency, and making the advantages of energy efficiency technologies better known. International collaboration in sponsoring research and transfer technologies could be of the greatest importance in improving energy efficiency in countries with centrally planned economies, including the Soviet Union, as well as in developing countries. Favourable conditions for achieving both economic development and environmental protection can be created through cooperation on the international level. (author). 24 refs, 4 tabs
The energy efficiency paradox revisited through a partial observability approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kounetas, Kostas; Tsekouras, Kostas

2008-01-01

The present paper examines the energy efficiency paradox demonstrated in Greek manufacturing firms through a partial observability approach. The data set used has resulted from a survey carried out among 161 energy-saving technology firm adopters. Maximum likelihood estimates that arise from an incidental truncation model reveal that the adoption of the energy-saving technologies is indeed strongly correlated to the returns of assets that are required in order to undertake the corresponding investments. The source of the energy efficiency paradox lies within a wide range of factors. Policy schemes that aim to increase the adoption rate of energy-saving technologies within the field of manufacturing are significantly affected by differences in the size of firms. Finally, mixed policies seem to be more effective than policies that are only capital subsidy or regulation oriented
19 CFR 351.502 - Specificity of domestic subsidies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 351.502 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND...) The subsidy programs have the same purpose; (2) The subsidy programs bestow the same type of benefit; (3) The subsidy programs confer similar levels of benefits on similarly situated firms; and (4) The...
Danish Energy Efficiency Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Togeby, Mikael; Larsen, Anders; Dyhr-Mikkelsen, Kirsten

2009-01-01

Ten groups of policy instruments for promoting energy efficiency are actively used in Denmark. Among these are the EU instruments such as the CO2 emissions trading scheme and labelling of appliances, labelling of all buildings, combined with national instruments such as high taxes especially...... of the entire Danish energy efficiency policy portfolio must be carried out before end 2008 and put forward for discussion among governing parties no later than February 2009. A consortium comprising Ea Energy Analyses, Niras, the Department of Society and Globalisation (Roskilde University) and 4-Fact...... on households and the public sector, obligations for energy companies (electricity, natural gas, district heating, and oil) to deliver documented savings, strict building codes, special instructions for the public sector, and an Electricity Saving Trust. A political agreement from 2005 states that an evaluation...
Impact of Treatment Subsidies and Cash Payouts on Treatment Choices at the End of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, Eric; Malhotra, Chetna; Chay, Junxing; Ozdemir, Semra; Chopra, Akhil; Kanesvaran, Ravindran

To examine the extent to which financial assistance, in the form of subsidies for life-extending treatments (LETs) or cash payouts, distorts the demand for end-of-life treatments. A discrete choice experiment was administered to 290 patients with cancer in Singapore to elicit preferences for LETs and only palliative care (PC). Responses were fitted to a latent class conditional logistic regression model. We also quantified patients' willingness to pay to avoid and willingness to accept a less effective LET or PC-only. We then simulated the effects of various LET subsidy and cash payout policies on treatment choices. We identified three classes of patients according to their preferences. The first class (26.1% of the sample) had a strong preference for PC and were willing to give up life expectancy gains and even pay for receiving only PC. The second class (29.8% of the sample) had a strong preference for LETs and preferred to extend life regardless of cost or quality of life. The final class (44.1% of the sample) preferred LETs to PC, but actively traded off costs and length and quality of life when making end-of-life treatment choices. Policy simulations showed that LET subsidies increase demand for LETs at the expense of demand for PC, but an equivalent cash payout was not shown to distort demand. Patients with cancer have heterogeneous end-of-life preferences. LET subsidies and cash payouts have differing effects on the use of LETs. Policymakers should be mindful of these differences when designing health care financing schemes for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Does subsidy work? Price elasticity of demand for influenza vaccination among the elderly in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondo, Masahide; Hoshi, Shu-ling; Okubo, Ichiro

2009-08-01

Subsidy for influenza vaccination is often provided to the elderly in order to encourage them to receive a flu shot in developed countries. However, its effect on uptake rate, i.e., price elasticity of demand, has not been well studied. Japan's decentralised vaccination programme allows observation of various pairs in price and uptake rate of flu shots among the elderly by the municipality from 2001/2002 to 2004/2005 season. We combine our sample survey data (n=281), which monitor price, subsidy and uptake rate, with published data on local characteristics in order to estimate price elasticity of demand with panel model. We find price elasticity of demand for influenza vaccine: nearly zero in nationwide, nearly zero in urban area, and -1.07 in rural area. The results question the rationale for subsidy, especially in urban area. There are cases where maintaining or increasing the level of subsidy is not an efficient allocation of finite health care resources. When organising a vaccination programme, health manager should be careful about the balance between subsidy and other efforts in order to encourage the elderly to receive shots with price elasticity in mind.
THE CHALLENGES OF RAISING REVENUES AND RESTRUCTURING SUBSIDIES IN MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Narayanan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysia has run deficit budgets in all but five years since 1970 but past deficits have been managed thanks to substantial oil revenues and high domestic savings. However, the slow growth or decline of several traditional sources of revenue and the rising subsidy bill since 2007 have given pause for reflection on the traditional approach to fiscal management. In this paper, it is argued that fiscal management must not only centre around reducing non-productive expenditures and wasteful leakages but must also confront the problem of reducing and restructuring subsidies, particularly to petrol and petroleum-related products. The global dip in petroleum process has fortuitously provided the respite needed for such an exercise and should not lull policy makersinto complacency. When the economy recovers from the currentdownswing, a solid revenue raising instrument such as the value-addedtax must be introduced in order to wean the economy away from thecurrent over reliance on petroleum-based taxes.
Subsidies to target specialist outreach services into more remote locations: a national cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Belinda G; McGrail, Matthew R; Stoelwinder, Johannes U

2017-07-01

Objective Targeting rural outreach services to areas of highest relative need is challenging because of the higher costs it imposes on health workers to travel longer distances. This paper studied whether subsidies have the potential to support the provision of specialist outreach services into more remote locations. Methods National data about subsidies for medical specialist outreach providers as part of the Wave 7 Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) Survey in 2014. Results Nearly half received subsidies: 19% (n=110) from a formal policy, namely the Australian Government Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF), and 27% (n=154) from other sources. Subsidised specialists travelled for longer and visited more remote locations relative to the non-subsidised group. In addition, compared with non-subsidised specialists, RHOF-subsidised specialists worked in priority areas and provided equally regular services they intended to continue, despite visiting more remote locations. Conclusion This suggests the RHOF, although limited to one in five specialist outreach providers, is important to increase targeted and stable outreach services in areas of highest relative need. Other subsidies also play a role in facilitating remote service distribution, but may need to be more structured to promote regular, sustained outreach practice. What is known about this topic? There are no studies describing subsidies for specialist doctors to undertake rural outreach work and whether subsidies, including formal and structured subsidies via the Australian Government RHOF, support targeted outreach services compared with no financial support. What does this paper add? Using national data from Australia, we describe subsidisation among specialist outreach providers and show that specialists subsidised via the RHOF or another source are more likely to provide remote outreach services. What are the implications for practitioners? Subsidised specialist outreach providers are
The Application of Choice-Based Conjoint Model to Study Government Authorities Preference: A Case of Traffic-Subsidy-Pollution Related Policy in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gudono Gudono

2010-09-01

Full Text Available According to the UN, air pollution kills more than 3 millionpeople each year (UN-Habitat 2007. Despite the magnitude ofthe impact, delays in making decisions about the environmentare quite common among governments worldwide. The purposesof this study are twofold. First, the study is to investigate therelative strength of attributes of environmental policy such asmethods of vehicle restriction, percentage of reduction in lead (and CO2 content, and percentage of subsidy reduction. Second, the study is to test government choice when it facesconservative, “scientific,” and popular policy alternatives. Toachieve both objectives this research uses an experimentalmethod. The orthogonal design is adopted for stimuli presenta-tion and conjoint analysis is used for data analysis. The re-search participants are students of an accounting graduateprogram of a state university in Java (Indonesia.The results suggest CO2/lead reduction has the strongesteffect on policy maker preference. In addition, those policymakers tend to prefer the status quo condition which indicatesconservative views. This is demonstrated by the tendency of theirchoice on an alternative policy package which requires minimum changes compared with the existing policies (a maximumutility of 64.3 percent vs. 28.6 percent and 7.1 percent of otheralternatives. In addition, bureaucrats tend to play “safe”(namely the reduction of lead content in gasoline when thepossibility of resistance is imminence. Some consequences of theresearch findings are also discussed. Keywords: conjoint analysis; mixed environmental; public policy; utility function
Premium Efficiency Motors And Market Penetration Policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benhaddadi, Mohamed; Olivier, Guy

2010-09-15

This paper illustrates the induced enormous energy saving potential, permitted by using high-efficiency motors. Furthermore, the most important barriers to larger high-efficiency motors utilization are identified, and some incentives recommendations are given to overcome identified impediments. The authors consider that there is a strong case to enhance incentives policies for larger market penetration. The US Energy Policy Act and the Canadian Energy Efficient Act have lead to North American leadership on motor efficiency implementation. North America is not on the leading edge for energy saving and conservation. Motor efficiency is an exception that should be at least maintained.
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. In Slovenia, electricity from renewable sources is promoted through a feed-in tariff (so called 'guaranteed purchase') and a premium tariff (so called 'operating premium'), both granted through a tender procedure. Renewable energy sources for heating purposes are promoted mainly through loans on concessional terms and subsidies. The main incentive for renewable energy use in transport are tax exemptions and subsidies
Biofuel support policies in Europe. Lessons learnt for the long way ahead

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesenthal, Tobias; Leduc, Guillaume; Christidis, Panayotis; Schade, Burkhard; Pelkmans, Luc; Govaerts, Leen; Georgopoulos, Panagiotis

2009-01-01

Biofuel consumption in the EU is growing rapidly but major efforts will need to be undertaken if the EU's objectives for 2010 and beyond are to be achieved. This article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of different biofuel support policies based on the experiences gained in pioneering countries and explores scenarios for their possible impacts in the long-term. It comes to the conclusion that important pre-conditions such as fuel standards and compatibility with engines are in place or being introduced on an EU-wide basis. Current and future policy support therefore focuses on creating favourable economic or legal frameworks to accelerate the market penetration of biofuels. The ambitious targets endorsed in terms of biofuel market shares require the implementation of efficient policy instruments. At the same time, large consumption volumes and the advent of innovative production technologies make it possible for Member States to promote specific types of biofuels, depending on their main objectives and natural potentials. This will require complementary instruments such as subsidies for production facilities, user incentives or feedstock subsidies. (author)
The rule on granting subsidies for public relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The rule is defined under the law concerning subsidies and the provisions of the order for execution of the law. Basic terms are explained, such as: nuclear power generating facilities; related facilities of nuclear power generation; nuclear power generating facilities, etc.; and place of enterprise. Subsidies are granted by the head of the authorities concerned (the Director General of Science and Technology Agency or the Minister of International Trade and Industry) to popularize knowledge of nuclear power generation to inhabitants in surrounding areas of the facilities, or to support expenses of the preparation of arrangement programs, etc. Subsidies for public relations are delivered to those prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities, etc. are or are expected to be established, and subsidies for arrangement programs to those where the surrounding areas are included. Limits of the subsidies to a prefecture range from 6 million yen to 18 million yen for each fiscal year according to specified terms of the facilities concerned. Limits of subsidies for arrangement programs to place of enterprise extend from 500,000 yen to 1 million yen. Prefectures shall file an application for subsidies to the head of the authorities concerned with gists of business according to the forms attached. Receiving the application, the head shall examine it and notify to the applicant the decision of delivery and its conditions without delay in writing, when such settlement is made. Terms and conditions of delivery, payment of subsidies and others are stipulated respectively. (Okada, K.)
Impact of Alaskan gas subsidy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, R.R.

2002-01-01

This report provides the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) with an assessment of the impact of the Alaska natural gas tax credit proposed and passed in the United States Senate energy bill. In particular, Purvin and Gertz evaluated the impact of the Alaskan gas subsidy on potential Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea production as well as existing and future production from other areas including Western Canada, the Rocky Mountains in the United States, and the Gulf Coast. The mechanisms through which other producing areas are affected were described and the typical volumetric impact is presented using gas models developed by Purvin and Gertz. The GNWT wants to maximize the benefits of Arctic gas development for its constituents but believes that its interests will be negatively impacted by subsidized Alaskan gas which will be applied for the period beginning in 2010. The tax credit sets a floor price of $3.25 (US)/MMBtu. Purvin and Gertz concludes that the Alaskan gas subsidy would produce a misallocation of resources and distort the continental North American natural gas market. It would encourage over investment in Alaskan gas production because the credit works as a false signal to the privileged few that divert resources from higher value activities to lower value activities. The winners of the Alaskan gas subsidy would be Alaskan producers and the Alaskan economy. The losers would be other resource owners, producers, and American taxpayers because they would finance the subsidy through a tax credit mechanism. There would be an overall loss to the economy because of sub-optimal allocation of resources. In addition, producers in existing producing areas such as the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea region would face lower market prices as a result of the subsidy, thereby reducing their investments. It was concluded that the Alaskan gas subsidy is counterproductive from the perspective of a secure continental supply of natural gas. 1 tab., 2 figs

Capital Controls and Foreign Investor Subsidies Implicit in South Africa's Dual Exchange Rate System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huizinga, H.P.; Schaling, E.; van der Windt, P.C.

2007-01-01

Both in theory and practice, capital controls and dual exchange rate systems can be part of a country's optimal tax policy. We first show how a dual exchange rate system can be interpreted as a tax (or subsidy) on international capital income. We show that a dual exchange rate system, with separate
77 FR 2446 - Amendments to Regulations Regarding Eligibility for a Medicare Prescription Drug Subsidy

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-18

... Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) which affect the way we account for income and resources when... any life insurance policy as a resource for Extra Help effective on and after January 1, 2010. As of... and resources when determining eligibility for the subsidy provided by the Extra Help program, and...
The rule on granting subsidies for public relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The regulation is set up under the provisions of the law concerning the proper execution of subsidy budgets and the ordinance for enforcing the law, to carry these provisions into effect. The subsidies for public relations under the ordinance for enforcing the law concerning the special account for the measures of promoting power source development are delivered according to the provisions of the regulation as well as the law concerning the proper execution of subsidy budgets and the ordinance for enforcing the law. Basic terms are defined, such as nuclear power generating facilities; facilities related to nuclear power generation; place of business, etc. The ministers and directors of departments concerned deliver the subsidies for public relations to a prefecture where nuclear power generating facilities and related facilities are established or expected to be established, to cover all or a part of expenses necessary for the popularization of knowledges on nuclear power generation. The amounts of subsidies for public relations paid to a prefecture in each fiscal year are from 6 to 18 million yen. An application for such subsidies shall be filed by an applicant prefecture to the ministers or directors of departments concerned according to the form prescribed. The terms, conditions and decision of the delivery of subsidies are stipulated, respectively. (Okada, K.)
Energy production from biogas in the Italian countryside: Policies and organizational models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrosio, Giovanni

2013-01-01

In recent years, Italy has witnessed a proliferation of agricultural biogas plants. This article argues that institutional factors have played an important role in their diffusion. It describes the state and evolution of agricultural biogas in Italy, and then investigates the extent to which institutional pressures have been influential in shaping organizational models of biogas production. It finds that the dominance of one particular organizational model is the result of an isomorphic process in which a monopolistic market, legal structures, and subsidies play a role. The prevalence of this organizational model, however, does not lead to the effective use of biogas production, and furthermore it results in low environmental efficiency. For a more sustainable development of bioenergy, Italian policy-makers should reform the existing institutional framework by reorganizing subsidies, liberalizing the management of gas grids, and involving farmers in local projects. - Highlights: • Institutional factors played an important role for the diffusion of biogas plants in Italy. • The dominance of one organizational model is the result of an isomorphic process. • The prevalence of one organizational model results in low environmental efficiency. • Italian policy makers should reform the existing institutional framework
Effects of behavioral response and vaccination policy on epidemic spreading--an approach based on evolutionary-game dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai-Feng; Wu, Zhi-Xi; Tang, Ming; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2014-07-11

How effective are governmental incentives to achieve widespread vaccination coverage so as to prevent epidemic outbreak? The answer largely depends on the complex interplay among the type of incentive, individual behavioral responses, and the intrinsic epidemic dynamics. By incorporating evolutionary games into epidemic dynamics, we investigate the effects of two types of incentives strategies: partial-subsidy policy in which certain fraction of the cost of vaccination is offset, and free-subsidy policy in which donees are randomly selected and vaccinated at no cost. Through mean-field analysis and computations, we find that, under the partial-subsidy policy, the vaccination coverage depends monotonically on the sensitivity of individuals to payoff difference, but the dependence is non-monotonous for the free-subsidy policy. Due to the role models of the donees for relatively irrational individuals and the unchanged strategies of the donees for rational individuals, the free-subsidy policy can in general lead to higher vaccination coverage. Our findings indicate that any disease-control policy should be exercised with extreme care: its success depends on the complex interplay among the intrinsic mathematical rules of epidemic spreading, governmental policies, and behavioral responses of individuals.
Regulation for delivery of subsidies for public relations and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for the public relations activities and safety operations carried out by a local government for the local inhabitants in the vicinity of a nuclear power generation, etc. facility. This type of activity includes the dissemination of information on nuclear power, studies on securing the safety of the inhabitants and communication concerning the facility safety. The contents are as follows: limits of the subsidies, terms of subsidy allocations, the application for subsidies, determination of subsidy allocations, withdrawal of applications, the conditions to the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for disposal of the properties, etc. (Mori, K.)
Regulation for delivery of subsidies for public relations and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for the public relations activities and safety operations carried out by a local government for the local inhabitants in the vicinity of a nuclear power generation, etc. facility. This type of activity includes the dissemination of information on nuclear power, studies on securing the safety of the inhabitants and communication concerning the facility safety. The contents are as follows : limits of the subsidies, terms of subsidy allocations, the application for subsidies, determination of subsidy allocations, withdrawal of applications, the conditions to the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for disposal of the properties, etc. (Kubozono, M.)
Energy efficiency policies and measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

This document makes a review of the energy efficiency and demand side management (DSM) policies and measures in European Union countries and Norway in 1999: institutional changes, measures and programmes, budget, taxation, existence of a national DSM programme, national budgets for DSM programmes, electricity pricing: energy/environment tax, national efficiency standards and regulation for new electrical appliances, implementation of Commission directives, efficiency requirements, labelling, fiscal and economic incentives. (J.S.)
Individual health insurance within the family : can subsidies promote family coverage?

OpenAIRE

Kanika Kapur; M. Susan Marquis; José J. Escarce

2007-01-01

This paper examines the role of price in health insurance coverage decisions within the family to guide policy in promoting whole family coverage. We analyze the factors that affect individual health insurance coverage among families, and explore family decisions about whom to cover and whom to leave uninsured. The analysis uses household data from California combined with abstracted individual health plan benefit and premium data. We find that premium subsidies for individual insurance would...
An Analysis on the Economical Impacts from the Establishment of Environment-friendly Taxation System I concentrating on a Subsidy for Water Supply

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, D.K.; Cho, S.H.; Kang, M.O.; Lim, H.J. [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

2001-12-01

Recently, rapid economic growth and water shortage have become of growing concern. The relationship between the economy and water resources is not seemingly apparent, but in the environmental context, there exists a close interaction. By and large, government policies emphasizing economic issues can very well be subject to neglecting environmental issues. In addition, it is a well-known fact that supply side management policies have a negative impact on the environmental sector. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of securing economic growth and improving environmental quality simultaneously by taking a static general equilibrium approach. Implementation of such policy is initiated by means of cutting environmentally unfriendly subsidies to water sector (water supply and sewage). The revenue from the reduction of subsidies is associated with indirect taxes in production sectors, which consequently reduces indirect tax rates. The study has revealed a type of double dividend effect: reduction of water supply and increase of gross domestic products (GDP). The GDP changes 0.299% - 0.561% according to variations of elasticities and the way revenue is linked with indirect taxes applied to scenarios. Meanwhile, the impacts of cutting subsidies in the water sector result in the significant increase of water prices and the reduction of water output respectively. The output reduction is proportional to values of elasticity utilized; starting a 10% for zero up to 60%. Several policy implications can be inferred from the results of this study. Taking in account the long-term effects of the subsidy-cut policy, the study predicts more output reduction in the water sector since, economically-speaking, long-term elasticities are larger than the short-term ones, like that in the present study. Hence, a current water policy that is under-priced, so as to allow over-consumption, should be changed in order for the society to achieve economic growth and
42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost-Sharing Subsidies for Low... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Premium subsidy. 423.780 Section 423.780 Public...-service plans or 1876 cost plans) in a PDP region in the reference month. (ii) Premium amounts. The...
The rule on granting subsidies for public relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

These provisions are established on the basis of and to enforce the ''Law for the proper execution of the budget concerning subsidies'' and the Enforcement Ordinance for the ''Law for the proper execution of the budget concerning subsidies''. The Regulation covers the subsidies for the expenses for spreading the knowledge concerning nuclear power generation to the inhabitants in the surrounding areas of such nuclear power generating facilities, for the expenses for establishing the facilities for such popularization, and the office expenses for preparing the improvement plans on the surrounding areas of power generating facilities. Terms are explained, such as nuclear power generating facilities, the facilities related to nuclear power generation, nuclear power generating facilities, etc. and establishments. The subsidies for public relations are delivered to the prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities, etc. have been installed or are planned to be set up, and the subsidies for preparing the improvement plans are granted to the prefectures where the prescribed surrounding areas are involved. The subsidy for public relations delivered to one establishment is limited to 10 million yen in each fiscal year. Applications for the delivery of subsidies shall be filed to the directors of competent authorities-the Director General of the Science and Technology Agency or the Minister of International Trade and Industry. (Okada, K.)
CVD Prevention Through Policy: a Review of Mass Media, Food/Menu Labeling, Taxation/Subsidies, Built Environment, School Procurement, Worksite Wellness, and Marketing Standards to Improve Diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Afshin, Ashkan; Penalvo, Jose; Del Gobbo, Liana; Kashaf, Michael; Micha, Renata; Morrish, Kurtis; Pearson-Stuttard, Jonathan; Rehm, Colin; Shangguan, Siyi; Smith, Jessica D; Mozaffarian, Dariush

2015-11-01

Poor diet is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in the USA and globally. Evidence-based policies are crucial to improve diet and population health. We reviewed the effectiveness for a range of policy levers to alter diet and diet-related risk factors. We identified evidence to support benefits of focused mass media campaigns (especially for fruits, vegetables, salt), food pricing strategies (both subsidies and taxation, with stronger effects at lower income levels), school procurement policies (for increasing healthful or reducing unhealthful choices), and worksite wellness programs (especially when comprehensive and multicomponent). Evidence was inconclusive for food and menu labeling (for consumer or industry behavior) and changes in local built environment (e.g., availability or accessibility of supermarkets, fast food outlets). We found little empiric evidence evaluating marketing restrictions, although broad principles and large resources spent on marketing suggest utility. Widespread implementation and evaluation of evidence-based policy strategies, with further research on other strategies with mixed/limited evidence, are essential "population medicine" to reduce health and economic burdens and inequities of diet-related illness worldwide.
Flexibility-friendly support policies:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boscán Flores, Luis Rafael; Skytte, Klaus; Soysal, Emilie Rosenlund

2017-01-01

This paper introduces the concept of flexibilityfriendly support policies, i.e. state of-the-system-dependent subsidies given to producers of electricity who base their output on renewable energy sources (RES). Such policies increase with demand, decrease with the availability of Variable Renewab...
Evaluating Energy Efficiency Policies with Energy-Economy Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mundaca, Luis; Neij, Lena; Worrell, Ernst; McNeil, Michael A.

2010-08-01

The growing complexities of energy systems, environmental problems and technology markets are driving and testing most energy-economy models to their limits. To further advance bottom-up models from a multidisciplinary energy efficiency policy evaluation perspective, we review and critically analyse bottom-up energy-economy models and corresponding evaluation studies on energy efficiency policies to induce technological change. We use the household sector as a case study. Our analysis focuses on decision frameworks for technology choice, type of evaluation being carried out, treatment of market and behavioural failures, evaluated policy instruments, and key determinants used to mimic policy instruments. Although the review confirms criticism related to energy-economy models (e.g. unrealistic representation of decision-making by consumers when choosing technologies), they provide valuable guidance for policy evaluation related to energy efficiency. Different areas to further advance models remain open, particularly related to modelling issues, techno-economic and environmental aspects, behavioural determinants, and policy considerations.
Material Efficiency in Dutch Packaging Policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Worrell, E.; van Sluisveld, M.A.E.

2013-01-01

Packaging materials are one of the largest contributors to municipal solid waste generation. In this paper, we evaluate the material impacts of packaging policy in The Netherlands, focusing on the role of material efficiency (or waste prevention). Since 1991, five different policies have been
Child Care Subsidies and Child Development

Science.gov (United States)

Herbst, Chris M.; Tekin, Erdal

2010-01-01

Child care subsidies are an important part of federal and state efforts to move welfare recipients into employment. One of the criticisms of the current subsidy system, however, is that it overemphasizes work and does little to encourage parents to purchase high-quality child care. Consequently, there are reasons to be concerned about the…
US energy conservation and efficiency policies: Challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, Robert K.; McGowan, Elizabeth; Onysko, Ganna; Scheer, Richard M.

2010-01-01

Expanding energy conservation and efficiency in every sector nationwide is one of the most cost-effective instruments for reducing US energy imports, the trade deficit and energy's environmental impacts. For these reasons, energy conservation and efficiency have been essential elements of US energy policy since the oil embargos and price spikes of the 1970s. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) is the latest federal legislation to expand and strengthen US energy conservation and efficiency policies, programs, and practices. Specifically, EISA and its recent predecessor, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05), contain almost 200 titles with new provisions for energy conservation and efficiency aimed at improvements in vehicle fuel economy. These provisions include efficiency of appliances and lighting; energy savings in residential, commercial, and government buildings; the efficiency of industrial manufacturing plants; and the efficiency of electric power delivery and end-use. These actions have begun to contribute to new federal, state, and local policies, programs, and practices across the US, and expectations are high for increases in the level of energy savings. This paper summarizes the history of US energy conservation and efficiency policies, outlines EISA's and EPAct05's key provisions, and considers prospects for the future.
US energy conservation and efficiency policies. Challenges and opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, Robert K.; Onysko, Ganna [Global Environment Facility, Climate Change and Chemicals, 1818 H Street, NW, MSN G6-602, Washington, DC 20433 (United States); McGowan, Elizabeth; Scheer, Richard M. [Energetics Incorporated, 7067 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 (United States)

2010-11-15

Expanding energy conservation and efficiency in every sector nationwide is one of the most cost-effective instruments for reducing US energy imports, the trade deficit and energy's environmental impacts. For these reasons, energy conservation and efficiency have been essential elements of US energy policy since the oil embargos and price spikes of the 1970s. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) is the latest federal legislation to expand and strengthen US energy conservation and efficiency policies, programs, and practices. Specifically, EISA and its recent predecessor, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05), contain almost 200 titles with new provisions for energy conservation and efficiency aimed at improvements in vehicle fuel economy. These provisions include efficiency of appliances and lighting; energy savings in residential, commercial, and government buildings; the efficiency of industrial manufacturing plants; and the efficiency of electric power delivery and end-use. These actions have begun to contribute to new federal, state, and local policies, programs, and practices across the US, and expectations are high for increases in the level of energy savings. This paper summarizes the history of US energy conservation and efficiency policies, outlines EISA's and EPAct05's key provisions, and considers prospects for the future. (author)
US energy conservation and efficiency policies: Challenges and opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, Robert K. [Global Environment Facility, Climate Change and Chemicals, 1818 H Street, NW, MSN G6-602, Washington, DC 20433 (United States); McGowan, Elizabeth [Energetics Incorporated, 7067 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 (United States); Onysko, Ganna, E-mail: gonysko@thegef.or [Global Environment Facility, Climate Change and Chemicals, 1818 H Street, NW, MSN G6-602, Washington, DC 20433 (United States); Scheer, Richard M. [Energetics Incorporated, 7067 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 (United States)

2010-11-15

Expanding energy conservation and efficiency in every sector nationwide is one of the most cost-effective instruments for reducing US energy imports, the trade deficit and energy's environmental impacts. For these reasons, energy conservation and efficiency have been essential elements of US energy policy since the oil embargos and price spikes of the 1970s. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) is the latest federal legislation to expand and strengthen US energy conservation and efficiency policies, programs, and practices. Specifically, EISA and its recent predecessor, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05), contain almost 200 titles with new provisions for energy conservation and efficiency aimed at improvements in vehicle fuel economy. These provisions include efficiency of appliances and lighting; energy savings in residential, commercial, and government buildings; the efficiency of industrial manufacturing plants; and the efficiency of electric power delivery and end-use. These actions have begun to contribute to new federal, state, and local policies, programs, and practices across the US, and expectations are high for increases in the level of energy savings. This paper summarizes the history of US energy conservation and efficiency policies, outlines EISA's and EPAct05's key provisions, and considers prospects for the future.

The rule on granting subsidies for public relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

The rule is based on the prescriptions of the Law for Proper Budget Enforcement Concerning Subsidies and its Enforcement Order. These rules apply to the subsidies for the expenses to popularize the knowledge concerning nuclear power generation to the inhabitants in the surrounding areas of such generating facilities, the office expenses to prepare the arrangement plan for the surrounding areas of such facilities, and the office expenses necessary for the delivery of the subsidies. Meanings of terms are defined, such as nuclear power generating facilities, the facilities related to nuclear power generation, establishment, etc. The chief of the competent ministry (the Director General of the Science and Technology Agency and the Minister of International Trade and Industry) gives the subsidies for public relations to the prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities and others have been or are to be set up, the preparation of the arrangement plan is made, or the delivery business is made. When two or more establishments of power generating facilities are closely located, they are regarded as one establishment. The limit of the subsidies for public relations to an establishment is 10 million yen in a fiscal year. The limit of the subsidies for the preparation of the arrangement plan concerning an establishment varies from 1 million yen to 0.2 million yen. The term of delivery, filing of applications, reports submitted by the receivers of the subsidies and other related matters are specified. (Okada, K.)
Efficiency snakes and energy ladders: A (meta-)frontier demand analysis of electricity consumption efficiency in Chinese households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadstock, David C.; Li, Jiajia; Zhang, Dayong

2016-01-01

Policy makers presently lack access to quantified estimates – and hence an explicit understanding – of energy consumption efficiency within households, creating a potential gap between true efficiency levels and the necessarily assumed efficiency levels that policy makers adopt in designing and implementing energy policy. This paper attempts to fill this information gap by empirically quantifying electricity consumption efficiency for a sample of more than 7,000 households. Adopting the recently introduced ‘frontier demand function’ due to Filippini and Hunt (2011) but extending it into the metafrontier context – to control for structural heterogeneity arising from location type – it is shown that consumption efficiency is little more than 60% on average. This implies huge potential for energy reduction via the expansion of schemes to promote energy efficiency. City households, which are the wealthiest in the sample, are shown to define the metafrontier demand function (and hence have the potential to be the most efficient households), but at the same time exhibit the largest inefficiencies. These facts together allow for a potential refinement on the household energy ladder concept, suggesting that wealth affords access to the best technologies thereby increasing potential energy efficiency (the ‘traditional view of the household energy ladder), but complementary to this these same households are most inefficient. This has implications for numerous areas of policy, including for example the design of energy assistance schemes, identification of energy education needs/priorities as well more refined setting of subsidies/tax-credit policies. - Highlights: •Frontier demand functions are estimated for a sample of 7102 Chinese households. •Metafrontier methods capture heterogeneity arising from urban form (e.g. cities, towns and villages). •Wealthier houses have higher efficiency potential, but are in fact less efficient in their consumption of
Policy modeling for energy efficiency improvement in US industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worrell, Ernst; Price, Lynn; Ruth, Michael

2001-01-01

We are at the beginning of a process of evaluating and modeling the contribution of policies to improve energy efficiency. Three recent policy studies trying to assess the impact of energy efficiency policies in the United States are reviewed. The studies represent an important step in the analysis of climate change mitigation strategies. All studies model the estimated policy impact, rather than the policy itself. Often the policy impacts are based on assumptions, as the effects of a policy are not certain. Most models only incorporate economic (or price) tools, which recent studies have proven to be insufficient to estimate the impacts, costs and benefits of mitigation strategies. The reviewed studies are a first effort to capture the effects of non-price policies. The studies contribute to a better understanding of the role of policies in improving energy efficiency and mitigating climate change. All policy scenarios results in substantial energy savings compared to the baseline scenario used, as well as substantial net benefits to the U.S. economy
Leveraging Fuel Subsidy Reform for Transition in Yemen

OpenAIRE

Clemens Breisinger; Wilfried Engelke; Olivier Ecker

2012-01-01

Yemen is currently undergoing a major political transition, yet many economic challenges—including fuel subsidy reform—remain highly relevant. To inform the transition process with respect to a potential subsidy reform, we use a dynamic computable general equilibrium and microsimulation model for Yemen; we show that overall growth effects of subsidy reduction are positive in general, but poverty can increase or decrease depending on reform design. A promising strategy for ...
Efficient Web Services Policy Combination

Science.gov (United States)

Vatan, Farrokh; Harman, Joseph G.

2010-01-01

Large-scale Web security systems usually involve cooperation between domains with non-identical policies. The network management and Web communication software used by the different organizations presents a stumbling block. Many of the tools used by the various divisions do not have the ability to communicate network management data with each other. At best, this means that manual human intervention into the communication protocols used at various network routers and endpoints is required. Developing practical, sound, and automated ways to compose policies to bridge these differences is a long-standing problem. One of the key subtleties is the need to deal with inconsistencies and defaults where one organization proposes a rule on a particular feature, and another has a different rule or expresses no rule. A general approach is to assign priorities to rules and observe the rules with the highest priorities when there are conflicts. The present methods have inherent inefficiency, which heavily restrict their practical applications. A new, efficient algorithm combines policies utilized for Web services. The method is based on an algorithm that allows an automatic and scalable composition of security policies between multiple organizations. It is based on defeasible policy composition, a promising approach for finding conflicts and resolving priorities between rules. In the general case, policy negotiation is an intractable problem. A promising method, suggested in the literature, is when policies are represented in defeasible logic, and composition is based on rules for non-monotonic inference. In this system, policy writers construct metapolicies describing both the policy that they wish to enforce and annotations describing their composition preferences. These annotations can indicate whether certain policy assertions are required by the policy writer or, if not, under what circumstances the policy writer is willing to compromise and allow other assertions to take
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Hungary 2006 Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Hungary has arrived at an important moment in its energy policy. The Hungarian government has improved energy policies in a number of areas. Still, significant challenges remain. To prepare the country for the full liberalisation of the EU electricity and gas market by July 2007, further steps in market reform are urgently required. At this point in time, there is no clarity about the system under which the market should operate after its full opening. Subsidies are another problem. Even though substantial progress has been made in reforming payments to gas consumers, the overall level of subsidies to producers and consumers of energy needs to be reviewed. This analysis makes recommendations to tackle these concerns and also discusses the potential contribution of energy efficiency to increasing energy security and economic competitiveness. The gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine in January 2006 focused global attention on consumer nations' vulnerability to supply disruptions. The Hungarian government has since placed greater emphasis on diversification of suppliers and has supported the development of new routes to bring gas into Europe. Hungary has dramatically improved its energy efficiency during the last 15 years. Nevertheless, enhanced efficiency, particularly in the field of gas use will continue to play a key role for securing future national energy supplies. This review has identified significant room for progress particularly in the gas-to-power sector, where old power stations need to be replaced, and in the residential sector, where improved thermal performance of Hungarian housing could bring impressive results.
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Hungary 2006 Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Hungary has arrived at an important moment in its energy policy. The Hungarian government has improved energy policies in a number of areas. Still, significant challenges remain. To prepare the country for the full liberalisation of the EU electricity and gas market by July 2007, further steps in market reform are urgently required. At this point in time, there is no clarity about the system under which the market should operate after its full opening. Subsidies are another problem. Even though substantial progress has been made in reforming payments to gas consumers, the overall level of subsidies to producers and consumers of energy needs to be reviewed. This analysis makes recommendations to tackle these concerns and also discusses the potential contribution of energy efficiency to increasing energy security and economic competitiveness. The gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine in January 2006 focused global attention on consumer nations' vulnerability to supply disruptions. The Hungarian government has since placed greater emphasis on diversification of suppliers and has supported the development of new routes to bring gas into Europe. Hungary has dramatically improved its energy efficiency during the last 15 years. Nevertheless, enhanced efficiency, particularly in the field of gas use will continue to play a key role for securing future national energy supplies. This review has identified significant room for progress particularly in the gas-to-power sector, where old power stations need to be replaced, and in the residential sector, where improved thermal performance of Hungarian housing could bring impressive results.
Evaluation of energy efficiency policy instruments effectiveness : case study Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukarica, V.

2007-01-01

This paper proposed a theoretical basis for evaluating energy efficiency policy in the Republic of Croatia and corroborated it with the analysis of energy efficiency market development and transformation. The current status of the market was evaluated and policy instruments were adapted to achieve optimal results. In particular, the energy efficiency market in Croatia was discussed in terms of micro and macro environment factors that influence policy making processes and the choice of policy instruments. The macro environment for energy efficiency market in Croatia is the process of European Union pre-integration with all related national and international legislation, political and economical factors and potential to use financial funds. The micro environment consists of government institutions, local financing institutions and a range of market players on the supply and demand side. Energy efficiency is the most powerful and cost-effective way for achieving goals of sustainable development. Policy instruments developed to improve energy efficiency are oriented towards a cleaner environment, better standard of living, more competitive industry and improved security of energy supply. Energy efficiency is much harder to implement and requires policy interventions. In response to recent trends in the energy sector, such as deregulation and open competition, policy measures aimed at improving energy efficiency should shift from an end-users oriented approach towards a whole market approach. The optimal policy instruments mix should be designed to meet defined targets. However, market dynamics must be taken into consideration. 9 refs., 4 figs
日本的可再生能源的扶持政策——对太阳能发电扶持制度的分析%Japan＇s renewable energy policy ——analysis of the subsidy policy for solar photovoltaic

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

奏美鸣

2012-01-01

基于日本太阳能发电扶持政策的现状及其影响的分析,分别阐释了政治与政府、媒体与舆论、制造业与原材料、产业界、学术界与NEDO、以及化石燃料价格等重要相关因素对日本可再生能源政策制定的影响;最后,对《太阳能发电剩余电力收购制度》到《可再生能源收购制度》获得国会通过的动态过程进行解析并给出系统理解。%Based on the current situation and impact of Japan＇ s solar photovohaic support policy, this paper analyze the effect of im- portant factors such as politics and government, media and public opinion, manufacturing and raw materials, Industry - academic - government, fossil fuel prices Etc. Moreover, this paper describes the process of ＂Renewable energy subsidy policy＂ from ＂Surplus electricity subsidy policy for solar power＂.
Impacts of government subsidies on pricing and performance level choice in Energy Performance Contracting: A two-step optimal decision model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Zhijian; Shao, Shuai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An ESCO optimal decision model considering governmental subsidies is proposed. • Optimal price and performance level are deduced via a two-stage model. • Demand, profit, and performance level increase with increasing subsidies. • ESCO’s market strategy should firstly focus on high energy consumption industries. • Governmental subsidies standard in different industries should be differentiated. - Abstract: Government subsidies generally play a crucial role in pricing and the choice of performance levels in Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). However, the existing studies pay little attention to how the Energy Service Company (ESCO) prices and chooses performance levels for EPC with government subsidies. To fill such a gap, we propose a joint optimal decision model of pricing and performance level in EPC considering government subsidies. The optimization of the model is achieved via a two-stage process. At the first stage, given a performance level, ESCOs choose the best price; and at the second stage, ESCOs choose the optimal performance level for the optimal price. Furthermore, we carry out a numerical analysis to illuminate such an optimal decision mechanism. The results show that both price sensitivity and performance level sensitivity have significant effects on the choice of performance levels with government subsidies. Government subsidies can induce higher performance levels of EPC, the demand for EPC, and the profit of ESCO. We suggest that ESCO’s market strategy should firstly focus on high energy consumption industries with government subsidies and that government subsidies standard adopted in different industries should be differentiated according to the market characteristics and energy efficiency levels of various industries.
14 CFR 271.3 - Carrier subsidy need.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS GUIDELINES FOR SUBSIDIZING AIR CARRIERS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL AIR TRANSPORTATION § 271.3 Carrier subsidy need. In establishing the subsidy for an air carrier providing essential air service at an...
Advancing research on animal-transported subsidies by integrating animal movement and ecosystem modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Earl, Julia E; Zollner, Patrick A

2017-09-01

Connections between ecosystems via animals (active subsidies) support ecosystem services and contribute to numerous ecological effects. Thus, the ability to predict the spatial distribution of active subsidies would be useful for ecology and conservation. Previous work modelling active subsidies focused on implicit space or static distributions, which treat passive and active subsidies similarly. Active subsidies are fundamentally different from passive subsidies, because animals can respond to the process of subsidy deposition and ecosystem changes caused by subsidy deposition. We propose addressing this disparity by integrating animal movement and ecosystem ecology to advance active subsidy investigations, make more accurate predictions of subsidy spatial distributions, and enable a mechanistic understanding of subsidy spatial distributions. We review selected quantitative techniques that could be used to accomplish integration and lead to novel insights. The ultimate objective for these types of studies is predictions of subsidy spatial distributions from characteristics of the subsidy and the movement strategy employed by animals that transport subsidies. These advances will be critical in informing the management of ecosystem services, species conservation and ecosystem degradation related to active subsidies. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.
Save-Odyssee project on EEI - final report - Part 2: energy efficiency in EU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

The European Odyssee project on energy efficiency indicators (EEI) was initiated in 1990. It benefits from the combined support of the SAVE programme of the European Commission, of Ademe and of 15 national Efficiency Agencies within the European network of energy efficiency agencies. The objective of the project is to develop and maintain indicators that enable to review progress in energy efficiency and CO{sub 2} emissions abatement, by sector, end-use, etc.. for each country and the EU as a whole. This report presents the status of the implementation of energy efficiency policies in European Union countries: institutional changes/context, measures and programmes, budget, pricing, subsidies and taxes. (J.S.)
Energy efficiency: the challenges of policy design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varone, F. [Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium); Aebischer, B. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technolog, Zurich (Switzerland)

2001-06-01

This article is about the choice of policy instruments to promote electricity-efficient household appliances and office equipment. We analyse the design process of the energy-efficiency policies implemented by Canada, Denmark, the United States, Sweden and Switzerland from 1973 to 1996. The results of this comparative study suggest that a policy instrument is adopted (1) if the degree of coercion involved is compatible with the party ideology of the ruling majority, (2) if a specialized administrative institution already exists, which helps to minimize the costs of implementation, (3) if other political or administrative jurisdictions have already applied it with success and if the transfer of their experiences is desirable or necessary, or (4) if the groups which are targeted are not opposed to it, and (5) its adoption also depends on the structure of the market and the speed of technological developments affecting household appliances and office equipment. In conclusion, we recommend taking account of these considerations in designing new energy-efficiency policies at both national and international levels. (author)
Directed technical change and differentiation of climate policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, Vincent M.; Loeschel, Andreas; Reilly, John

2008-01-01

This paper studies the cost effectiveness of climate policy if there are technology externalities. For this purpose, we develop a forward looking model that captures empirical links between CO 2 emissions associated with energy use, directed technical change and the economy. We find our most cost effective climate policy to include a combination of R and D subsidies and CO 2 emission constraints, although R and D subsidies raise the shadow value of the CO 2 constraint (i.e. CO 2 price) because of a strong rebound effect from stimulating innovation. Furthermore, we find that cost effectiveness of climate policy improves if it is differentiated between technologies. Even our rudimentary distinction between CO 2 intensive technologies and non-CO 2 intensive technologies lead to this result. Such differentiated climate policy encourages growth in the non-CO 2 intensive sectors and discourages growth in CO 2 intensive sectors by harnessing positive effects of technology externalities on total factor productivity in the former and letting the latter bear relatively more of the abatement burden. This result is robust to whether emission constraints, R and D subsidies or combinations of both are used as climate policy instruments. (author)
Energy Efficiency Policies around the World: Review and Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-01-15

Since 1992 the World Energy Council (WEC) and ADEME (Agency for Environment and Energy Efficiency, France) have been collaborating on a joint project ''Energy Efficiency Policies and Indicators'' with technical assistance by ENERDATA (France). The latest report presents and evaluates energy efficiency policies in nearly 70 countries around the world, with a specific focus on five policy measures: mandatory energy audits, ESCO's, energy incentives for cars, energy efficiency obligations for utilities, and 'packages of measures' for solar water heaters. The report describes the implemented measures and identifies those proven most effective.
Energy pricing policy in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davood Manzoor

1995-01-01

Low energy prices in Iran do not reflect economic costs. Further distortions exist in the tariff structures of most energy sources and in their relative prices. Price reform is a key policy element for achieving increased energy conservation and economic substitution. Subsidies should be made transparent and explained by the Government, and, when eliminated, they could be compensated by target measures or direct subsidies for low income households. Price reforms are under way, with some caution though, because of possible political and inflationary consequences. In order to better understand the need for price reforms a brief analysis of the current energy pricing policy is provided there. (author)
Nigeria’s Petroleum Subsidy: In Whose Interest is it?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel Olusegun Stober

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Subsidy has been defined as any government intervention, in cash or kind, to private sector producers or consumers for which the government receives no equivalent compensation in return. Fuel subsidy has been a growing liability to Nigeria’s budgets, in a systematic fashion for almost four decades, hence creating vested interest. The exponential growth of cost of fuel subsidy is due to the rising cost of crude oil in the international market, exchange rate volatility and the population growth of Nigeria which resulted in increased petroleum consumption; the combination of these three variables therefore made the cost of the fuel subsidy unsustainable. Understanding the current fuel subsidies magnitude is critical for advancing reform because it underscores the potential socio-economic benefits to be realized. In addition to the burden that fuel subsidy is placing on the national budget, keeping petroleum below the market value has discouraged additional investment in Nigeria’s oil sector, because the visibility of recovering the investment under the artificially low price structure is uncertain.
Progress Implementing the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

Significantly improving energy efficiency remains a priority for all countries. Meetings of G8 leaders and IEA ministers reaffirmed the critical role that improved energy efficiency can play in addressing energy security, environmental and economic challenges. Many IEA publications have also documented the essential role of energy efficiency. For example, the World Energy Outlook and the Energy Technology Perspectives reports identify energy efficiency as the most significant contributor to achieving energy security, economic and environmental goals. Energy efficiency is clearly the “first fuel” in the delivery of energy services in the coming low-carbon energy future. To support governments in their implementation of energy efficiency, the IEA recommended the adoption of specific energy efficiency policy measures to the G8 summits in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The consolidated set of recommendations to these summits is known as the ‘IEA 25 energy efficiency policy recommendations’ because it covers 25 fields of action across seven priority areas: cross-sectoral activity, buildings, appliances, lighting, transport, industry and energy utilities. The IEA estimates that if implemented globally without delay, the proposed actions could save as much as 7.6 giga tonnes (Gt) CO2/year by 2030 – almost 1.5 times the current annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the United States. The IEA 25 energy efficiency policy recommendations were developed to address policy gaps and priorities. This has two implications. First, the recommendations do not cover the full range of energy efficiency policy activity possible. Rather, they focus on priority energy efficiency policies identified by IEA analysis. Second, while IEA analysis, the energy efficiency professional literature and engagement with experts clearly demonstrate the broad benefits of these IEA priority measures, the recommendations are not weighted to reflect the different energy end-use make up of different
Do State Subsidies for Public Universities Favor the Affluent? Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #23

Science.gov (United States)

Delisle, Jason; Dancy, Kim

2016-01-01

Public universities typically charge students less than the full cost of education, using funds from state and local government and other sources to cover the difference. This indirect subsidy is one of the largest forms of aid in America's higher education system but is less understood in the policy community than grants and loans, which are…

Subsidies and sustainable development. Concepts, methodology and state of the art in literature; Subsidies en duurzame ontwikkeling. Concepten, methodologie en stand van zaken van de literatuur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bachus, K. [Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving HIVA, KU Leuven, Leuven (Belgium)

2012-04-15

This paper is the 1st research paper as part of the Centre for Sustainable Development project on the theme 'subsidies and sustainable development'. It gives a conceptual and methodological framework on the relation between subsidies and sustainable development. In the 2nd paper attention is given to an application of the methodology to map subsidies for two Flemish subsidies: (1) the Flemish Renovation Incentive and Surcharge Rights in the Flemish agricultural sector [Dutch] Dit paper is het 1e onderzoekspaper in het kader van het Steunpunt Duurzame Ontwikkeling over het thema 'subsidies en duurzame ontwikkeling'. Het geeft een conceptueel en methodologisch kader over het verband tussen subsidies en duurzame ontwikkeling. In het 1e paper werden de concepten en de methoden besproken. De methode werd toegepast op twee Vlaamse subsidies, namelijk de Vlaamse Renovatiepremie en de Toeslagrechten in de Vlaamse landbouw.
The impacts of removing energy subsidies on economy-wide rebound effects in China: An input-output analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ke; Jiang, Zhujun

2016-01-01

Facing with the increasing contradiction of economic growth, energy scarcity and environmental deterioration, energy conservation and emissions abatement have been ambitious targets for the Chinese government. Improving energy efficiency through technological advancement is a primary measure to achieve these targets. However, the existence of energy rebound effects may completely or partially offset energy savings associated with technological advancement. This paper adopted a modified input-output model to estimate the economy-wide energy rebound effects across China's economic sectors with the consideration of energy subsidies. The empirical results show that the aggregate rebound effect of China is about 1.9% in 2007–2010, thus technological advancement significantly restrains energy consumption increasing. Removing energy subsidies will cause the aggregate rebound effect declines to 1.53%. Specifically, removing subsidies for coal and nature gas can reduce the rebound effects signifcantly, while removing the subsidies for oil products has a small impact on rebound effect. The existence of rebound effects implies that technological advancement should be cooperated with energy price reform so as to achieve the energy saving target. In addition, the government should consider the diversity of economic sectors and energy types when design the reform schedule. - Highlights: • Rebound effects with the consideration of energy subsidies are estimated in China. • When considering the interactions among sectors, the aggregate rebound effect become small. • Removing subsidies will reduce energy consumption, thereby declining the rebound effects. • Removing subsidies for different energy types has varies effects on rebound effect.
Can Production Subsidies Explain China's Export Performance? Evidence from Firm-level Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gong, Yundan; Yu, Zhihong; Girma, Sourafel

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the relationship between production subsidies and firms" export performance using a very comprehensive and recent firm-level database and controlling for the endogeneity of subsidies. It documents robust evidence that production subsidies stimulate export activity at the inten......This paper analyses the relationship between production subsidies and firms" export performance using a very comprehensive and recent firm-level database and controlling for the endogeneity of subsidies. It documents robust evidence that production subsidies stimulate export activity...
Buying health: assessing the impact of a consumer-side vegetable subsidy on purchasing, consumption and waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Drelich, Noah

2016-02-01

To measure the impact of a reimbursement-based consumer subsidy on vegetable expenditures, consumption and waste. Two-arm randomized controlled trial; two-week baseline observation period, three-week intervention period. Participants' vegetable expenditures, consumption and waste were monitored using receipts collection and through an FFQ. During the intervention period, the treatment group received reimbursement of up to 50 US dollars ($) for purchased vegetables. Participants were solicited from Palo Alto, CA, USA using materials advertising a 'consumer behavior study' and a small participation incentive. To prevent selection bias, solicitation materials did not describe the specific behaviour being evaluated. One hundred and fifty potential participants responded to the solicitations and 144 participants enrolled in the study; 138 participants completed all five weekly surveys. Accounting for the control group (n 69) and the two-week baseline period, the intervention significantly impacted the treatment group's (n 69) vegetable expenditures (+$8.16 (sd 2.67)/week, Pconsumer subsidy significantly increased participants' vegetable expenditures, but not consumption or waste, suggesting that this type of subsidy might not have the effects anticipated. Reimbursement-based consumer subsidies may therefore not be as useful a policy tool for impacting vegetable consumption as earlier studies have suggested. Moreover, moderation analysis revealed that the subsidy's effect on participants' vegetable expenditures was significant only in men. Additional research should seek to determine how far reaching gender-specific effects are in this context. Further research should also examine the effect of a similar consumer subsidy on high-risk populations and explore to what extent increases in participants' expenditures are due to the purchase of more expensive vegetables, purchasing of vegetables during the study period that were consumed outside the study period, or a shift
Barriers' and policies' analysis of China's building energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yurong; Wang, Yuanfeng

2013-01-01

With the rapid economic growth and the improvement of people's living standards, China's building energy consumption has kept rising during the past 15 years. Under the effort of the Chinese government and the society, China's building energy efficiency has made certain achievements. However, the implementation of building energy efficiency in China is still far from its potential. Based on the analysis of the existing policies implemented in China, the article concluded that the most essential and the most effective ways to promote building energy efficiency is the government's involvement as well as economic and financial incentives. In addition, the main barriers in the process of promoting building energy efficiency in China are identified in six aspects. It has been found that the legal system and administrative issues constitute major barriers, and the lack of financial incentives and the mismatching of market mechanism also hamper the promotion of building energy efficiency. Finally, in view of the existing policies and barriers analysis, three corresponding policy proposals are presented. -- Highlights: •The existing policies implemented in China from three aspects are presented and analysed. •The Government's involvement is the most essential effective way to promote building-energy efficiency. •Six aspects of barriers in promoting building energy efficiency in China are identified. •The legal system and administrative issues constitute the major barriers. •Three policy proposals to further promote building energy efficiency in China are proposed
Markets up on subsidies - but dilemma on disbursement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malaviya Jaideep N.

2013-04-01

To encourage the masses and ensure rapid augmentation of solar thermal installations, India introduced capital subsidies of 30 % on systems traded during the Solar Mission plan. A scheme of 'channel partners' was worked out under which manufacturers, suppliers and other bulk users would sell systems as net-of-subsidy to the end users and would later claim reimbursement from the MNRE. Now with delays in the settlement of subsidy amounts the manufacturers have barely left enough capital to do business. (orig.)
Into the mire: A closer look at fossil fuel subsidies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radoslaw (Radek Stefanski

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Threatened by climate change, governments the world over are attempting to nudge markets in the direction of less carbon-intensive energy. Perversely, many of these governments continue to subsidize fossil fuels, distorting markets and raising emissions. Determining how much money is involved is difficult, as neither the providers nor the recipients of those subsidies want to own up to them. This paper builds on a unique method to extract fossil fuel subsidies from patterns in countries’ carbon emission-to-GDP ratios. This approach is useful since it: 1 overcomes the problem of scarce data; 2 derives a wider and more comparable measure of subsidies than existing measures and 3 allows for the performance of counterfactuals which help measure the impact of subsidies on emissions and growth. The resultant 170-country, 30-year database finds that the financial and the environmental costs of such subsidies are enormous, especially in China and the U.S. The overwhelming majority of the world’s fossil fuel subsidies stem from China, the U.S. and the ex-USSR; as of 2010, this figure was $712 billion or nearly 80 per cent of the total world value of subsidies. For its part, Canada has been subsidizing rather than taxing fossil fuels since 1998. By 2010, Canadian subsidies sat at $13 billion, or 1.4 per cent of GDP. In that same year, the total global direct and indirect financial costs of all such subsidies amounted to $1.82 trillion, or 3.8 per cent of global GDP. Aside from the money saved, in 2010 a world without subsidies would have had carbon emissions 36 per cent lower than they actually were. Any government looking to ease strained budgets and make a significant (and cheap contribution to the fight against climate change must consider slashing fossil fuel subsidies. As the data show, this is a sound decision – fiscally and environmentally.
Stimulating fuelwood consumption through public policies: An assessment of economic and resource impacts based on the French Forest Sector Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caurla, Sylvain; Delacote, Philippe; Lecocq, Franck; Barkaoui, Ahmed

2013-01-01

Stimulating renewable energy is a crucial objective in view of tackling climate change and coping with future fossil fuel scarcity. In France, fuelwood appears to be an important source for the renewable energy mix. Using the French Forest Sector Model, our paper aims to assess the impacts of three policy options to stimulate fuelwood consumption: a consumer subsidy, a producer subsidy and a fixed-demand contract policy. We explored their impacts in terms of five groups of criteria: (1) forest resource dynamics; (2) variations in wood products prices and quantities consumed and produced; (3) trade balance; (4) budgetary costs; and (5) variations in agent surpluses. We show that no policy option is more desirable than another on the basis of all of these criteria and that trade-offs will determine which is the best policy option to be implemented. - Highlights: • We compare the bio-economic impacts of policies to boost fuelwood consumption in France. • We simulate a producer subsidy, a consumer subsidy and fixed public demand contracts. • We explore their impacts until 2020 with a dynamic model of the forest sector. • Producer subsidy reduces the trade balance deficit and decreases forest stock. • Consumer subsidy increases consumer welfare and public contracts reduce budgetary costs
Subsidies in Croatian agriculture and adjustment to the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramona Franić

2005-08-01

Full Text Available After the Croatian independence and re-adoption of the free trade principles, in political debates agriculture got the role of one of the basic pillar in economic development. There is intention to protect domestic agriculture against much more developed western European agriculture and to support its competitiveness, respecting at the same time the requirements of the international trade agreements asking for decreasing domestic protection. The reform of agricultural price policy started in 1988, due to the trade policy reform within the requirements imposed by the membership in the World Trade Organization. Recent changes from 2003 tend to simplify the system of agricultural support and to equalize the level of incentives. Together with existing production subsidies, new models of income support, capital investments and rural development are introduced. The reform predicts harmonization of domestic agricultural policy measures with those conducted or should be conducted in the EU. It means the shift from the old way of supporting European agricultural markets, toward incentives for European farmer, in the way that in total support prevails income, and not production support.
Environmental and technology policy options in the electricity sector. Interactions and outcomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, Carolyn; Newell, Richard G.; Preonas, Louis

2014-01-01

Myriad policy measures aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, promote generation from renewable sources, and encourage energy conservation. To what extent do innovation and energy efficiency (EE) market failures justify additional interventions when a carbon price is in place? We extend the model of Fischer and Newell (2008) with advanced and conventional renewable energy technologies and short and long-run EE investments. We incorporate both knowledge spillovers and imperfections in the demand for energy efficiency. We conclude that some technology policies, particularly correcting R and D market failures, can be useful complements to emissions pricing, but ambitious renewable targets or subsidies seem unlikely to enhance welfare when placed alongside sufficient emissions pricing. The desirability of stringent EE policies is highly sensitive to the degree of undervaluation of EE by consumers, which also has implications for policies that tend to lower electricity prices. Even with multiple market failures, emissions pricing remains the single most cost-effective option for reducing emissions.
Environmental and technology policy options in the electricity sector. Interactions and outcomes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Carolyn [Resources for the Future, Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Newell, Richard G. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); Preonas, Louis [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States); Resources for the Future, Inc., Washington, DC (United States)

2014-04-15

Myriad policy measures aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, promote generation from renewable sources, and encourage energy conservation. To what extent do innovation and energy efficiency (EE) market failures justify additional interventions when a carbon price is in place? We extend the model of Fischer and Newell (2008) with advanced and conventional renewable energy technologies and short and long-run EE investments. We incorporate both knowledge spillovers and imperfections in the demand for energy efficiency. We conclude that some technology policies, particularly correcting R and D market failures, can be useful complements to emissions pricing, but ambitious renewable targets or subsidies seem unlikely to enhance welfare when placed alongside sufficient emissions pricing. The desirability of stringent EE policies is highly sensitive to the degree of undervaluation of EE by consumers, which also has implications for policies that tend to lower electricity prices. Even with multiple market failures, emissions pricing remains the single most cost-effective option for reducing emissions.
42 CFR 423.782 - Cost-sharing subsidy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cost-sharing subsidy. 423.782 Section 423.782... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost-Sharing Subsidies... cents. (c) When the out-of-pocket cost for a covered Part D drug under a Part D sponsor's plan benefit...
Part D employer retiree drug subsidy: inception, implementation and issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Costello, Ann

2010-01-01

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 provided a subsidy to employers that offered a retiree health prescription coverage benefit actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D. This article reviews the development of the subsidy, the support by the federal government and the issues that have arisen. It also presents analysis of data from a set of companies that offered retiree health in 2006 and 2007. The data show widespread acceptance of the subsidy and continuance of prescription coverage; however, companies that did not take the subsidy were more likely to be smaller and in less robust financial health. Analysis of a subset of the companies shows the magnitude of the benefits paid yearly and the accounting liability caused by retiree health relative to the size of the subsidy. The author concludes that the potential success or failure of the federal subsidy in preserving retiree health benefits will not be known for years. Nevertheless, with the elimination of the deductibility of the subsidy in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), employers surely will reexamine their offer of prescription coverage to retirees.
Policies of energy efficiency in Vietnam. Proceedings of the International conference on policies of energy efficiency, Ho-Chi-Minh-Ville, 9 and 10 April 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourguinat, Elisabeth; Breton-Moyet, Laurence; Gromard, Christian de; Henry, Alain; Nguyen Dinh Hiep; Mohanty, Brahmanand; Salomon, Sophie; Nguyen Tran The; Le Hoang Viet; Nguyen Thi Thu Giang; Lopez, Jose; Vu Hong Van Anh

2009-10-01

This book contains the contributions and debates of an international conference on policies of energy efficiency. This conference comprised six sessions which respectively addressed: energy challenges and public policies (world energetic challenges and perspective, economic and efficient use of energy in Vietnam, French arrangements of the policy for energy management, example of policies of energy efficiency in the ASEAN, initiating energetic change in developing economies), urban planning and housing (for a low carbon urban planning, energy and housing regulation in Vietnam, projects of energy efficiency in buildings by the AFD in China and Thailand, energy management in public lighting projects), urban management and urban mobility (financing and planning issues for urban transports and energy efficiency, energy efficiency and strategy of development and management of transports, an energy-urban planning-environment integrated approach in Ho-Chi-Minh-Ville), energy in industry and in services (incentive tools for energy saving in Vietnam, concept and challenges for emerging countries for the management of energy demand, credit lines for energy or carbon saving, the experience of energy saving certificates by EDF), opportunities and pricing for renewable energies (objectives and conditions for a policy of support to renewable energies, overview of renewable energies in Vietnam, tariffs applied to small renewable energy plants in function of avoided costs, economic and pricing conditions for wind energy), and relationships between energy efficiency, public policies and decentralisation (the role of competitiveness poles, impact of public policies in a region, role and responsibility of a decentralised structure in Vietnam, implementation of the national energy policy in the four provinces of South-Vietnam)
Energy efficiency action plan. Policy action plan for promotion of energy efficiency in the Czech Republic to 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-08-01

Energy efficiency and renewable energy production contribute to the three major goals of the national energy policy of the Czech Republic: overall competitiveness, security of supply and environmental protection. Therefore, the Czech government aims to promote these two sustainable options. The Energy Policy White Paper, which is being developed at the time of writing (June 1999), will provide the general framework for the future role of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Czech Republic. In addition, it is necessary to develop specific policies. The National Energy Efficiency Study aimed to support the Czech government in the formulation of energy efficiency and renewable energy policy. The National Energy Efficiency Study has resulted in the following documents: (1) The Energy Efficiency Action Plan focuses on promotion of energy efficiency in end-use (this report); The Renewable Energy Action Plan (separate report; ECN-C--99-064) deals with policy on promotion of renewable energy production. These two Action Plans provide policy makers in the Czech government with essential information on potentials, targets, budgets and recommended policy instruments. The core of the Action Plans is the list of concrete policy actions, ready for implementation; and (2) The National Energy Efficiency Study NEES (separate report; ECN-C--99-063). This report is the background document to the two Action Plans. It contains detailed information on options and measures, potentials, barriers and policy instruments for energy efficiency and renewables. The main part is a detailed outline for a new energy efficiency and renewable policy. Also, it includes recommendations for financing schemes to overcome the investment constraints in the Czech Republic. Finally, a list of concrete projects is included to support project identification
Redistribution effects of energy and climate policy: The electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirth, Lion; Ueckerdt, Falko

2013-01-01

Energy and climate policies are usually seen as measures to internalize externalities. However, as a side effect, the introduction of these policies redistributes wealth between consumers and producers, and within these groups. While redistribution is seldom the focus of the academic literature in energy economics, it plays a central role in public debates and policy decisions. This paper compares the distributional effects of two major electricity policies: support schemes for renewable energy sources, and CO 2 pricing. We find that the redistribution effects of both policies are large, and they work in opposed directions. While renewables support transfers wealth from producers to consumers, carbon pricing does the opposite. More specifically, we show that moderate amounts of wind subsidies can increase consumer surplus, even if consumers bear the subsidy costs. CO 2 pricing, in contrast, increases aggregated producer surplus, even without free allocation of emission allowances; however, not all types of producers benefit. These findings are derived from an analytical model of electricity markets, and a calibrated numerical model of Northwestern Europe. Our findings imply that if policy makers want to avoid large redistribution they might prefer a mix of policies, even if CO 2 pricing alone is the first-best climate policy in terms of allocative efficiency. -- Graphical abstract: Display Omitted -- Highlights: •CO 2 pricing and renewables support have strikingly different impacts on rents. •Carbon pricing increases producer surplus and decreases consumer surplus. •Renewable support schemes (portfolio standards, feed-in tariffs) do the opposite. •We model these impacts theoretically and quantify them for Europe. •Redistribution of wealth is found to be significant in size
Supporting the externality of intermittency in policies for renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunn, Derek W.; Muñoz, José I.

2016-01-01

We analyse the joint problem of supporting renewables and resource adequacy in a liberalised electricity market and present a detailed model-based comparison of two alternative policies. We undertake this in the context of the British market. We show how, ceteris paribus, the progressive replacement of coal with wind imposes extra costs of reserve and evaluate alternative way to meet this, whether through capacity payments funded by customers, or a reliability requirement on wind generators with capital cost or energy feed-in subsidies. We consider the reality of market concentration and the extent to which pragmatic regulation could allow prices to rise above marginal cost to reduce the extent of direct subsidies and complex market designs. We also evaluate the implied cost of carbon reduction in a progressive replacement of coal with wind, when the security is maintained by extra peaking gas. We find that support through capital allowances rather than the energy market is more efficient. - Highlights: • Progressively replacing coal by offshore wind may require increasing subsidies. • Risk-averse investors seek higher financial hurdles with more intermittent technologies. • The externality of providing extra reserves should be bundled with the renewable subsidies. • Using capital grants rather than green certificates leads to lower costs.
Carbon Emission Reduction with Regard to Retailer’s Fairness Concern and Subsidies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linghong Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the impact of consumer environmental awareness (CEA, retailer’s fairness concern, and government subsidies on the two echelon supply chain with one manufacturer and one retailer. The manufacturer produces green products with carbon emission reduction. The government provides two types of alternative subsidies: a fixed subsidy (referred to as an F-type subsidy or a discount subsidy (referred to as a D-type subsidy to encourage the manufacturer to produce a product with a high carbon emission reduction rate. We aim to provide optimal solutions to the manufacturer and the retailer with regard to the retailer’s fairness concern and government subsidies; thus we discuss four decision scenarios: the benchmark model without the fairness concern and subsidy, the model with the retailer’s fairness concern, the model with fairness concern and the F-type subsidy, and the model with fairness concern and the D-type subsidy. We provide explicit solutions and numerical examples of the optimal carbon emission reduction rate, wholesale price, and retail price. Our study has four main findings: firstly, high consumer environmental awareness will benefit both the manufacturer and the retailer in the above four scenarios; secondly, the fairness concern and subsidy have a counter effect on the optimal strategies (the subsidy could alleviate the negative influence caused by retailer’s fairness concern; thirdly, the government could subsidize the retailer when there is unfairness in the supply chain so that the manufacturer could produce a product with lower carbon emission; finally, using the subsidy related to the environmental quality will be more helpful for improving environment quality, especially when the government has a budget constraint.
Regulating technological change - The strategic reactions of utility companies towards subsidy policies in the German, Spanish and UK electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenzel, Till; Frenzel, Alexander

2008-01-01

This paper focuses on how incumbent electric utilities strategically react to subsidy schemes supporting renewable energy technologies in the UK, Germany, and Spain. Firms coordinate the development of their technological capabilities and their political activities to shape their regulatory environment. Analysing the diffusion of wind power in these countries, we show that the different ways, in which firms coordinate their technological and political strategies, lead to very different market outcomes, both for the firms' market share and the size of the overall market. Although incumbents are usually seen as being resistant to change in energy systems, we show that Spanish utilities proactively drive the diffusion of wind power. We speculate about the relation between the ownership structure of the energy system and its inertia with respect to the integration of new technologies. We derive novel policy implications that explicitly take into account the strategic actions of incumbent firms shaping the technological and regulatory system
Leveraging Fuel Subsidy Reform for Transition in Yemen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Ecker

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Yemen is currently undergoing a major political transition, yet many economic challenges—including fuel subsidy reform—remain highly relevant. To inform the transition process with respect to a potential subsidy reform, we use a dynamic computable general equilibrium and microsimulation model for Yemen; we show that overall growth effects of subsidy reduction are positive in general, but poverty can increase or decrease depending on reform design. A promising strategy for a successful reform combines fuel subsidy reduction with direct income transfers to the poorest one-third of households during reform, and productivity-enhancing investment in infrastructure, plus fiscal consolidation. Public investments should be used for integrating economic spaces and restructuring of agricultural, industrial and service value chains in order to create a framework that encourages private-sector-led and job-creating growth.

Does Government Subsidy Guide Private Universities towards Favorable Directions?: A Preliminary Analysis on Financial Data of Private Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianmin

2010-01-01

With the decreasing college-aged population and the transforming policy environment in Japan, private universities are confronted with management crises, such as bankruptcy, mergers, etc. As the second largest source of funding, government subsidies for private universities is considered to have contributed to enhancing educational conditions and…
Policy options for non-grain bioethanol in China: Insights from an economy-energy-environment CGE model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge, Jianping; Lei, Yalin

2017-01-01

The Chinese government has been issuing numerous incentive policies to promote non-grain bioethanol development to address the problem of excessive energy consumption and environmental pollution. In this study, we divide the incentive policies into five categories: subsidies on bioethanol production, non-grain feedstocks planting, marginal land reclamation and utilization, bioethanol consumption in more cities, and consumption tax on gasoline use. The objective of the paper is to evaluate and compare the economic, energy, and environmental effects of the incentive policies to help the government choose the optimal policies to promote bioethanol in China. The results show that subsidies on bioethanol production and consumption can boost GDP, and simultaneously, decrease crude oil and gasoline consumption, and reduce CO_2 emissions. However, the increase in bioethanol consumption is combined with the rise in coal and electricity consumption. Subsidies on bioethanol production can promote GDP and reduce energy consumption and CO_2 emission but have less effect on bioethanol development than that under the scenario of subsides on bioethanol consumption. On the contrary, although subsidies on non-grain feedstocks planting and marginal land reclamation and utilization can improve macro-economy but have a negative effect on energy saving and CO_2 emission reduction. Therefore, appropriate subsidies on bioethanol production and consumption can promote bioethanol consumption with economic, energy and environmental benefits. The Chinese government should further pay more attention to the coordination of different policy options by policy tools and intensities. - Highlights: • Non-grain bioethanol incentive policy is divided into supply and demand perspectives. • China's bioethanol CGE model is constructed. • Demand incentives have largest positive effects on GDP. • Demand incentives have better effects on energy saving and emission reduction. • Subsidies on
A method for allocating renewable energy source subsidies among final energy consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batlle, Carlos

2011-01-01

In a new context of growing need for renewable energy sources (RES), tariff design has become a critical component of energy system regulation. A methodology for allocating the cost of RES subsidies that ensures an optimal balance between compliance with the main regulatory principles of tariff design and each state's specific policy is of cardinal importance in the current context. This paper presents and discusses a novel methodology to allocate the RES subsidy costs, which consists of distributing them among final energy consumers, in proportion to their consumption, regardless of the type of final energy consumed (liquid fuels, gas, electricity or coal). First, the different designs of RES subsidies are categorized and a review of a good number of the RES burden sharing mechanisms implemented in the EU is presented. Then, the proposed methodology is developed on the basis of the basic regulatory principles underlying the tariff design and the current regulatory context in force in the EU. Finally, to illustrate its actual impact in a real case example, the proposed methodology is applied to the Spanish system, in which the burden of extra costs incurred for RES amounts to a very large proportion of the overall energy system costs. - Research highlights: → This paper develops a novel methodology to allocate RES subsidy costs among final energy consumers. → The methodology is built upon the basic tariff design principles and the 3rd package regulations. → It consists of distributing them in proportion to liquid fuels, gas, electricity or coal consumption. → The 20% RES target affects all energy sectors and justifies allocating the extra costs accordingly. → The methodology is applied to the Spanish energy system, where the RES burden is a very significant.
Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Slovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. The main support scheme for electricity from renewable energy sources is a feed-in tariff scheme. For operators of photovoltaics (PV) and onshore wind installations an investment subsidy instrument is available as well. Besides, the sale of generated renewable electricity is incentivized by an exemption from excise duty. Also renewable heat production installations are eligible for an investment subsidy instrument. For renewable transport fuels a bio-fuels quota scheme is on place. Moreover, producers/suppliers of bio-fuels and petroleum fuels blended with bio-fuels benefit from a fiscal incentive
A Framework for Comparative Assessments of Energy Efficiency Policy Measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blum, Helcio; Atkinson, Barbara; Lekov, Alex

2011-05-24

When policy makers propose new policies, there is a need to assess the costs and benefits of the proposed policy measures, to compare them to existing and alternative policies, and to rank them according to their effectiveness. In the case of equipment energy efficiency regulations, comparing the effects of a range of alternative policy measures requires evaluating their effects on consumers’ budgets, on national energy consumption and economics, and on the environment. Such an approach should be able to represent in a single framework the particularities of each policy measure and provide comparable results. This report presents an integrated methodological framework to assess prospectively the energy, economic, and environmental impacts of energy efficiency policy measures. The framework builds on the premise that the comparative assessment of energy efficiency policy measures should (a) rely on a common set of primary data and parameters, (b) follow a single functional approach to estimate the energy, economic, and emissions savings resulting from each assessed measure, and (c) present results through a set of comparable indicators. This framework elaborates on models that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has used in support of its rulemakings on mandatory energy efficiency standards. In addition to a rigorous analysis of the impacts of mandatory standards, DOE compares the projected results of alternative policy measures to those projected to be achieved by the standards. The framework extends such an approach to provide a broad, generic methodology, with no geographic or sectoral limitations, that is useful for evaluating any type of equipment energy efficiency market intervention. The report concludes with a demonstration of how to use the framework to compare the impacts estimated for twelve policy measures focusing on increasing the energy efficiency of gas furnaces in the United States.
Corporate Accounting Policy Efficiency Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena K. Vorobei

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article is focused on the issues of efficient use of different methods of tax accounting for the optimization of income tax expenses and their consolidation in corporate accounting policy. The article makes reasoned conclusions, concerning optimal selection of depreciation methods for tax and bookkeeping accounting and their consolidation in corporate accounting policy and consolidation of optimal methods of cost recovery in production, considering business environment. The impact of the selected methods on corporate income tax rates and corporate property tax rates was traced and tax recovery was estimated.
Study protocol: combining experimental methods, econometrics and simulation modelling to determine price elasticities for studying food taxes and subsidies (The Price ExaM Study).

Science.gov (United States)

Waterlander, Wilma E; Blakely, Tony; Nghiem, Nhung; Cleghorn, Christine L; Eyles, Helen; Genc, Murat; Wilson, Nick; Jiang, Yannan; Swinburn, Boyd; Jacobi, Liana; Michie, Jo; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona

2016-07-19

There is a need for accurate and precise food price elasticities (PE, change in consumer demand in response to change in price) to better inform policy on health-related food taxes and subsidies. The Price Experiment and Modelling (Price ExaM) study aims to: I) derive accurate and precise food PE values; II) quantify the impact of price changes on quantity and quality of discrete food group purchases and; III) model the potential health and disease impacts of a range of food taxes and subsidies. To achieve this, we will use a novel method that includes a randomised Virtual Supermarket experiment and econometric methods. Findings will be applied in simulation models to estimate population health impact (quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]) using a multi-state life-table model. The study will consist of four sequential steps: 1. We generate 5000 price sets with random price variation for all 1412 Virtual Supermarket food and beverage products. Then we add systematic price variation for foods to simulate five taxes and subsidies: a fruit and vegetable subsidy and taxes on sugar, saturated fat, salt, and sugar-sweetened beverages. 2. Using an experimental design, 1000 adult New Zealand shoppers complete five household grocery shops in the Virtual Supermarket where they are randomly assigned to one of the 5000 price sets each time. 3. Output data (i.e., multiple observations of price configurations and purchased amounts) are used as inputs to econometric models (using Bayesian methods) to estimate accurate PE values. 4. A disease simulation model will be run with the new PE values as inputs to estimate QALYs gained and health costs saved for the five policy interventions. The Price ExaM study has the potential to enhance public health and economic disciplines by introducing internationally novel scientific methods to estimate accurate and precise food PE values. These values will be used to model the potential health and disease impacts of various food pricing policy
Study protocol: combining experimental methods, econometrics and simulation modelling to determine price elasticities for studying food taxes and subsidies (The Price ExaM Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilma E. Waterlander

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a need for accurate and precise food price elasticities (PE, change in consumer demand in response to change in price to better inform policy on health-related food taxes and subsidies. Methods/Design The Price Experiment and Modelling (Price ExaM study aims to: I derive accurate and precise food PE values; II quantify the impact of price changes on quantity and quality of discrete food group purchases and; III model the potential health and disease impacts of a range of food taxes and subsidies. To achieve this, we will use a novel method that includes a randomised Virtual Supermarket experiment and econometric methods. Findings will be applied in simulation models to estimate population health impact (quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs] using a multi-state life-table model. The study will consist of four sequential steps: 1. We generate 5000 price sets with random price variation for all 1412 Virtual Supermarket food and beverage products. Then we add systematic price variation for foods to simulate five taxes and subsidies: a fruit and vegetable subsidy and taxes on sugar, saturated fat, salt, and sugar-sweetened beverages. 2. Using an experimental design, 1000 adult New Zealand shoppers complete five household grocery shops in the Virtual Supermarket where they are randomly assigned to one of the 5000 price sets each time. 3. Output data (i.e., multiple observations of price configurations and purchased amounts are used as inputs to econometric models (using Bayesian methods to estimate accurate PE values. 4. A disease simulation model will be run with the new PE values as inputs to estimate QALYs gained and health costs saved for the five policy interventions. Discussion The Price ExaM study has the potential to enhance public health and economic disciplines by introducing internationally novel scientific methods to estimate accurate and precise food PE values. These values will be used to model the potential
Analysis on PV system sales price and subsidy through buy-back which make photovoltaics cost-competitive by 2030 in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endo, E.; Ichinohe, M.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze PV system sales price and subsidy through buy-back which make photovoltaics cost-competitive against other energy technologies and make the target for PV capacity achievable by 2030 in Japan under expected carbon tax. For the analysis energy system of Japan is modeled by using MARKAL. According to the results of analysis, under 6000 JPY/t-C carbon tax, photovoltaics needs subsidy for a while even if we taking both fuel savings and Green Credit into account. For attaining the national target for PV capacity in 2010, photovoltaics needs more expensive buy-back than that in present, but after 2010 necessary buy-back decreases gradually. If 120 JPY/W PV system sales price is attained by 2030, photovoltaics becomes cost-competitive without any supports. Subsidy through buy-back becomes almost need not in 2030, if we can reduce it less than 170 JPY/W. The total subsidy meets peak in 2025. It is much more than ongoing subsidy to capital cost of PV systems, but annual revenue of the assumed carbon tax can afford enough the annual total subsidy. This means if photovoltaics can attain the PV system sales price, we should support it for a while by spending carbon tax revenue effectively and efficiently. (authors)
Evaluating Additionality of an Innovation Subsidy Program Targeted at SMEs: An Exploratory Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Radas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the effectiveness of a recently introduced innovation subsidy program targeted at SMEs in Croatia. Three aspects of program additionality were evaluated: input, output and behavioral aspects. Both qualitative and survey research was employed, and four case studies with selected recipient companies were conducted. This study is a response to the policy-makers’ need for early program assessment. It attempts to show that even with early evaluation and small population of recipients it is possible to gain insight into program effectiveness. The analysis suggests that the effects of programs targeted at innovative SMEs might need to be evaluated differently than general subsidies. This is especially evident in the evaluation of input additionality. The analysis indicates that SMEs which started with a higher R&D capability tend to increase R&D intensity while participating in the program. The program raised R&D and innovation capability of the participating SMEs, but commercialization of project results remains a concern.
Review of International Policies for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

This paper reviews past and current voluntary and regulatory fuel efficiency programs and then assesses the effectiveness of these policies from the viewpoints of enforcement, standard design, standard stringency and standard related policies.
Planktonic Subsidies to Surf-Zone and Intertidal Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Steven G.; Shanks, Alan L.; MacMahan, Jamie H.; Reniers, Ad J. H. M.; Feddersen, Falk

2018-01-01

Plankton are transported onshore, providing subsidies of food and new recruits to surf-zone and intertidal communities. The transport of plankton to the surf zone is influenced by wind, wave, and tidal forcing, and whether they enter the surf zone depends on alongshore variation in surf-zone hydrodynamics caused by the interaction of breaking waves with coastal morphology. Areas with gently sloping shores and wide surf zones typically have orders-of-magnitude-higher concentrations of plankton in the surf zone and dense larval settlement in intertidal communities because of the presence of bathymetric rip currents, which are absent in areas with steep shores and narrow surf zones. These striking differences in subsidies have profound consequences; areas with greater subsidies support more productive surf-zone communities and possibly more productive rocky intertidal communities. Recognition of the importance of spatial subsidies for rocky community dynamics has recently advanced ecological theory, and incorporating surf-zone hydrodynamics would be an especially fruitful line of investigation.
Global climate change, energy subsidies and national carbon taxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, B.; Shah, A.

1995-01-01

In the previous chapter of the book it is indicated that fossil-fuel burning is one of the main environmental culprits. Nevertheless, many countries continue to subsidize fossil fuels. In this chapter estimates of subsidies to energy and energy complements in OECD and non-OECD countries are provided. The authors conclude that the removal of energy subsidies in OECD countries on the order of US$30 billion annually (primarily in the US and Germany) and subsidies to complements on the order of US$50-90 (United States) are likely to have only little impact on CO-emissions. In contrast, the removal of energy subsidies of US$270-330 billion in non-OECD countries could substantially curb the growth of global CO 2 emissions, equivalent to the impact of a carbon tax on the order of US$60-70 per ton in the OECD countries. Nonetheless, even with the removal of energy subsidies, the growth in CO 2 emissions in non-OECD countries is projected to increase by 80% from the year 1990 to 2010. Furthermore, it is shown that the introduction of a revenue-neutral national carbon tax, in addition to energy subsidy removal, can yield significant health benefits from the reduction in local pollution. The authors note that carbon taxes are considerably less regressive relative to lifetime income or annual consumption expenditures than to annual income. 7 tabs., 23 refs
Efficient Environmental Policy with Imperfect Compliance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandmo, A. [Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen (Norway)

2002-09-01

Discussions of efficient environmental policy tend to recommend taxes rather than quotas on grounds of efficiency; a uniform tax will equalize marginal abatement cost between polluters. When polluters' actions are imperfectly observable, the distinction between taxes and quotas becomes less clear. Taxes may be evaded by underreporting of emissions, while quota violations will not always be discovered. This paper explores the conditions under which the efficiency properties of taxes continue to hold even when evasion is possible, and the extent to which the fine for quota violations plays the same role as a tax on emissions with similar efficiency properties.
Red light for Green Paper: The EU policy on energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, Mats

2007-01-01

The EU Green Paper on energy efficiency calls for action to decrease energy use and thus achieve increased competitiveness, fulfil the environmental targets and increase security of supply. In this comment, we examine the role the EU Commission suggest that energy efficiency, and policies supporting energy efficiency, takes. The policies and the suggestions are qualitatively elaborated upon in the light of the goal of a common European electricity market. We suggest that the rationales for the energy efficiency measures are weak, and that the suggested goals of increased competitiveness, environmental targets, and security of supply are best reached with the direct measures especially designed for each goal. Some of the energy efficiency measures may counter-act other direct policies. Further, The Green Paper measures may prove detrimental to the European Electricity market insofar as the policies suggested could lead to a policy fatigue among the electricity consumers
Economising subsidies for green housing features: A stated preference approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yung Yau

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In light of the enormous amounts of energy and resources consumed by housing development and operations, many governments have started recognising the urgent need to promote green or eco-friendly housing with the aim of achieving sustainable development. Apart from regulations, governments can offer incentives to developers to provide green features in their developments by offering subsidies in various forms. However, such subsidisation is often uneconomical. In theory, market forces can lead to green housing provision without any government intervention if the market players are willing to pay extra for the green features of housing. Against this background, this article presents the findings of a study that compared potential homebuyers’ willingness to pay (WTP for various green housing features based on findings from a structured questionnaire survey in Macau. The housing attributes under investigation included uses of green materials (e.g., sustainable forest products and construction methods (e.g., prefabrication, energy-efficient technologies (e.g., LED lighting and water-saving devices (e.g., grey-water recycling systems. Results indicate that the respondents’ WTP was mainly motivated by economic incentives. Green housing attributes that can offer direct financial benefits corresponded to greater WTP. The policy implications of the research findings then follow.
Subsidies which are harmful to the environment, a complex reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pourquier, Francois-Xavier; Monnoyer-Smith, Laurence; Demeulenaere, Laurence

2017-12-01

As the reduction of public supports which are harmful to the environment is a major stake in terms of struggle against pollutions and greenhouse gases, this publication proposes a discussion of these subsidies which are still important in France despite recent improvements, notably regarding wastes and fuels. The author first discusses how these harmful subsidies are defined by international or research bodies. He outlines that some subsidies have been suppressed since 2013, that important reforms have been initiated, and that, however, the level of harmful subsidies remains high. Then, he discusses the necessary reconciliation of different objectives, and briefly evokes the German and Italian assessment examples
Analyzing the impact of price subsidy on rice self-sufficiency level in Malaysia: A preliminary finding

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, Farah Hanim Abdul; Abidin, Norhaslinda Zainal; Hawari, Nurul Nazihah

2017-11-01

The Malaysian government had targeted for the rice industry in the country to achieve 100% rice self-sufficiency where Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) is currently at 65% to 75%. Thus, the government had implemented few policies to increase the rice production in Malaysia in order to meet the growing demand of rice. In this paper, the effect of price support on the rice production system in Malaysia is investigated. This study utilizes the system dynamics approach of the rice production system in Malaysia where the complexity of the factor is interrelated and changed dynamically through time. Scenario analysis was conducted using system dynamics model by making changes on the price subsidy to see its effect on the rice production and rice SSL. The system dynamics model provides a framework for understanding the effect of price subsidy on the rice self-sufficiency level. The scenario analysis of the model shows that a 50% increase in the price subsidy leads to a substantial increase in demand as the rice price drops. Accordingly, the local production increases by 15%. However, the SSL slightly decreases as the local production is insufficient to meet the large demand.
State policy as a driver of innovation to support economic growth: California energy-efficiency policy (1975-2005)

Science.gov (United States)

Klementich, Eloisa Y.

2011-12-01

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to identify whether a relationship exists between state energy-efficiency policy and innovation in the State of California and to shed light on the impact that energy-efficiency policy can have on supporting statewide economic development goals. Theoretical Framework. The theoretical framework drew from foundations in neoclassical economic theory, technology change theory, and new growth theory. Together these theories formed the basis to describe the impacts caused by the innovations within the market economy. Under this framework, policy-generated innovations are viewed to be translated into efficiency and productivity that propel economic benefits. Methodological Considerations. This study examined various economic indices and efficiency attainment indices affecting four home appliances regulated under Title 20's energy-efficiency standard established by the California Energy Commission, Warren Alquist Act. The multiple regression analysis performed provided an understanding of the relationship between the products regulated, the regulation standard, and the policy as it relates to energy-efficiency regulation. Findings. There is enough evidence to show that strategies embedded in the Warren Alquist Act, Title 20 do drive innovation. Three of the four product categories tested showed statistical significance in the policy standard resulting in an industry efficiency improvement. Conclusively, the consumption of electricity per capita in California has positively diverged over a 35-year period from national trends, even though California had mirrored the nation in income and family size during the same period, the only clear case of divergence is the state's action toward a different energy policy. Conclusions and Recommendations. California's regulations propelled manufacturers to reach higher efficiency levels not otherwise pursued by market forces. The California effort included alliances all working together to make
Explaining variance in national electric vehicle policies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wesseling, Joeri

2016-01-01

Abstract Transition studies’ understanding of differences in public policy is limited due to its tendency to focus on single-country cases. This paper assesses differences in plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) policies, comprising RD&D subsidies, infrastructure investments and sales incentives, across

Towards a green economy in Germany? The role of energy efficiency policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringel, Marc; Schlomann, Barbara; Krail, Michael; Rohde, Clemens

2016-01-01

Highlights: • This paper reviews the latest energy efficiency policies of Germany. • We find tangible energy, climate and socioeconomic impacts by 2020. • Notably the building sector stands to benefit economically. • A ‘green energy economy’ needs to build on ambitious energy efficiency policies. - Abstract: Energy efficiency policies play a key role in the transformation to a ‘green energy economy’. In this paper, we take stock of the impacts of the existing energy efficiency policy instruments in Germany and review the energy, environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the country’s latest energy efficiency and climate strategies for the year 2020. We find evidence supporting the findings of other studies that enhanced green energy policies will trigger tangible economic benefits in terms of GDP growth and new jobs even in the short term. Whereas policy makers have already acknowledged and implemented this conclusion in the case of renewable energies, our paper shows that striving for more ambitious energy efficiency policies represents a similar win–win strategy, which should be exploited to a much larger extent.
Policy Pathways: Joint Public-Private Approaches for Energy Efficiency Finance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-06

This Policy Pathway outlines, through the experiences and lessons learned from country examples, the critical elements to put in place a public-private partnership to finance energy efficiency. It focuses on three mechanisms - dedicated credit lines, risk guarantees, and energy performance service contracts and presents the planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating phases of implemention. Accelerating and scaling up private investment in energy efficiency is crucial to exploit the potential of energy efficiency. However many barriers remain to private investment such as access to capital, uncertainty of future energy prices, transaction costs, perceived higher risk, and lack of knowledge. As part of the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations, the IEA recommends that governments support private investment in energy efficiency. A joint public-private approach can use public finance and regulatory policy to support the scaling up of private investment in energy efficiency.
Evaluation of the Market introduction Energy Innovations (MEI) subsidy scheme; Evaluatie van de MEI-regeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wetzels, W.; Smekens, K.; Lako, P. [ECN Beleidsstudies, Petten (Netherlands); Warmenhoven, H. [De Gemeynt, Klarenbeek (Netherlands)

2012-11-15

This report contains the outcomes of an evaluation study of the Market introduction Energy Innovations (MEI) subsidy scheme. This scheme is targeted to the horticultural sector and aims to stimulate and accelerate the early market introduction of innovative energy systems in greenhouses. The subsidy scheme was initiated in 2007 and has provided subsidies twice a year since then. Based on project and data analysis, stakeholder interviews and a workshop, the evaluation concludes that the MEI scheme has made a positive contribution to the innovation process in the sector, but that the scheme could have been implemented more efficiently [Dutch] De regeling Marktintroductie energie-innovaties (MEI) is in 2007 ingesteld door het toenmalige Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit. Het doel van de MEI-regeling is het stimuleren en versnellen van de vroege marktintroductie van innovatieve energiesystemen in de glastuinbouw. ECN en De Gemeynt hebben een evaluatie uitgevoerd van de MEI-regeling. De centrale conclusie is dat de regeling een positieve bijdrage heeft geleverd aan het innovatieproces in de glastuinbouwsector.
Review of policies and measures for energy efficiency in industry sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Kanako

2011-01-01

Energy efficiency in industry plays key roles in improving energy security, environmental sustainability and economic performance. It is particularly important in strategies to mitigate climate change. The evidence of great potential for cost-effective efficiency-derived reductions in industrial energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have prompted governments to implement numerous policies and measures aimed at improving their manufacturing industries' energy efficiency. What can be learned from these many and varied initiatives? This paper provides foundation for policy analysis for enhancing energy efficiency and conservation in industry, by surveying more than 300 policies, encompassing about 570 measures, implemented by governments in IEA countries, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. It outlines the measures' main features, their incidence of use, and their connections with specific technical actions and key stakeholders (i.e., how and where measures affect the energy efficiency of industry). It also examines the key features underlying the measures' success: (1) potential to reduce energy use and CO 2 emissions cost-efficiently; (2) ease of policy development, execution and assessment and (3) ancillary societal effects. - Highlights: → Provides foundation for policy analysis for energy efficiency in industry. → Surveys more than 300 policies and their trends, of mainly IEA countries. → Outlines measures' features, incidence of use, technical actions and stakeholders. → Examines the key features underlying the measures' success.
Is it necessary to reform the policy of compensation in morocco ?

OpenAIRE

Tarbalouti, Mr

2014-01-01

Faut-il réformer la caisse de compensation au Maroc? Par Essaid Tarbalouti Version, Mars 2014 The debate on the efficiency of the subsidy of the prices of foodstuffs granted by the policy of compensation and his reform are deeply livened up between the government and the opposition in terms of its cost and its ineffectiveness. This debate concentrate on the social earnings to replace this mechanism of assistant by the granting of a minimum income to the poor people. We demonstrate that this m...
The effect of policy incentives on electric vehicle adoption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langbroek, Joram H.M.; Franklin, Joel P.; Susilo, Yusak O.

2016-01-01

In order to increase the attractiveness of electric vehicles (EVs), packages of policy incentives are provided in many countries. However, it is still unclear how effective different policy incentives are. Also, it is questionable that they have the same impact on different groups of people. In this study, based on a stated-choice experiment, the effect of several potential policy incentives on EV-adoption, as well as the influence of socio-psychological determinants are investigated, using constructs of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The probability of stated EV-adoption increases if policy incentives are offered in the choice experiment, which is expected because of the decrease of the generalized cost of EV-use. The high stated valuation of free parking or access to bus lanes makes those incentives an efficient alternative to expensive subsidies. EV-adoption probability increases for people that are further in the process of behavioural change. However, the responsiveness to subsidies decreases for people in more advanced stages-of-change. People that believe EVs to be effective in decreasing the negative externalities of the current transport system and people whose travel patterns can cope with the use of EVs also have a higher probability to choose the EV. - Highlights: •Policy incentives have a positive influence on electric vehicle adoption. •Being in advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption increases likelihood to adopt EVs. •People in more advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption are less price-sensitive. •People with a high self-efficacy and response efficacy are more likely to adopt EVs.
Electricity subsidies in low-cost jurisdictions : the case of British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineau, P.O.

2008-01-01

This article reviewed the concept of energy subsidies and estimated their significance to residential consumers in British Columbia. It cautioned that energy subsidies provided to electricity consumers create artificially low electricity prices that result in inefficient consumption levels to the detriment of the environment. An estimate of the indirect subsidies was presented along with an evaluation of potential consumption reduction scenarios if market prices were used. The author argued that subsidies, which are customary in developed countries where electricity use is high, tend to help higher-income households. An evaluation of the distribution of this subsidy across income groups showed that high-income households, which use more electricity than lower-income households, receive more than $500 per year in subsidy through regulated low electricity prices, whereas low-income households get approximately $200. This subsidy is estimated at $489 million per year in British Columbia. The author suggested that profits could be increased by $432 million by setting residential electricity prices nearer to the regional export price. This profit could be realized even after allowing for a direct transfer payment program that compensates low-income households for the higher prices. In addition, such a measure would reduce residential electricity consumption in the province by 25 per cent
Tobacco and the European common agricultural policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Joossens, L; Raw, M

1991-10-01

The common agricultural policy of the European Community subsidizes tobacco production to the tune of 1,300 million ecu a year (US$ 1,500 million, UK pounds 900 million). This amounts to 2,500 ecu ($3,100, pounds 1,700) per minute, and is more in one year than the total amount spent on tobacco subsidies by the US in the last 50 years. The purpose of this policy was to maintain farmers' incomes and adapt community production to demand. Demand for the dark tobaccos which dominate EC production has fallen, while demand for light flue cured tobacco like Virginia has risen. A complex system of production subsidies and quotas was intended to discourage production of the dark tobaccos, for which there is virtually no market, and lead to more Virginia production. The policy has failed. Expenditure has spiralled out of control, production of unmarketable tobacco varieties has risen enormously, and the EC is the world's largest importer of raw tobacco. As a result tobacco is being bought by the community for intervention storage and surpluses of the dark high tar varieties are being 'exported' to eastern Europe and north Africa at giveaway prices. There has been no effective monitoring or control of this policy. This paper explains how this has happened and argues that, in view of the health risks attached to tobacco, these subsidies should be abolished.
Policies of energy efficiency: problematic, means and tools of assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chateau, Bertrand

2016-02-01

As energy efficiency has become one of the main issues and even a pillar of energy policies and policies of struggle against climate change, this article discusses the various aspects of this issue which may also mean energy savings in some situations. Thus, energy efficiency encompasses all changes associated with a decrease of the energy required to produce an economic activity unit, or to obtain a given level of comfort. Implementing public policies for energy efficiency supposes the adoption of means of action aimed at acting on the different levers of energy efficiency improvement. The author first discusses to which extent and how it is better to improve energy efficiency rather than let increase investments in energy production and distribution, emissions and energy imports. He therefore discusses the various types of measures: information, incentive and financial, economic, regulatory, or others. In the second part, he discusses how to assess the results of energy efficiency policies, and more particularly at the level of global economy and of main sectors by using various indicators like energetic intensity, final energetic intensity at constant structure, or technical-economic indicators
The equity impact of the universal coverage policy: lessons from Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakongsai, Phusit; Limwattananon, Supon; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2009-01-01

This chapter assesses health equity achievements of the Thai health system before and after the introduction of the universal coverage (UC) policy. It examines five dimensions of equity: equity in financial contributions, the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure, the degree of impoverishment as a result of household out-of-pocket payments for health, equity in health service use and the incidence of public subsidies for health. The standard methods proposed by O'Donnell, van Doorslaer, and Wagstaff (2008b) were used to measure equity in financial contribution, healthcare utilization and public subsidies, and in assessing the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment. Two major national representative household survey datasets were used: Socio-Economic Surveys and Health and Welfare Surveys. General tax was the most progressive source of finance in Thailand. Because this source dominates total financing, the overall outcome was progressive, with the rich contributing a greater share of their income than the poor. The low incidence of catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment before UC was further reduced after UC. Use of healthcare and the distribution of government subsidies were both pro-poor: in particular, the functioning of primary healthcare (PHC) at the district level serves as a "pro-poor hub" in translating policy into practice and equity outcomes. The Thai health financing reforms have been accompanied by nationwide extension of PHC coverage, mandatory rural health service by new graduates and systems redesign, especially the introduction of a contracting model and closed-ended provider payment methods. Together, these changes have led to a more equitable and more efficient health system. Institutional capacity to generate evidence and to translate it into policy decisions, effective implementation and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation are essential to successful system-level reforms.
Comparison of Operational Subsidies on Less Favoured Areas in EU Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Lososová

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article is aimed at an analysis of operational subsidies on the Less Favoured Areas (LFA in the European Union countries. With the help of cluster analysis, the EU countries were divided into groups and, using correlation and regression analyses, the relations between defined indicators were evaluate. The indicators of FADN EU related to the cultivated land area were completed with relative indicators. Some differences were proved in subsidy effectiveness between particular groups of the countries. The amount of operational subsidies only has a positive impact on subsidised costs in the mountain LFAs. Worse productive and climate conditions increase the dependence of the output on subsidies related to cost effectiveness. No dependence of the output share of subsidies and the subsidised costs was proven in all groups.
77 FR 75641 - Public Housing Operating Subsidy-Appeals

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-21

... substitute actual project cost data. To appeal the amount of subsidy on any one of the permitted bases of... conditions; and (e) appeal to substitute actual project cost data. To appeal the amount of subsidy on any one of the permitted bases of appeal, PHAs submit an appeal request to HUD. Number of Annual Hours per...
Regulation for delivery of subsidies for urgent safety measures for atomic power generating facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for the emergency measures taken by the prefecture concerned in preparation for a major accident in a nuclear power generating, etc. facility. These activities include an emergency communication network, emergency medical care, personnel education, and outfitting of emergency personnel. The contents are as follows: terms of subsidy allocations, the sum of a subsidy allocation, applications for subsidies, determination of subsidy allocations, withdrawal of applications the conditions attached to the allocations, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of the subsidies, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, limitations for the disposal of the properties, etc. (Mori, K.)
Subsidies, Bounties, and Free Trade: Issues and Perspectives, 1880-1940

OpenAIRE

Howe, Anthony

2016-01-01

This book puts together several contributions that, from various time, system and disciplinary perspectives, address the same questions – what has shaped subsidy laws? Which actors mould subsidy and State aid law and what forces are at work? The book includes reports from former or current negotiators, officials, practitioners and scholars, that focus on various attempts to regulate subsidies at the national, European and international levels. Prominence is given to the actual practice, and t...
The PSO support scheme for natural gas - subsidy to industry or environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eldegard, Tom

2006-01-01

Some aspects of the PSO scheme for natural gas are examined critically. Two central arguments used for justifying the PSO subsidy scheme of natural gas and its distribution are reviewed; these include the 'smallholder argument' and the 'environmental argument'. The 'smallholder argument' claims that since Norway has the natural gas resources, it should also make use of the natural gas in the country, and not simply send the raw material to other countries. The 'environmental argument' states that natural gas compared to other fossil fuels such as coal and fuel oil, is a far cleaner alternative, thus an environmental-friendly alternative entitled to financial support. The arguments are critically examined by the author (ml)
The regulations for delivery of subsidies to radiation monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

This rule is established under the provisions of the law for the proper execution of budgets of subsidies and the enforcement ordinance for this law, and to carry out these provisions. This rule is applied to the grant of subsidies for the expenses of installing and operating radiation monitoring equipment in the surrounding areas of atomic power generating facilities. Basic terms are defined, such as atomic power generating facilities, redevelopment works for radiation monitoring facilities, preliminary survey works for radiation monitoring, radiation monitoring works, place of business and expected date of beginning operation, etc. The Director General of the Science and Technology Agency delivers subsidies to appropriate for all or a part of expenses required for the redevelopment works for radiation monitoring facilities, preliminary survey works for radiation monitoring and radiation monitoring works. Subsidies are given to those prefectures, where atomic power generating facilities are established or expected to be established, or the prefectures in their neighborhood, and to each place of business as a unit. The term of grant is stipulated for each of these places of business. The amount of subsidies for one place of business ranges from 224.4 million yen for the whole period to 20 million yen for each fiscal year according to the kinds of business. Prefectures which intend to request the grant of subsidies shall file to the Director General specified application attaching operation plans and the general explanation of atomic power generating facilities. The decision and the conditions of delivery, the reports on operation and business results, etc. are defined, respectively. (Okada, K.)
A Round for Free: How rich countries are getting a free ride on agricultural subsidies at the WTO

OpenAIRE

OXFAM International,

2005-01-01

Agricultural dumping has a devastating effect on poor countries. The Uruguay Round at the WTO was supposed to cut the subsidies that lead to dumping, but it failed to do so — as did reforms of Europe's Common Agricultural Policy and US agricultural policy. Now history is set to repeat itself: the Doha Round of negotiations is again giving rich countries a free ride to continue dumping subsidised produce on poor countries. Oxfam believes that the WTO meeting in Hong Kong must put an end to thi...
Policy analysis for energy efficiency in the built environment in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yearwood Travezan, Jessica; Harmsen, Robert; Toledo, Gideon van

2013-01-01

Energy efficiency is considered one of the most cost effective ways to enhance security of energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to Europe's Energy Efficiency Plan, the biggest energy savings potential in the EU lies in the built environment. However, the many barriers to energy efficiency have prevented the implementation of the existing potential so far. This paper evaluates the existing policy instruments aimed at energy efficiency in buildings in Spain as laid down in the 2nd National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP). The results show that the current policy package is insufficient to yield the existing energy savings potential in this sector. As much of the savings potential can be found in existing buildings and realization of this potential very much relies on voluntary action, the renovation sector is in need of an appropriate financial framework that mobilizes sufficient public and private financial resources, and transparent and efficient mechanisms to ensure the return on investment and payments from those who benefit from the renovation. Such financial framework needs to be supported by a regulatory framework that is tuned to existing buildings and an organizational framework that effectively connects the different policy layers in Spain. - Highlights: • We evaluate Spain's policies for efficiency improvement in the built environment. • We show that the policy measures in the 2nd NEEAP are insufficient to realize the savings potential. • Especially, the policy package for existing buildings needs to be strengthened
Business Subsidies in Canada Comprehensive Estimates for the Government of Canada and the Four Largest Provinces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Lester

2018-01-01

capital to its most productive uses, governments express concern about the ability of small firms to access external financing. Just over half of business subsidies are intended to address these two issues. Governments also provide subsidies in order to create what are often described as “good jobs,” meaning employment in high-wage, high-productivity industries. There is ample evidence that wages differ by sector even after differences in worker skills and working conditions are taken into account. That opens up the possibility that subsidizing high-wage jobs will make us better off. Almost 10 per cent of government subsidies are pursuing “industrial policy” objectives. But real income won't necessarily go up, even in these circumstances. Benefit-cost analyses of key programs suggest that, at best, only a third of subsidies intended to raise real income achieve their objective. The main reason these subsidies are unsuccessful is that they have to be funded, either by raising taxes or cutting program spending, both of which harm economic performance. And avoiding the pitfall of excessive subsidization can be challenging. For example, small firms performing R&D get about 43% of their funding from governments, which is substantially beyond an effective level. Industrial policy measures are particularly tricky to get right. Governments have to identify sectors and firms that pay a premium for a given set of skills and working conditions, determine the subsidy that generates a social benefit net of the costs of providing assistance and avoid transferring income from low to high-wage taxpayers. With so much money at play, business subsidies should be reported more transparently and managed more effectively. For greater transparency, governments should prepare a comprehensive annual report on business subsidies delivered through program spending, the tax system and through the activities of government business enterprises. The report would describe the programs, state
Energy saving and energy efficiency concepts for policy making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oikonomou, V.; Becchis, F.; Steg, L.; Russolillo, D.

2009-01-01

Departing from the concept of rational use of energy, the paper outlines the microeconomics of end-use energy saving as a result of frugality or efficiency measures. Frugality refers to the behaviour that is aimed at energy conservation, and with efficiency we refer to the technical ratio between energy input and output services that can be modified with technical improvements (e.g. technology substitution). Changing behaviour from one side and technology from the other are key issues for public energy policy. In this paper, we attempt to identify the effects of parameters that determine energy saving behaviour with the use of the microeconomic theory. The role of these parameters is crucial and can determine the outcome of energy efficiency policies; therefore policymakers should properly address them when designing policies.

Energy saving and energy efficiency concepts for policy making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oikonomou, V. [SOM, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Becchis, F. [POLIS Department, University of East Piedmont, via Duomo, 6-13100 Vercelli (Italy); Steg, L. [Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 72 9700 AB (Netherlands); Russolillo, D. [Fondazione per l' Ambiente ' T. Fenoglio' , Via Gaudenzio Ferrari 1, I-10124 Torino (Italy)

2009-11-15

Departing from the concept of rational use of energy, the paper outlines the microeconomics of end-use energy saving as a result of frugality or efficiency measures. Frugality refers to the behaviour that is aimed at energy conservation, and with efficiency we refer to the technical ratio between energy input and output services that can be modified with technical improvements (e.g. technology substitution). Changing behaviour from one side and technology from the other are key issues for public energy policy. In this paper, we attempt to identify the effects of parameters that determine energy saving behaviour with the use of the microeconomic theory. The role of these parameters is crucial and can determine the outcome of energy efficiency policies; therefore policymakers should properly address them when designing policies. (author)
Energy efficiency policies in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chappoz, Loic; Laponche, Bernard

2013-04-01

Most papers dealing with energy efficiency policies focus on the policies and measures implemented in OECD countries and this may lead one to think that only the 'rich' countries are developing efforts in this field. International experience shows that emerging countries and even poor developing countries understand that energy efficiency is a prerequisite for their economic and environmentally friendly development. Among these countries, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have implemented particularly interesting policies, some of which were launched several decades ago. Moreover the Agence Francaise de developpement (AFD) has active cooperation programs in these five countries. This study describes the current situation and recent trends in final energy demand in these countries as well as the policies and measures they are implementing in the field of end-use energy efficiency. (authors)
Impact of different national biomass policies on investment costs of biomass district heating plants. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-04-01

The BIO-COST project - co-ordinated by E.V.A. - was funded by the European Commission's THERMIE Type B Programme. The objective of BIO-COST was to analyse the impact of national biomass policies on the investment costs of biomass district heating (DH) plants. The European comparison should help identifying measures to reduce investment costs for biomass DH plants and/or components down to a 'best practice' level. The investigation is based on the comparison of 20 biomass DH plants by country, with Denmark and Sweden having mainly high energy taxes as driver, while Austria and France rely mainly on subsidy systems. The results of BIO-COST show, that governmental policies can have a big impact especially on grid and buildings costs, effecting of course the overall costs of the plant enormously. Emission standards have their effects especially on the costs for technical equipment, however, this fact was not reflected in the BIO-COST data. The results do not show a clear advantage of either the energy tax approach or the subsidy approach: The French subsidy approach leads to fairly low cost levels compared to the Danish tax approach, while the Swedish tax approach seems to yield the lowest cost level. On the other hand the Austrian subsidy approach seems to intercrease investment costs. In principle both the tax as the subsidy approach can lead to the same effect: a project is calculated in such a way, that it just meets economic breakeven. This is typically the case when the project is not carried out by a private enterprise but by an operator aiming at enhanced public welfare (e.g. co-operative, municipality). In this case a subsidy model might yield more possibilities to encourage an economically efficient development, than a tax. Instead of giving subsidies as a fixed percentage of investments they could be adjusted to the actual needs of the project as proven by a standardised calculation. Of course this can create the incentive to expect higher
Multifamily Tax Subsidy Income Limits

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — Multifamily Tax Subsidy Projects (MTSP) Income Limits were developed to meet the requirements established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public...
Does Renewable Energy Still Need Subsidy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Eng. Mohamed Mostafa El Khayat

2017-12-01

Full Text Available For many decades, it has been stated that renewable energy, RE, needs subsidy, otherwise it will not be able to compete or sustain. For a certain level, this statement was valid. In this period, the investment costs for both wind and photovoltaic, PV, were high. In other words, production costs of both of them reached around 7.0 and 13.0 Cent US$ per kWh. On the other hand, oil and natural gas, NG, prices were low; i.e. less than US$ 30.0 per oil barrel and around US$ 4.0 per million British thermal unit, MMBTU, of NG. Also, policies of promoting RE were limited; almost there are two main policies, Feed-in-Tariff, FiT, in limited developed countries and international tenders. As a result, investment in RE was usually led by developed countries and minor share from the developing countries. This was the scene of RE before around 10 years. Nowadays, the scene of RE totally differs. Starting from the policies side, through auctions in both solar and wind energies, new records of prices have been reached. In numbers, in the field of wind energy Morocco and Egypt already signed contracts with prices lower than 4.0 US$ Cents/kWh. For PV, there is a dramatic devaluation in the prices. Now we are speaking for less than 0.7 million US$ per MW for turnkey projects. As a result, during the last couple of years, the global RE market witnessed a bundle of an outstanding prices, El-Sewihan Project at Abu Dhabi, 2.42 US$ Cent/kWh. Mexico and Dubai projects, 3.6 and 3.0 US$ Cent/kWh. Few days ago, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, received $9.45 cents per kilowatt-hour for its 200MW concentrated solar power (CSP plant. All these figures, and others, gave us important messages; 1 Despite low prices of oil and NG, RE is able to compete and offer outstanding prices, 2 Wind and PV technologies do not need any kind of subsidy, rather than they need a real free market to compete, 3 CSP is a low hanging fruit and it will witness a frog-leap during the
Energy Efficiency Requirements in Building Codes, Energy Efficiency Policies for New Buildings. IEA Information Paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laustsen, Jens

2008-03-15

The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse current approaches to encourage energy efficiency in building codes for new buildings. Based on this analysis the paper enumerates policy recommendations for enhancing how energy efficiency is addressed in building codes and other policies for new buildings. This paper forms part of the IEA work for the G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action. These recommendations reflect the study of different policy options for increasing energy efficiency in new buildings and examination of other energy efficiency requirements in standards or building codes, such as energy efficiency requirements by major renovation or refurbishment. In many countries, energy efficiency of buildings falls under the jurisdiction of the federal states. Different standards cover different regions or climatic conditions and different types of buildings, such as residential or simple buildings, commercial buildings and more complicated high-rise buildings. There are many different building codes in the world and the intention of this paper is not to cover all codes on each level in all countries. Instead, the paper details different regions of the world and different ways of standards. In this paper we also evaluate good practices based on local traditions. This project does not seek to identify one best practice amongst the building codes and standards. Instead, different types of codes and different parts of the regulation have been illustrated together with examples on how they have been successfully addressed. To complement this discussion of efficiency standards, this study illustrates how energy efficiency can be improved through such initiatives as efficiency labelling or certification, very best practice buildings with extremely low- or no-energy consumption and other policies to raise buildings' energy efficiency beyond minimum requirements. When referring to the energy saving potentials for buildings, this study uses the analysis of recent IEA
Gadgets and Gigawatts - Policies for Energy Efficient Electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-05-13

By 2010 there will be over 3.5 billion mobile phones subscribers, 2 billion TVs in use around the world and 1 billion personal computers. Electronic devices are a growing part of our lives and many of us can count between 20 and 30 separate items in our homes, from major items like televisions to a host of small gadgets. The communication and entertainment benefits these bring are not only going to people in wealthier nations - in Africa, for example, one in nine people now has a mobile phone. But as these electronic devices gain popularity, they account for a growing portion of household energy consumption. How 'smart' is this equipment from an energy efficiency perspective and should we be concerned about how much energy these gadgets use? What is the potential for energy savings? This new book, Gadgets and Gigawatts: Policies for Energy Efficient Electronics, includes a global assessment of the changing pattern in residential electricity consumption over the past decade and an in-depth analysis of the role played by electronic equipment. It reviews the influence that government policies have had on creating markets for more energy efficient appliances and identifies new opportunities for creating smarter, more energy efficient homes. This book is essential reading for policy makers and others interested in improving the energy efficiency of our homes.
Cost-benefit analysis of nZEB energy efficiency strategies with on-site photovoltaic generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pikas, Ergo; Kurnitski, Jarek; Thalfeldt, Martin; Koskela, Lauri

2017-01-01

Many studies on the deployment of and investment in renewable energy (RE) technologies have focused on job creation associated with energy production at the macroeconomic level and across renewable energy technologies. We propose another perspective, the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology to attain a nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) class. The aim of this research is to investigate the costs and benefits for private and public entities when constructing nZEB or adopting nZEB policies. A quantitative research approach is taken when modelling required PV capacities, net present cash flows, subsidies, and job generation. Findings show that at current electricity tariffs and solar PV system capacities and production levels, single family houses, apartment buildings, and other building types require 0.044 €/kWh, 0.037 €/kWh, and 0.024 €/kWh, respectively, in government subsidies on energy sold back to the grid. Office buildings were profitable without the subsidy. In this study, we argue that investments in RE, specifically, PV technology, will bring in approximately 2.1 M€ of additional revenue to the Estonian government over a 20 years period as tax return overruns subsidies. However, nZEB investments are expected to become cost-optimal without subsidies, due to the increasing efficiency and decreasing costs of PV systems. - Highlights: • The paper provides a combination of approaches for PV cost-benefit analysis. • Investments in PV technology to obtain nZEB require government subsidies. • Work describes potential strategies for subsidizing or investing in PV technology. • Investments in PV technology benefit both private investors and public institutions.
Immediate challenge of combating climate change: Effective implementation of energy efficiency policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morvaj, Zoran; Bukarica, Vesna

2010-09-15

Energy efficiency is the most readily available, rapid and cost-effective way to achieve desired greenhouse gases reductions. Therefore, it is the focus of energy and climate change policies world wide. The results of these policies are still missing in the desired extent, even in the EU, which has the most advanced energy efficiency policy. The main reason behind this policy failure is a complete lack of focus on implementing capacities that would ensure full policy uptake. Embracing full-scale energy management systems in public and business sectors and mobilisation of and cooperation between all stakeholders are the way towards higher efficiency.
When should green technology support policies supplement the carbon price? The case of the electricity sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecuyer, Oskar

2013-01-01

This thesis contributes to the literature on optimal policy choice. It studies the use of policy combinations to mitigate greenhouse gases emissions from electricity production. One finding applies to cases where uncertainty is such that the risk of a nil carbon price cannot be excluded. A cap on emissions alone may then not trigger enough abatements, justifying the addition of e.g. a renewable subsidy. When considering a transition toward a carbon free electricity sector, capital accumulation causes complex dynamic effects to happen. We find that decisions taken by comparing the leveled costs of abatement technologies, even including carbon costs, would favor intermediate technologies (e.g. gas plants) to the detriment of more-expensive but lower-carbon technologies (renewable power), leading to a suboptimal investment schedule. This thesis also studies the effects of marginal policy changes in a mix comprising the main French instruments. We find that surprisingly, adding a tariff for renewables financed by a tax on electricity consumption to a cap on emissions and a subsidy for energy efficiency will reduce the consumer electricity price when the non-renewable production is fixed and does not depend on the carbon price. The assessment of the French climate policies in the electricity sector shows that overlapping policies for mitigation may be justified by multiple carbon price failures, even if the ideal long-term policy mix depends on the carbon price trajectory. (author)
Instruments to increase climate policy ambition before 2020. Economic and political implications in selected industry and emerging countries. Pre2020 climate policy ambition. Draft version

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, Nadine; Hoehne, Niklas; Hagemann, Markus; Day, Thomas [Ecofys Germany GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Healy, Sean; Schumacher, Katja [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, Berlin (Germany); Duscha, Vicki [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany)

2014-06-06

The objective of this research paper is to analyse the current efforts of country activities towards the 2020 2 C target, in order to identify best practices and their possible impact on emission reduction in 2020. A first scan of policies in countries with high greenhouse gas emissions and countries with remarkably ambitious climate change mitigation strategies (see Table 1) revealed that thematic areas with notable coverage in domestic climate policy are: general strategies and targets, renewable energy support schemes for electricity, product standards and codes for energy efficiency in buildings, and direct subsidies and fuel quotas for renewables in Transport. From this, along with initial indications of mitigation potential, we identified four areas where ambition could be significantly enhanced by 2020.
Resource subsidies between stream and terrestrial ecosystems under global change

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Stefano; Muehlbauer, Jeffrey D.; Marti Roca, Maria Eugenia

2016-01-01

Streams and adjacent terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by permeable boundaries that are crossed by resource subsidies. Although the importance of these subsidies for riverine ecosystems is increasingly recognized, little is known about how they may be influenced by global environmental change. Drawing from available evidence, in this review we propose a conceptual framework to evaluate the effects of global change on the quality and spatiotemporal dynamics of stream–terrestrial subsidies. We illustrate how changes to hydrological and temperature regimes, atmospheric CO2 concentration, land use and the distribution of nonindigenous species can influence subsidy fluxes by affecting the biology and ecology of donor and recipient systems and the physical characteristics of stream–riparian boundaries. Climate-driven changes in the physiology and phenology of organisms with complex life cycles will influence their development time, body size and emergence patterns, with consequences for adjacent terrestrial consumers. Also, novel species interactions can modify subsidy dynamics via complex bottom-up and top-down effects. Given the seasonality and pulsed nature of subsidies, alterations of the temporal and spatial synchrony of resource availability to consumers across ecosystems are likely to result in ecological mismatches that can scale up from individual responses, to communities, to ecosystems. Similarly, altered hydrology, temperature, CO2 concentration and land use will modify the recruitment and quality of riparian vegetation, the timing of leaf abscission and the establishment of invasive riparian species. Along with morphological changes to stream–terrestrial boundaries, these will alter the use and fluxes of allochthonous subsidies associated with stream ecosystems. Future research should aim to understand how subsidy dynamics will be affected by key drivers of global change, including agricultural intensification, increasing water use and biotic
A Systemic Perspective on Innovation from Energy Efficiency Policy efforts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruby, Tobias Møller

In order to reduce climate change, resource scarcity and other global environmental issues major increases in energy efficiency are necessary throughout our energy system. Despite this daunting outlook and the fact that energy efficiency in most instances makes economic and environmental sense...... efficiency innovation activities where market demand and policy efforts appear to have the most impact. The thesis also goes in depth with a single sector to describe the complexities of innovation processes in energy efficiency and the noticeable role of policy. Overall the doctoral thesis provides...
Health insurance subsidies and deductible choice: Evidence from regional variation in subsidy schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufmann, Cornel; Schmid, Christian; Boes, Stefan

2017-09-01

The extent to which premium subsidies can influence health insurance choices is an open question. In this paper, we explore the regional variation in subsidy schemes in Switzerland, designed as either in-kind or cash transfers, to study their impact on the choice of health insurance deductibles. Using health survey data and a difference-in-differences methodology, we find that in-kind transfers increase the likelihood of choosing a low deductible plan by approximately 4 percentage points (or 7%). Our results indicate that the response to in-kind transfers is strongest among women, middle-aged and unmarried individuals, which we explain by differences in risk-taking behavior, health status, financial constraints, health insurance and financial literacy. We discuss our results in the light of potential extra-marginal effects on the demand for health care services, which are however not supported by our data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Long term agreements energy efficiency. Progress 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-11-01

Long Term Agreements (LTAs) on energy efficiency have been contracted with various business sectors since 1992, as part of energy conservation policy: industrial sectors, commercial services, agrarian sectors and non-profit services. LTAs are voluntary agreements between a specific sector and the Minister of Economic Affairs. In some cases, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries is also involved. The sector commits to an effort to improve energy efficiency by a particular percentage within an agreed period. As at 31 December 1999, a total of 29 LTAs had been contracted with industrial sectors and 14 with non-industrial ones. This report describes the progress of the LTAs in 1999. It reviews the energy efficiency improvements realised through the LTAs, both overall and in each individual sector. The aim is to make the efforts and results in the various sectors accessible to the general public. Appendix 1 describes the positioning of the LTA instrument. This Appendix provides and insight into the position of the LTAs within the overall set of policy instruments. It also covers the subsidy schemes and fiscal instruments that support the LTAs, the relationships between LTAs and environmental policy and new developments relating to the LTAs in the years ahead. Appendices 2 to 6 contain the reports on the LTAs and a list of abbreviations (Appendix 7)
The regulations for delivery of subsidies to radiation monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The regulations are defined under the law concerning subsidies and the provisions of the order for execution of the law. Basic terms are explained, such as: nuclear power generating facilities; arrangement business of radiation monitoring facilities; pre-research business of radiation monitoring; radiation monitoring business; place of enterprise; and expected time of beginning of the use. The Director General of Science and Technology Agency delivers subsidies to those prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities are or are expected to be established, or their neighboring prefectures. Subsidies are paid for each place of enterprise to support all or a part of expenses necessary for arrangement, pre-research or radiation monitoring business. Limits of subsidies for a place of enterprise in a prefecture are 155.6 million yen for a term for arrangement business, 16 million yen for each fiscal year for pre-research and 16 million yen for each fiscal year for radiation monitoring. An application for subsidies shall be filed by a prefecture to the Director General with the business program and gists of nuclear power generating facilities according to the forms attached. Receiving the application, the Director General shall examine it and notify without delay to the applicant the decision of delivery and its conditions in writing, when such settlement is made. Terms and conditions of delivery and reports, etc. are prescribed respectively. (Okada, K.)
Alteration of course in Danish energy- and environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trong, Maj Dang

2002-01-01

A new Danish government has announced great changes in Denmark's energy- and environmental policy. Norwegian hydro power may play a role in the government's consideration of a more efficient energy- and environmental policy. In principle, energy is to be produced where it is cheapest and least harmful to the environment. Green fees will be reorganized and billions will be saved by abolishing the subsidies to wind generators. The goal is to make wind energy self-supported by 2003. Plans for three new windmill parks in Danish waters have been abandoned. However, the environmental ministers of the countries around the North Sea agreed to speed up the development of ''green'' energy, not the least windmill parks at sea. The objective is that these oceanic windmill parks will contribute to reduced emission of carbon dioxide
Non-cooperative and cooperative solutions of government subsidy on public transportation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husniah Hennie

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with two models of government subsidy given to a public transport operator: (i the subsidy for buying bus from an appointed public transport manufacturer, and (ii the subsidy for reimbursing reduced ticket price for passengers. The models are developed to determine the maximum profit for both the public transport operator and the manufacturer. Since we consider two parties – the public transport operator and the manufacturer of the bus, then we use game theoretical approach by considering non-cooperative and cooperative solutions. Furthermore, since the bus is repairable we consider virtual age to model the preventive maintenance and we consider minimal repair to model the corrective maintenance. We analyse both type of subsidy models and give some numerical examples which show the effects of different subsidies to the profit of operator and manufacturer. The result of the numerical examples indicates that reducing ticket price would give a higher profit both to the operator and the manufacturer.
Ethanol: the promise and the peril : Should Manitoba expand ethanol subsidies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sopuck, R.D.

2002-01-01

Ethanol is produced through the fermentation of wheat. Blending ethanol with gasoline results in an ethanol-blended gasoline (EBG). Manitoba has already established an ethanol industry in the province and the government of the province is studying the feasibility of expansion. Every year in Manitoba, approximately 90 million litres of EBG are consumed, and the province's ethanol facility also produces a high protein cattle feed called distillers dry grain. Controversies surround the ethanol industry over both the economics and the environmental benefits and impacts. At issue is the economic efficiency of the production of ethanol, where opponents claim that the final product contains less energy than that required to produce it. A small gain is obtained, as revealed by a recent study. It is difficult to quantify the environmental effects of the ethanol industry, whether they be negative or positive. The author indicates that no matter what happens, the gasoline market in Manitoba is so small when compared to the rest of the world that the effect will not be significant. The three methods for the production of ethanol are: (1) the most risky and expensive method is the stand alone ethanol production facility, (2) integrated facilities where other products are produced, such as wet mash or nutraceuticals, and (3) integrated facilities where dry mash can be exported as a high protein feed. The production of a wide range of products is clearly the best option to be considered during the design of an ethanol facility. Price collapse and the capitalizing of subsidies into prices are the main risks facing the expansion of ethanol production in Manitoba. The author states that direct subsidies and price supports should be avoided, since subsidies would encourage the conversion of more feed grain into ethanol. The feed shortage would worsen especially as Manitoba does not currently produce enough feed to support its growing livestock industry. The author concludes that
Policies towards a more efficient car fleet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandell, Svante

2009-01-01

Transportation within the EU, as in most of the industrialized world, shows an increasing trend in CO 2 emissions. This calls for measures to decrease the amount of transportation but also to increase the efficiency in the vehicle fleet. To achieve this, numerous policy measures are available, all of which targets the agents in the economy in various ways. Policy makers thus face a highly complex task. The present paper aims at providing a simple and transparent analytical model that illustrates how different policy measures address different parts of an interlinked system, which determines the composition of the future car fleet. Apart from being simple, and thereby providing an intuitive framework, the model provides important lessons for policy design, e.g., through highlighting the difference between initial responses to policies and the outcome in equilibrium both in the short and the long run.

Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smed Sinne

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may be considered as alternatives or supplements to other regulation instruments, including information campaigns, bans or enhancement of technological solutions to the problems of obesity or related diseases. 7 different food tax and subsidy instruments or combinations of instruments are analysed quantitatively. The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10–30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn.
Research report of fiscal 1997. Research on building up of a NEDO vision (summary of subsidy researches and their future direction); 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho. NEDO vision no sakutei ni muketa chosa (kofukin chosa no matome to kongo no hosaku ni tsuite)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

The planning department of NEDO is required to control development sections, and present the basic policy of activities. The department has thus carried out the following subsidy researches: medium/long-range introduction of new energies, study on the NEDO vision, excavation of concrete project seeds and effective use of its result, systematic preparation of basic data on new energy and energy saving. These subsidy researches sums to 480 for the first 17 years. The department now summarized each previous research data for easy understanding, and constructed the system which can systematically arrange data on future subsidy researches. The department also facilitated building up of the NEDO vision by proposing the direction of future subsidy researches, and prepared a database of the subsidy research reports. The trend of the researches was analyzed by systematically classifying the research results, and an easy retrieval system was constructed by giving retrieval codes to each data. The basic direction of a future research policy and effective use of research results is proposed. 23 figs., 7 tabs.
Phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies. Consequences of the 2003 CAP reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmid, Erwin; Hofreither, Markus F. [Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Feistmantelstrasse 4, 1180 Vienna (Austria); Sinabell, Franz [Austrian Institute of Economic Research Vienna (WIFO), PO Box 91, 1103 Vienna (Austria)

2007-01-15

Subsidies linked to production have been classified as environmentally harmful by the OECD. A core element of the EU 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform is to decouple income support from production. This paper estimates the environmental consequences of this policy reform. An agricultural sector model using a modified version of the positive mathematical programming method depicts the complex natural, structural, and political relationships of Austrian farming. Changes in management measures can be analyzed with respect to their environmental effects by using appropriate indicators. Simulation results show that the 2003 CAP reform will reduce the average cost of production, and may improve environmental conditions regarding soil, water, and greenhouse gases when compared to a scenario without reform. Thus, the new CAP is likely to bring about outcomes which the previous reform (Agenda 2000) promised but did not deliver. (author)
International benchmaking: Supplying the information for product efficiency policy makers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siderius, H.P.; Jeffcott, S.; Blok, K.

2012-01-01

In the development of effective product efficiency policy, the critical element for policy makers is comprehensive, independent information. However, easily accessible, reliable information on the energy performance of products and policies is often scarce within a particular market, and rarer still
Subsidies for renewable energy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skytte, K.; Grenaa Jensen, S.; Morthorst, P.E.; Olsen, O.J.

2004-01-01

Ambitious Danish and European energy and environment objectives make a point of using renewable energy sources in the electricity supply. Denmark has been leading country in successful development and commercialization of wind turbines and is as yet one of the leading manufacturers of the world. Danish governments have successfully invested a lot in this development. Other countries have spent more money without achieving a similar success. The questions are why things have gone so well in Denmark and if the Danish success can be repeated for other renewable energy technologies. The starting point of this book is that a political decision on subsidizing the developmental process of a specific technology not in itself guarantees that the technology will turn out reliable and efficient enough to compete successfully in a liberalized electricity market. An understanding of this development is necessary in order to affect a technological development. This book goes through the development of different renewable energy technologies and two theories used for discussing the technological development: experience curves and innovation theory. Based on the discussions and a description of causal relations, an analytical model for different phases of renewable energy technologies' developmental progress and technological life cycle is made. The model is used for evaluating the subsidies for chosen renewable technologies in Denmark. With wind energy as example an analysis of what went well or badly, what might be done and which actions might be efficient is made. (BA)
Subsidies for improving energy efficiency in residential buildings. A challenge in terms of economics and distribution policy; Subventionen zur Erhoehung der Energieeffizienz in Wohngebaeuden. Eine oekonomische und verteilungspolitische Herausforderung?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dieckhoener, Caroline; Growitsch, Christian [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Energiewirtschaftliches Inst. (EWI)

2013-01-15

Improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings are seen as one of the decisive factors for the energy policy goals pursued by the EU and the German federal government. However, owners of residential buildings are showing themselves slow in taking measures for improving the energy efficiency of their properties. An obvious solution here is for the state to encourage investments by creating incentives to this end. A recent study suggests that in doing so one should distinguish between building owners and tenants and beware of bandwagon and problematic distribution effects. Furthermore, promotion measures should first of all be aimed at rental housing because this is where invested funds tend to be used most efficiently.
Effect of a policy to reduce user fees on the rate of skilled birth attendance across socioeconomic strata in Burkina Faso.

Science.gov (United States)

Langlois, Étienne V; Karp, Igor; Serme, Jean De Dieu; Bicaba, Abel

2016-05-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa, maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates are associated with underutilization of skilled birth attendance (SBA). In 2007, Burkina Faso introduced a subsidy scheme for SBA fees. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Burkina Faso's subsidy policy on SBA rate across socioeconomic status (SES) strata. We used a quasi-experimental design. The data sources were two representative surveys (n = 1408 and n = 1403) of women from Houndé and Ziniaré health districts of Burkina Faso, and a survey of health centres assessing structural quality of care. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used with robust variance estimators. We estimated adjusted rate ratios (RR) and rate differences (RD) as a function of time and SES. For lowest-SES women, immediately upon the introduction of the subsidy policy, the rate of SBA was 45% higher (RR = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-1.77) than expected in the absence of subsidy introduction. The results indicated a sustained effect after introduction of the subsidy policy, based on RR estimate (95% CI) of 1.48 (1.21-1.81) at 2 years. For middle-SES women, the RR estimates were 1.28 (1.09-1.49) immediately after introduction of the subsidy policy and 1.30 (1.11-1.51) at 2 years, respectively. For highest-SES women, the RR estimates were 1.19 (1.02-1.38) immediately after subsidy introduction and 1.21 (1.06-1.38) at 2 years, respectively. The RD (95% CI) was 14% (3-24%) for lowest-SES women immediately after introduction of the policy, and the effect was sustained at 14% (4-25%) at 2 years. Our study suggests that the introduction of a user-fee subsidy in Burkina Faso resulted in increased rates of SBA across all SES strata. The increase was sustained over time and strongest among the poorest women. These findings have important implications for evidence-informed policy making in Burkina Faso and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. © The Author 2015. Published by
Political Measures for Strategic Environmental Policy with External Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohyama, A. [Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Tsujimura, M. [Faculty of Economics, Ryukoku University, Otsu (Japan)

2006-10-15

This paper investigates an environmental policy designed to reduce the emission of pollutants under uncertainty, with the agent problem as an optimal stopping problem. We first analyze the two cases in which there are one agent and two competing agents by following Ohyama and Tsujimura (2005). When we consider a model of strategic agents, we need to analyze the external economic effect that is peculiar to an agent's environmental policy implementation. Then, to improve and resolve these external effects, we examine three alternative political measures, comprising an environmental subsidy, an environmental tax and an emission trading system. The results of the analysis indicate that the environmental subsidy and environmental tax promote environmental policy. However, they do not create an incentive to be the leader. On the other hand, an emissions trading system not only promotes environmental policy but also creates an incentive for leadership.
Political Measures for Strategic Environmental Policy with External Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohyama, A.; Tsujimura, M.

2006-01-01

This paper investigates an environmental policy designed to reduce the emission of pollutants under uncertainty, with the agent problem as an optimal stopping problem. We first analyze the two cases in which there are one agent and two competing agents by following Ohyama and Tsujimura (2005). When we consider a model of strategic agents, we need to analyze the external economic effect that is peculiar to an agent's environmental policy implementation. Then, to improve and resolve these external effects, we examine three alternative political measures, comprising an environmental subsidy, an environmental tax and an emission trading system. The results of the analysis indicate that the environmental subsidy and environmental tax promote environmental policy. However, they do not create an incentive to be the leader. On the other hand, an emissions trading system not only promotes environmental policy but also creates an incentive for leadership
Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable energies and required subsidies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, Xiaoling; Lin, Boqiang

2014-01-01

The development and utilization of renewable energy (RE), a strategic choice for energy structural adjustment, is an important measure of carbon emissions reduction in China. High cost is a main restriction element for large-scale development of RE, and accurate cost estimation of renewable power generation is urgently necessary. This is the first systemic study on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of RE in China. Results indicate that feed-in-tariff (FIT) of RE should be improved and dynamically adjusted based on the LCOE to provide a better support of the development of RE. The current FIT in China can only cover the LCOE of wind (onshore) and solar photovoltaic energy (PV) at a discount rate of 5%. Subsidies to renewables-based electricity generation, except biomass energy, still need to be increased at higher discount rates. Main conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) Government policy should focus on solving the financing problem of RE projects because fixed capital investment exerts considerable influence over the LCOE; and (2) the problem of high cost could be solved by providing subsidies in the short term and more importantly, by reforming electricity price in the mid-and long-term to make the RE competitive. - Highlights: • Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable energies is systemically studied. • Renewable power generation costs are estimated based on data of 17 power plants. • Required subsidies for renewable power generation are calculated. • Electricity price reform is the long-term strategy for solving problem of high cost
The rule on granting subsidies for survey of hot drainage influences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The regulation is established under the provisions of the law concerning the proper execution of subsidy budgets and the ordinance for enforcing the law, to execute these provisions. The subsidies under the ordinance for enforcing the law concerning the special account for the measures of promoting power source development are delivered according to the provisions of the regulation as well as the law concerning the proper execution of subsidy budgets and the ordinance for enforcing the law. Basic terms are defined, such as nuclear power generating facilities; business for arranging the survey facilities for hot drainage influences; business for the prior-survey of hot drainage; business for the survey of hot drainage influences; place of business; expected date of beginning the operation. The Minister of International Trade Industry delivers subsidies to a prefecture where nuclear power generating facilities are set up or expected to be set up, or its neighboring prefectures to cover all or a part of expenses necessary for the businesses for arranging the survey facilities for hot drainage influences, the prior-survey of hot drainage and the survey of hot drainage influences. Subsidies are paid during the specified periods ranging from 2 to 7 years. The subsidy delivered to a prefecture in each fiscal year is limited to from 5 to 14 million yen. An application for the subsidies shall be filed by an applicant prefecture to the Minister of International Trade Industry, attached with the specified summary reports of a subsidized business and nuclear power generating facilities. (Okada, K.)
The International Database of Efficient Appliances (IDEA): A New Resource for Global Efficiency Policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerke, Brian F; McNeil, Michael A; Tu, Thomas; Xu, Feiyang

2017-09-06

A major barrier to effective appliance efficiency program design and evaluation is a lack of data for determination of market baselines and cost-effective energy savings potential. The data gap is particularly acute in developing countries, which may have the greatest savings potential per unit GDP. To address this need, we are developing the International Database of Efficient Appliances (IDEA), which automatically compiles data from a wide variety of online sources to create a unified repository of information on efficiency, price, and features for a wide range of energy-consuming products across global markets. This paper summarizes the database framework and demonstrates the power of IDEA as a resource for appliance efficiency research and policy development. Using IDEA data for refrigerators in China and India, we develop robust cost-effectiveness indicators that allow rapid determination of savings potential within each market, as well as comparison of that potential across markets and appliance types. We discuss implications for future energy efficiency policy development.
Nonnative trout impact an alpine-nesting bird by altering aquatic-insect subsidies.

Science.gov (United States)

Epanchin, Peter N; Knapp, Roland A; Lawler, Sharon P

2010-08-01

Adjacent food webs may be linked by cross-boundary subsidies: more-productive donor systems can subsidize consumers in less-productive neighboring recipient systems. Introduced species are known to have direct effects on organisms within invaded communities. However, few studies have addressed the indirect effects of nonnative species in donor systems on organisms in recipient systems. We studied the direct role of introduced trout in altering a lake-derived resource subsidy and their indirect effects in altering a passerine bird's response to that subsidy. We compared the abundance of aquatic insects and foraging Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni, "Rosy-Finch") at fish-containing vs. fishless lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California (USA). Introduced trout outcompeted Rosy-Finches for emerging aquatic insects (i.e., mayflies). Fish-containing lakes had 98% fewer mayflies than did fishless lakes. In lakes without fish, Rosy-Finches showed an aggregative response to emerging aquatic insects with 5.9 times more Rosy-Finches at fishless lakes than at fish-containing lakes. Therefore, the introduction of nonnative fish into the donor system reduced both the magnitude of the resource subsidy and the strength of cross-boundary trophic interactions. Importantly, the timing of the subsidy occurs when Rosy-Finches feed their young. If Rosy-Finches rely on aquatic-insect subsidies to fledge their young, reductions in the subsidy by introduced trout may have decreased Rosy-Finch abundances from historic levels. We recommend that terrestrial recipients of aquatic subsidies be included in conservation and restoration plans for ecosystems with alpine lakes.
R and D Policies, Carbon Tax and Green Paradox

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bermudez Neubauer, Mauricio; Grimaud, Andre; Rouge, Luc

2016-01-01

We study an economy in which a final good is produced by two sectors. One uses a non-renewable and polluting resource, the other a renewable and clean resource. A specific type of research is associated with each sector. The public authorities levy a carbon tax and simultaneously subsidise both research sectors. We study the impact of such a policy scheme on the rate of resource extraction and emissions. In the clean sector, the research subsidy and the carbon tax have opposite effects. If the tax creates a green paradox, the subsidy moderates it; if the tax slows resource extraction, then the subsidy generates a green paradox
Improving energy consumption structure: A comprehensive assessment of fossil energy subsidies reform in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wei; Li Hong

2011-01-01

Fossil energy subsidies reform would be an effective way to improve the energy consumption structure; however, the reform needs to be assessed comprehensively beforehand as it would exert uncertain impacts on economy, society and environment. In this paper, we use price-gap approach to estimate the fossil energy subsidies of China, then establish CGE model that contains pollutant emissions accounts and CO 2 emissions account to stimulate the fossil energy subsidies reform under different scenarios, and the environmental economic analysis concept is introduced to monetize the pollutant reduction benefits. Furthermore, we analyze the possibility and scope of improving the energy consumption structure from the perspective of technical and economic analysis. Analytical results show that the energy consumption structure could be improved by different extent by removing coal or oil subsidies, while the economic and social indexes will be influenced distinctively. Meanwhile, the effects of cutting coal subsidies are more feasible than that of cutting oil subsidies overall. It is recommended to implement fossil energy subsidies gradually, cut the coal first and then cut oil subsidies successively. - Research highlights: → This paper estimates the scale of fossil energy subsidies of China in 2007 with price-gap approach. → We establish a Social Accounting Matrix and a CGE model extended with pollutant accounts. → We simulate the impacts of removing or cutting subsidies under three different scenarios. → We discuss the possibility and potential of improving energy consumption structure.
42 CFR 57.1514 - Loan guarantee and interest subsidy agreements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... GRANTS GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TEACHING FACILITIES, EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT LOANS Loan Guarantees and Interest Subsidies to Assist in Construction of Teaching Facilities for Health Profession Personnel § 57.1514 Loan guarantee and interest subsidy agreements. For each application for a...
Co-firing of imported wood pellets – An option to efficiently save CO2 emissions in Europe?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrig, Rita; Behrendt, Frank

2013-01-01

In this paper the energy and carbon footprints of pellet imports from Australia, West Canada, and Russia for co-firing in Europe are investigated. Their ecologic and economic performances are proven by applying the Belgian and UK co-firing subsidy systems, which require dedicated sustainability evaluations. Based on the modelling of different subsidy schemes and price scenarios, the present paper identifies favourable conditions for the use of biomass co-firing in Germany and Austria, which currently do not have dedicated co-firing incentives. The present paper shows that under present conditions, co-firing has a narrow financial gap to coal with −3 to 4 € Cent/kWh el and has low CO 2 mitigation costs compared to other renewables. Moreover, it is shown that co-firing is one of the most cost-attractive options to reach the EU-2020 targets. For policy makers, the support of co-firing is found to be very efficient in terms of cost-benefit ratio. It is proven that the co-firing subsidy schemes might direct supply chain decisions towards options with low energy and carbon impacts. - Highlights: • Co-firing has a low financial gap and allows for advantageous CO 2 mitigation costs compared to other renewable. • Belgian and UK's co-firing subsidies are reasonable options to promote cost-effective renewable electricity generation. • Co-firing subsidy schemes can effectively direct supply chain decisions towards low energy and carbon options
Regulation for delivery of subsidies for public relations and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

This rule is established under the provisions of the law for the proper enforcement of subsidy budgets and the ordinance for the execution of this law, and to practice these provisions. It is applied to subsidies for the expenses of popularizing the knowledge of atomic power generation to inhabitants in the surrounding areas of atomic power generating facilities, investigation on the security of inhabitants in these areas, communication and coordination concerning the safety of such facilities during and after their installation and other expenses of establishing the facilities for public relations to inhabitants in the surrounding areas of these facilities. Basic terms are defined, such as atomic power generating facility, facility related to atomic power generation, and place of business. Subsidies are delivered to prefectures, cities, towns and villages where atomic power generating facilities are or are expected to be set up, prefectures including cities, towns and villages adjacent to those where such facilities are or are expected to be established, and prefectures which include the surrounding areas of those facilities. The limits of subsidies are stipulated in the lists attached. The terms of delivery vary according to the kinds of atomic power generating facilities and related facilities. Prefectures or cities, towns and villages which intend to apply for the delivery of subsidies shall file specified applications attached with the explanation of subsidy business outlines to the director of the ministry or agency concerned. Decision and conditions of delivery, reports on the situations and results of business and other concerned matters are defined, respectively. (Okada, K.)
The Institutional Component of the Efficient Economic Policy of the State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykytas Viktoriia V

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article substantiates the necessity of institutional accompanying the economic policy of the State, establishing an efficient system of institutions. Challenges of the contemporary globalization require changes in the State influence on economy, redefining quality parameters and principles of an efficient economic policy. Complexity of the State policy in a global environment is determined not only by importance of the tasks of establishing an efficient market against the background of increasing influences of exogenous uncertainty, but also by seeking ways of entering the global space, thus implementing the best interests of national economic development. The article deduces parameters of the concept of «efficient institution». The author believes that institutions precisely should act as the link through which social and economic development would become unseparated in order to form a stable efficient socio-economic development
Os subsídios à agricultura no comércio internacional: as políticas da União Europeia e dos Estados Unidos da América The agricultural subsidies in international trade: the policies adopted by the European Union and the United States of America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávio Marcelo Rodrigues Bruno

2012-04-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo analisa a prática de subsídios à agricultura no comércio internacional, tendo como principal objetivo dimensionar a sua prática enquanto instrumento econômico estratégico para o setor agrícola, especialmente para os Estados Unidos e a União Europeia. Uma completa proibição dos subsídios não é desejável porque sua prática, em essência, constitui uma alternativa à busca do bem-estar social da nação. Contudo, a utilização dos subsídios agrícolas, na forma como vêm sendo praticados, constituem-se em intervenções de cunho protecionista que provocam distorções no comércio internacional. Sendo os Estados Unidos e a União Europeia as nações que mais os utilizam no comércio internacional, tem-se gerado preocupações sobre sua própria eficiência enquanto instrumento de política comercial estratégica para o comércio internacional.This study examines the practice of agricultural subsidies in international trade, aiming at scaling its practice as a strategic economic tool primarily for the agricultural sector, especially to the United States and the European Union. A complete ban on subsidies is not desirable because its practice, in essence, is a path to improve the welfare of the nation. However, the way the agricultural subsidies have been employed, constitute protectionist interventions that distort international trade. The United States and the European Union are the major users of this instrument in international trade, a factor that has raised concerns about their own efficiency as a strategic trade policy for international trade.

42 CFR 57.1508 - Amount of interest subsidy payments; limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... GRANTS GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TEACHING FACILITIES, EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT LOANS Loan Guarantees and Interest Subsidies to Assist in Construction of Teaching Facilities for Health Profession Personnel § 57.1508 Amount of interest subsidy payments; limitations. The length of time for which...
The Puzzle of Simultaneous Anti-Dumping and Anti-Subsidy Measures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jørgen Ulff-Møller; Hansen, Jørgen Drud

be a surprise, as the same total level of protection may be obtained by using the anti-dumping procedure exclusively. When calculating the two duties in the EU the outcome depends on whether the subsidies are export subsidies or domestic subsidies and this may also cause surprise. This paper addresses...... these puzzles in a theoretical analysis based on a duopoly model for a horizontally differentiated product. We argue that the procedures of two investigations leading to a two-component duty may be rational because it provides an incentive for the offending country and companies to terminate their ‘unfair...
Three essays on monetary policy responses to oil price shocks

Science.gov (United States)

Plante, Michael

-traded inflation produces a unique solution so long as the nominal interest rate is raised more than one for one with increases in non-traded inflation. A policy of stabilizing core inflation, however, produces a unique solution only if the response is greater than one for one and less then one divided by one minus the share of the non-traded good in the CPI. In the third chapter I consider monetary and fiscal policy responses to oil price shocks in a low income oil importing country. The model used in this chapter differs from the model in the second chapter in that there is currency substitution, household demand for oil products, and a potential subsidy on the purchase of oil products by households. I examine the dynamic properties and the welfare implications of a set of inflation targeting policies and a group of policies that subsidize the price of oil and finance the subsidy through a combination of raising lump sum taxes and printing money. The dynamic properties of the inflation targeting policies are similar in many regards to those in the second chapter as the key assumptions driving the results are the same in the two models. For the policies which subsidize the price of oil I show that both the choice to have the subsidy and how to finance it matter a great deal for the behavior of the macroeconomic variables. In terms of welfare, for most calibrations there are only minor differences between the inflation targeting polices, the policy with a subsidy funded by lump sum taxes, and the baseline policy with no subsidy. The policy with a subsidy financed by the inflation tax generally causes significant welfare losses compared to the policy with no pass through.
The rule on granting subsidies for survey of hot drainage influences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

The rule is based on the prescriptions of the Law Concerning Proper Budget Enforcement on Subsidies and its Enforcement Order. These rules apply to the granting subsidies provided for by the Enforcement Order for the Special Account Law for Measures Promoting Power Source Development. Terms are defined, such as nuclear power generating facilities; arrangement work for equipments for surveying hot drainage influences; work of preliminary survey of hot drainage; work of surveying hot drainage influences; establishments, etc. The Minister of International Trade and Industry delivers the subsidies for all or a part of the expenses necessary for arrangement work of equipments for surveying hot drainage influences, work of preliminary survey of hot drainage and work of surveying hot drainage influences to the prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities have been or are to be set up, or their neighboring prefectures. Terms of delivery concerning an establishment vary from two years to four years according to the kinds of such subsidies. Limits of the subsidies concerning an establishment range from 10 million yen to 2.5 million yen. The applicant prefecture files the application to the Minister of International Trade and Industry. The Minister examines such applications, and notifies his decision to the applicants. Conditions on delivery, reports submitted by receivers of the subsidies and other matters related are specified. (Okada, K.)
Environmental Protection for Sale : Strategic Green Industrial Policy and Climate Finance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fischer, Carolyn

2017-01-01

Industrial policy has long been criticized as subject to protectionist interests; accordingly, subsidies to domestic producers face disciplines under World Trade Organization agreements, without exceptions for environmental purposes. Now green industrial policy is gaining popularity as governments
Estimating Effective Subsidy Rates of Student Aid Programs

OpenAIRE

Stacey H. CHEN

2008-01-01

Every year millions of high school students and their parents in the US are asked to fill out complicated financial aid application forms. However, few studies have estimated the responsiveness of government financial aid schemes to changes in financial needs of the students. This paper identifies the effective subsidy rate (ESR) of student aid, as defined by the coefficient of financial needs in the regression of financial aid. The ESR measures the proportion of subsidy of student aid under ...
Reducing Energy Subsidies in China, India and Russia: Dilemmas for Decision Makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indra Overland

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This article examines and compares efforts to reduce energy subsidies in China, India and Russia. Despite dissimilarities in forms of governance, these three states have followed surprisingly similar patterns in reducing energy subsidies, characterised by two steps forward, one step back. Non-democratic governments and energy importers might be expected to be more likely to halt subsidies. In fact, the degree of democracy and status as net energy exporters or importers does not seem to significantly affect these countries’ capacity to reduce subsidies, as far as can be judged from the data in this article. Politicians in all three fear that taking unpopular decisions may provoke social unrest.
Subsidy regulation in WTO Law : Some implications for fossil fuels and renewable energy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marhold, Anna

2016-01-01

This contribution discusses WTO subsidies disciplines in the context of the energy sector. After laying out the relevant disciplines, it will discuss the paradox of WTO law with respect to subsidies towards fossil fuels vis-à-vis those towards renewable energy. It is clear that subsidies on clean
Testing viability of cross subsidy using time-variant price elasticities of industrial demand for electricity: Indian experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, Pradip

2007-01-01

Indian electric tariffs are characterized by very high rates for industrial and commercial classes to permit subsidized electric consumption by residential and agricultural customers. We investigate the viability of this policy using monthly data for 1997-2003 on electric consumption by a few large industrial customers under the aegis of a small distribution company in the state of Uttar Pradesh. For a given price/cost ratio, it can be shown that if the cross-subsidizing class' electricity demand is sufficiently elastic, increasing the class' rates fail to recover incremental cross-subsidy necessary to support additional revenues for subsidized classes. This suboptimality is tested by individually estimating time-variant price-elasticities of demand for these industrial customers using Box-Cox and linear regressions. We find that at least for some of these customers, cross-subsidy was suboptimal prior to as late as October 2001, when rates were changed following reforms
Testing viability of cross subsidy using time-variant price elasticities of industrial demand for electricity: Indian experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chattopadhyay, Pradip [New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 10, Concord NH 03301 (United States)]. E-mail: pradip.chattopadhyay@puc.nh.gov

2007-01-15

Indian electric tariffs are characterized by very high rates for industrial and commercial classes to permit subsidized electric consumption by residential and agricultural customers. We investigate the viability of this policy using monthly data for 1997-2003 on electric consumption by a few large industrial customers under the aegis of a small distribution company in the state of Uttar Pradesh. For a given price/cost ratio, it can be shown that if the cross-subsidizing class' electricity demand is sufficiently elastic, increasing the class' rates fail to recover incremental cross-subsidy necessary to support additional revenues for subsidized classes. This suboptimality is tested by individually estimating time-variant price-elasticities of demand for these industrial customers using Box-Cox and linear regressions. We find that at least for some of these customers, cross-subsidy was suboptimal prior to as late as October 2001, when rates were changed following reforms.
Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for compact fluorescent lighting: Policy implications for energy efficiency promotion in Saint Lucia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, Travis; Kolodinsky, Jane; Murray, Byron

2012-01-01

This article examines consumer willingness to pay for energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs using the results of a stated preferences study conducted in the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. Geographic location, low income status, and age are found to affect willingness-to-pay for compact fluorescent lighting, while higher income status and other demographic variables appear to have minimal or no significant impacts. Energy efficiency knowledge is associated with increased willingness-to-pay for energy-efficient bulbs and with increased use of compact fluorescent lighting. Contrary to theoretical expectations, past purchase of compact fluorescent bulbs is found to have no impact on self-reported willingness to pay. We hypothesize that this null result is due to the recent emergence of low-cost, low-quality compact fluorescent bulbs in the Saint Lucian lighting market, which may be negatively influencing consumers' preferences and expectations regarding energy-efficient lighting. Findings support the argument that government-sponsored education and subsidy programs will likely result in increased use of energy-saving technologies in Saint Lucia. But such behavioral changes may not be sustained in the long run unless low quality bulbs – the “lemons” of the compact fluorescent lighting market – can be clearly identified by consumers. - Highlights: ▶ We model how knowledge, attitudes, and past purchase affect CFL adoption. ▶ Saint Lucian consumers have some knowledge of and favorable attitudes toward CFLs. ▶ Energy efficiency knowledge increases stated willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CFLs. ▶ Past purchase does not increase WTP; low-quality ‘lemons’ may influence consumers. ▶ Policy can lower consumer risks in lighting markets where low quality bulbs exist.
Climate policy and nonrenewable resources : The green paradox and beyond

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pittel, Karen; van der Ploeg, Rick; Withagen, Cees

2014-01-01

Recent developments suggest that well-intended climate policies–including carbon taxes and subsidies for renewable energy – might not accomplish what policy makers intend. Hans-Werner Sinn has described a "green paradox," arguing that these policies could hasten global warming by encouraging owners
Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård; Smed, Sinne

2007-01-01

This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may....... The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10–30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range...... of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn....
Can pro-marriage policies work? An analysis of marginal marriages.

Science.gov (United States)

Frimmel, Wolfgang; Halla, Martin; Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf

2014-08-01

Policies to promote marriage are controversial, and it is unclear whether they are successful. To analyze such policies, one must distinguish between a marriage that is created by a marriage-promoting policy (marginal marriage) and a marriage that would have been formed even in the absence of a state intervention (average marriage). We exploit the suspension of a cash-on-hand marriage subsidy in Austria to examine the differential behavior of marginal and average marriages. The announcement of an impending suspension of this subsidy led to an enormous marriage boom among eligible couples that allows us to locate marginal marriages. Applying a difference-in-differences approach, we show that marginal marriages are surprisingly as stable as average marriages but produce fewer children, children later in marriage, and children who are less healthy at birth.
From theory based policy evaluation to SMART Policy Design: Lessons learned from 20 ex-post evaluations of energy efficiency instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmelink, Mirjam; Harmsen, Robert; Nilsson, Lars

2007-01-01

This article presents the results of an in-depth ex-post analysis of 20 energy efficiency policy instruments applied across different sectors and countries. Within the AID-EE project, we reconstructed and analysed the implementation process of energy efficiency policy instruments with the aim to identify key factors behind successes and failures. The analysis was performed using a uniform methodology called 'theory based policy evaluation'. With this method the whole implementation process is assessed with the aim to identify: (i) the main hurdles in each step of the implementation process, (ii) key success factors for different types of instruments and (iii) the key indicators that need to be monitored to enable a sound evaluation of the energy efficiency instruments. Our analysis shows that: Energy efficiency policies often lack quantitative targets and clear timeframes; Often policy instruments have multiple and/or unclear objectives; The need for monitoring information does often not have priority in the design phase; For most instruments, monitoring information is collected on a regular basis. However, this information is often insufficient to determine the impact on energy saving, cost-effectiveness and target achievement of an instrument; Monitoring and verification of actual energy savings have a relatively low priority for most of the analyzed instruments. There is no such thing as the 'best' policy instrument. However, typical circumstances in which to apply different types of instruments and generic characteristics that determine success or failure can be identified. Based on the assessments and the experience from applying theory based policy evaluation ex-post, we suggest that this should already be used in the policy formulation and design phase of instruments. We conclude that making policy theory an integral and mandated part of the policy process would facilitate more efficient and effective energy efficiency instruments
Is rooftop solar PV at socket parity without subsidies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagerman, Shelly; Jaramillo, Paulina; Morgan, M. Granger

2016-01-01

Installations of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in the United States have increased dramatically in recent years, in large part because of state and federal subsidies. In the future, such subsidies may be reduced or eliminated. From the homeowner's perspective, solar PV is competitive when it can produce electricity at a cost equivalent to the retail electricity rate, a condition sometimes referred to as “socket parity”. In assessing the economic viability of residential solar PV, most existing literature considers only a few locations and fails to consider the differences in PV system cost and electricity prices that exist across the U.S. We combined insolation data from more than 1000 locations, installation costs by region, and county-level utility rates to provide a more complete economic assessment of rooftop solar PV across the U.S. We calculated the break-even electricity prices and evaluated the reductions in installed costs needed to reach socket parity. Among the scenarios considered, we estimate that only Hawaii has achieved socket parity without the use of subsidies. With subsidies, six states reach socket parity, yet widespread parity is still not achieved. We find that high installation costs and financing rates are two of the largest barriers to socket parity. - Highlights: • We evaluate the economic viability of residential rooftop solar PV across the U.S. • Widespread socket parity has not been achieved in the U.S. without subsidies. • Net metering may be critical for the economic viability of rooftop solar PV.
Market power and output-based refunding of environmental policy revenues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, Carolyn

2011-01-01

Output-based refunding of environmental policy revenues combines a tax on emissions with a production subsidy, typically in a revenue-neutral fashion. With imperfect competition, subsidies can alleviate output underprovision. However, when market shares are significant, endogenous refunding reduces abatement incentives and the marginal net tax or subsidy. If market shares differ, marginal abatement costs will not be equalized, and production is shifted among participants. In an asymmetric Cournot duopoly, endogenous refunding leads to higher output, emissions, and overall costs compared with a fixed rebate program targeting the same emissions intensity. These results hold whether emissions rates are determined simultaneously with output or strategically in a two-stage model. (author)
Policies for Resource Efficient and Effective Solutions : A review of concepts, current policy landscape and future policy considerations for the transition to a Circular Economy

OpenAIRE

Milios, Leonidas

2016-01-01

This report presents basic concepts around resources, resource efficiency and the Circular Economy. The limitations and the opportunities within the Circular Economy are identified and clearly presented. The current policy landscape in the EU as well as in Sweden is thoroughly analysed and a set of policy areas with a significant untapped potential for resource efficiency is identified. The policy areas which have been underutilised so far include policies for re-use, repair and remanufacturi...
Renewable electricity in Sweden: an analysis of policy and regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yan

2006-01-01

This study aims to analyse the developments in renewable energy policy making in Sweden. It assesses the energy policy context, changes in the choice of policy instruments, and provides explanations behind policy successes and failures. Swedish renewable energy policy has been developing in a context of uncertainty around nuclear issues. While there has been made a political decision to replace nuclear power with renewable s, there is a lack of consensus about the pace of phasing out nuclear power due to perceived negative impacts on industrial competitiveness. Such uncertainty had an effect in the formulation of renewable energy policy. Biomass and wind power are the main options for renewable electricity production. Throughout 1990s, the combined effect of different policy instruments has stimulated the growth of these two renewable sources. Yet, both biomass and wind power are still a minor contributor in the total electricity generation. Lack of strong government commitment due to uncertainty around nuclear issues is a crucial factor. Short-term subsidies have been preferred rather than open-ended subsidy mechanisms, causing intervals without subsidies and interruption to development. Other factors are such as lack of incentives from the major electricity companies and administrative obstacles. The taxation system has been successful in fostering an expansion of biomass for heating but hindered a similar development in the electricity sector. The quota system adopted in 2003 is expected to create high demand on biomass but does not favour wind power. The renewable energy aims are unlikely to be changed. Yet, the future development of renewable energy policies especially for high-cost technologies will again depend strongly on nuclear policies, which are still unstable and might affect the pace of renewable energy development
The economics of agricultural subsidies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosch, R.A.

1985-01-01

PART ONE
1. Agricultural subsidies have been defined as a government induced change of relative prices of goods, services and factors of production in the agricultural sector. These agricultural price changes may result from a large number of different government measures varying

Child Care Subsidy Use and Child Development: Potential Causal Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkinson, Laura E.

2011-01-01

Research using an experimental design is needed to provide firm causal evidence on the impacts of child care subsidy use on child development, and on underlying causal mechanisms since subsidies can affect child development only indirectly via changes they cause in children's early experiences. However, before costly experimental research is…
Temperate marine protected area provides recruitment subsidies to local fisheries.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Port, A; Montgomery, J C; Smith, A N H; Croucher, A E; McLeod, I M; Lavery, S D

2017-10-25

The utility of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a means of protecting exploited species and conserving biodiversity within MPA boundaries is supported by strong empirical evidence. However, the potential contribution of MPAs to fished populations beyond their boundaries is still highly controversial; empirical measures are scarce and modelling studies have produced a range of predictions, including both positive and negative effects. Using a combination of genetic parentage and relatedness analysis, we measured larval subsidies to local fisheries replenishment for Australasian snapper ( Chrysophrys auratus : Sparidae) from a small (5.2 km 2 ), well-established, temperate, coastal MPA in northern New Zealand. Adult snapper within the MPA contributed an estimated 10.6% (95% CI: 5.5-18.1%) of newly settled juveniles to surrounding areas (approx. 400 km 2 ), with no decreasing trend in contributions up to 40 km away. Biophysical modelling of larval dispersal matched experimental data, showing larvae produced inside the MPA dispersed over a comparable distance. These results demonstrate that temperate MPAs have the potential to provide recruitment subsidies at magnitudes and spatial scales relevant to fisheries management. The validated biophysical model provides a cost-efficient opportunity to generalize these findings to other locations and climate conditions, and potentially informs the design of MPA networks for enhancing fisheries management. © 2017 The Author(s).
Progress with Implementing Energy Efficiency Policies in the G8

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

At the 2008 G8 Summit in Hokkaido, leaders reaffirmed the critical role improved energy efficiency can play in addressing energy security, environmental and economic objectives. They went even farther than in previous Summits and committed to maximising implementation of the 25 IEA energy efficiency recommendations prepared for the G8. The imperative to enhance energy efficiency remains a priority for all countries. To support governments with their implementation of energy efficiency, the IEA recommended the adoption of a broad range of specific energy efficiency policy measures to the G8 Summits in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The consolidated set of recommendations from these Summits covers 25 fields of action across seven priority areas: cross-sectoral activity, buildings, appliances, lighting, transport, industry and power utilities. If governments want to significantly improve energy efficiency, the IEA considers that no single policy implemented in isolation will be effective at achieving this aim. The IEA Secretariat recommends that governments implement a full set of appropriate measures. The IEA estimates that if implemented globally without delay, the proposed actions could save around 8.2 GtCO2/yr by 2030 -- equivalent to twice the EU's yearly emissions. This report evaluates the progress of the G8 countries in implementing energy efficiency policy, including the 25 G8/IEA recommendations. Information in this report is current up to 31 March 2009.
Do Employment Subsidies Work? Evidence from Regionally Targeted Subsidies in Turkey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daysal, N. Meltem; Betcherman, Gordon; Pages, Carmen

2010-01-01

This paper studies the effects on registered employment and number of registered establishments of two employment subsidy schemes in Turkey. We implement a difference-in-differences methodology to construct appropriate counterfactuals for the covered provinces. Our findings suggest that both subs...... than boosting total employment and economic activity. This supports the theory that in countries with weak enforcement institutions, high labor taxes on low-wage workers may lead to substantial incentives for firms and workers to operate informally....
Determining the Environmental Effects of Indirect Subsidies: Integrated Method and Application to the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Beers, C.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.; de Moor, A.; Oosterhuis, F.H.

2007-01-01

The term 'environmentally damaging subsidies' covers all sorts of direct and indirect subsidies with negative consequences for the environment. This article presents a method to determine the environmental impact of these subsidies. It combines a microeconomic framework with an environmental impact
Country policy profile - Luxembourg. December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

In Luxembourg, electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through a feed-in tariff as well as through subsidies. Private individuals operating small solar installations are entitled to tax benefits. The production of heat from renewable energy sources is promoted through four different subsidy schemes. Finally, the only support scheme for renewable energy sources used in transport is a quota system. Several policies aim at promoting the development, installation and usage of RES-installations, such as a training programme for RES-installers; a general research, development and demonstration (RD and D) programme and support schemes for RES-H infrastructures (source: RES-Legal Europe)
Thailand's Student Loans Fund: Interest Rate Subsidies and Repayment Burdens

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Bruce; Lounkaew, Kiatanantha; Polsiri, Piruna; Sarachitti, Rangsit; Sitthipongpanich, Thitima

2010-01-01

Government student loan schemes typically have implicit interest rate subsidies which, while these are a cost to taxpayers, they have the benefit of diminishing repayment burdens for graduates. Our goal is to illustrate the extent of both interest rate subsidies and repayment burdens with respect to Thailand's Student Loans Fund (SLF), using…
Effects of Health-Related Food Taxes and Subsidies on Mortality from Diet-Related Disease in New Zealand: An Econometric-Epidemiologic Modelling Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Eyles, Helen; Genc, Murat; Scarborough, Peter; Rayner, Mike; Mizdrak, Anja; Nnoaham, Kelechi; Blakely, Tony

2015-01-01

Health-related food taxes and subsidies may promote healthier diets and reduce mortality. Our aim was to estimate the effects of health-related food taxes and subsidies on deaths prevented or postponed (DPP) in New Zealand. A macrosimulation model based on household expenditure data, demand elasticities and population impact fractions for 18 diet-related diseases was used to estimate effects of five tax and subsidy regimens. We used price elasticity values for 24 major commonly consumed food groups in New Zealand, and food expenditure data from national Household Economic Surveys. Changes in mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other diet-related diseases were estimated. A 20% subsidy on fruit and vegetables would result in 560 (95% uncertainty interval, 400 to 700) DPP each year (1.9% annual all-cause mortality). A 20% tax on major dietary sources of saturated fat would result in 1,500 (950 to 2,100) DPP (5.0%), and a 20% tax on major dietary sources of sodium would result in 2,000 (1300 to 2,700) DPP (6.8%). Combining taxes on saturated fat and sodium with a fruit and vegetable subsidy would result in 2,400 (1,800 to 3,000) DPP (8.1% mortality annually). A tax on major dietary sources of greenhouse gas emissions would generate 1,200 (750 to 1,700) DPP annually (4.0%). Effects were similar or greater for Maori and low-income households in relative terms. Health-related food taxes and subsidies could improve diets and reduce mortality from diet-related disease in New Zealand. Our study adds to the growing evidence base suggesting food pricing policies should improve population health and reduce inequalities, but there is still much work to be done to improve estimation of health impacts.
Effects of Health-Related Food Taxes and Subsidies on Mortality from Diet-Related Disease in New Zealand: An Econometric-Epidemiologic Modelling Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Full Text Available Health-related food taxes and subsidies may promote healthier diets and reduce mortality. Our aim was to estimate the effects of health-related food taxes and subsidies on deaths prevented or postponed (DPP in New Zealand.A macrosimulation model based on household expenditure data, demand elasticities and population impact fractions for 18 diet-related diseases was used to estimate effects of five tax and subsidy regimens. We used price elasticity values for 24 major commonly consumed food groups in New Zealand, and food expenditure data from national Household Economic Surveys. Changes in mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other diet-related diseases were estimated.A 20% subsidy on fruit and vegetables would result in 560 (95% uncertainty interval, 400 to 700 DPP each year (1.9% annual all-cause mortality. A 20% tax on major dietary sources of saturated fat would result in 1,500 (950 to 2,100 DPP (5.0%, and a 20% tax on major dietary sources of sodium would result in 2,000 (1300 to 2,700 DPP (6.8%. Combining taxes on saturated fat and sodium with a fruit and vegetable subsidy would result in 2,400 (1,800 to 3,000 DPP (8.1% mortality annually. A tax on major dietary sources of greenhouse gas emissions would generate 1,200 (750 to 1,700 DPP annually (4.0%. Effects were similar or greater for Maori and low-income households in relative terms.Health-related food taxes and subsidies could improve diets and reduce mortality from diet-related disease in New Zealand. Our study adds to the growing evidence base suggesting food pricing policies should improve population health and reduce inequalities, but there is still much work to be done to improve estimation of health impacts.
Energy efficiency survey in Nigeria. A guide to developing policy and legislation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uyigue, Etiosa; Agho, Matthew; Edevbaro, Agharese; Godfrey, Ogbemudia Osamuyi; Uyigue, Osazee Paul; Okungbowa, Ose Golden

2009-09-15

In Nigeria, experts have asserted that Nigeria can save up to half of the energy currently consumed in the country if energy is efficiently utilized. The major challenge has been that energy policy in Nigeria has undermined the importance and gains of energy efficiency to the environment and economic growth. In the midst of the prevailing energy crisis in Nigeria, energy efficiency will play a pivotal role in ensuring access to energy. Efficiency is not only cheaper than all other options; it also leads to growth in jobs and personal income. By reducing energy bills, it frees up money that can be spent elsewhere in the economy. It appears that the concept of energy efficiency seems to be poorly developed in Nigeria. Having discovered the policy gaps in the Nigerian system on energy efficiency, the Community Research and Development Centre designed and embarked on a research that will help to provide guideline for developing policy and legislation in the energy sector. We discovered that there is absence of research materials and data that will guide and strengthen regulatory measures to use energy efficiently in Nigeria. Hence the research was embarked upon to elicit information that will guide the development of energy efficiency policy which will in turn strengthen regulatory measures to use energy efficiently in Nigeria. In this study, we are focusing on the management of electricity; though energy efficiency is applicable to other forms of energy. Another objective of the study is to identify commercially and behaviorally low-cost ways of reducing energy consumption in the residential, public and private sectors in Nigeria. The information from this study, we believe will help to develop energy efficiency policy document applicable in Nigeria. The research will also help to identify renewable energy potential in the different regions of Nigeria. This document will also serve as a training manual for conferences and workshops.
Nuclear Insurance Subsidies Cost from Post-Fukushima Accounting Based on Media Sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John J. Laureto

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Quantification of nuclear liability insurance is difficult without arbitrary liability caps; however, post-mortem calculations can be used to calculate insurance costs. This study analyzes the Fukushima (Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster to quantify the cost per unit electricity ($/kWh of nuclear energy from the lifetime of the plant after accounting for the true cost of the liability needed to cover the damages from the nuclear disaster determined from news reports. These costs are then compared to the cost of electricity currently paid by Japanese consumers, and then are aggregated to determine the indirect subsidy for nuclear power providers in both Japan and the USA. The results show that the reported costs of the Fukushima nuclear disaster are $20–525 billion, which results in a real insurance cost from the lifetime of electricity produced at the plants between $0.22–5.78/kWh. These values are far higher than the current insurance costs by Japanese law of $0.01/kWh and even the total costs consumers pay for electricity. Although the spread in the input costs is large and the reported metrics are incomplete, the nuclear insurance subsidy is clearly substantial in Japan and in the USA. Ideally, energy sources should be economically sustainable without the need for a government insurance subsidy. For the electricity market to function effectively and efficiently in all other countries using nuclear power, the insurance costs should be reported accurately and included in nuclear electricity costs without arbitrary government liability caps.
Improving building energy efficiency in India: State-level analysis of building energy efficiency policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Tan, Qing; Evans, Meredydd; Kyle, Page; Vu, Linh; Patel, Pralit L.

2017-11-01

India is expected to add 40 billion m2 of new buildings till 2050. Buildings are responsible for one third of India’s total energy consumption today and building energy use is expected to continue growing driven by rapid income and population growth. The implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is one of the measures to improve building energy efficiency. Using the Global Change Assessment Model, this study assesses growth in the buildings sector and impacts of building energy policies in Gujarat, which would help the state adopt ECBC and expand building energy efficiency programs. Without building energy policies, building energy use in Gujarat would grow by 15 times in commercial buildings and 4 times in urban residential buildings between 2010 and 2050. ECBC improves energy efficiency in commercial buildings and could reduce building electricity use in Gujarat by 20% in 2050, compared to the no policy scenario. Having energy codes for both commercial and residential buildings could result in additional 10% savings in electricity use. To achieve these intended savings, it is critical to build capacity and institution for robust code implementation.
Resource Efficiency. What does it mean and why is it relevant? Policy Brief

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, J.C. [ECN Policy Studies, Petten (Netherlands)

2013-04-15

The European Commission has launched a Resource-Efficient Europe as one of its seven flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 Strategy and has published the document 'Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe'. The Roadmap specifies a proposed pathway to action for a resource efficient Europe. This document sets out to describe the essence of the resource efficiency concept and to sketch the relevance of EU resource efficiency policy for application at EU member state level with special reference to the Netherlands. The following questions will be addressed: What is resource efficiency?; How does it relate to sustainability and environmental footprint?; What is the relevance of EU resource efficiency policy for the member states?; Which aspects of resource efficiency are relevant for the Netherlands?; and To what extent is resource efficiency reflected in current Dutch policies?.
Analyzing the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises of a national technology innovation research and development program.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sungmin

2014-01-01

This study analyzes the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of a national technology innovation research and development (R&D) program. In particular, an empirical analysis is presented that aims to answer the following question: "Is there a difference in the efficiency between R&D collaboration types and between government R&D subsidy sizes?" Methodologically, the efficiency of a government-sponsored R&D project (i.e., GSP) is measured by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and a nonparametric analysis of variance method, the Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test is adopted to see if the efficiency differences between R&D collaboration types and between government R&D subsidy sizes are statistically significant. This study's major findings are as follows. First, contrary to our hypothesis, when we controlled the influence of government R&D subsidy size, there was no statistically significant difference in the efficiency between R&D collaboration types. However, the R&D collaboration type, "SME-University-Laboratory" Joint-Venture was superior to the others, achieving the largest median and the smallest interquartile range of DEA efficiency scores. Second, the differences in the efficiency were statistically significant between government R&D subsidy sizes, and the phenomenon of diseconomies of scale was identified on the whole. As the government R&D subsidy size increases, the central measures of DEA efficiency scores were reduced, but the dispersion measures rather tended to get larger.
Energy policy perspectives from the angle of industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stihl, H.P.

1998-01-01

Leave open the possibility to opt for nuclear power, monitor and eventually reduce the subsidies for coal, open up the electricity and natural gas markets to the competitive regime, and solve the conflicts of interest arising from utilization of energy and environmental protection on the national and international level by developing appropriate free market instruments. These requirements are the signposts along the road to comprehensive energy efficiency in generation and applications, which has to be achieved while keeping an eye on reliability and affordability of energy supplies, in order not to endanger economic growth or innovative impetus. The industry will continue to remind the policy makers of this interdependence of interests. (orig./CB) [de
Food Price Policies May Improve Diet but Increase Socioeconomic Inequalities in Nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmon, Nicole; Lacroix, Anne; Muller, Laurent; Ruffieux, Bernard

2016-01-01

Unhealthy eating is more prevalent among women and people with a low socioeconomic status. Policies that affect the price of food have been proposed to improve diet quality. The study's objective was to compare the impact of food price policies on the nutritional quality of food baskets chosen by low-income and medium-income women. Experimental economics was used to simulate a fruit and vegetable subsidy and a mixed policy subsidizing healthy products and taxing unhealthy ones. Food classification was based on the Score of Nutritional Adequacy of Individual Foods, Score of Nutrients to Be Limited nutrient profiling system. Low-income (n = 95) and medium-income (n = 33) women selected a daily food basket first at current prices and then at policy prices. Energy density (ED) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. At baseline, low-income women selected less healthy baskets than medium-income women (less fruit and vegetables, more unhealthy products, higher ED, lower MAR). Both policies improved nutritional quality (fruit and vegetable quantities increased, ED decreased, the MAR increased), but the magnitude of the improvement was often lower among low-income women. For instance, ED decreased by 5.3% with the fruit and vegetable subsidy and by 7.3% with the mixed subsidy, whereas decreases of 13.2 and 12.6%, respectively, were recorded for the medium-income group. Finally, both policies improved dietary quality, but they increased socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Light's labour's lost - policies for energy-efficient lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-06-29

When William Shakepeare wrote Love's Labour's Lost he would have used light from tallow candles at a cost (today) of 12,000 British pounds per million-lumen hours. The same amount of light from electric lamps now costs only 2 pounds! But today's low-cost illumination still has a dark side. Globally, lighting consumes more electricity than is produced by either hydro or nuclear power and results in CO2 emissions equivalent to two thirds of the world's cars. A standard incandescent lamp may be much more efficient than a tallow candle, but it is far less efficient than a high-pressure sodium lamp. Were inefficient light sources to be replaced by the equivalent efficient ones, global lighting energy demand would be up to 40% less at a lower overall cost. Larger savings still could be realised through the intelligent use of controls, lighting levels and daylight. But achieving efficient lighting is not just a question of technology; it requires policies to transform current practice. This book documents the broad range of policy measures to stimulate efficient lighting that have already been implemented around the world and suggests new ways these could be strengthened to prevent light's labour's from being lost.
Light's labour's lost - policies for energy-efficient lighting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

When William Shakepeare wrote Love's Labour's Lost he would have used light from tallow candles at a cost (today) of 12,000 British pounds per million-lumen hours. The same amount of light from electric lamps now costs only 2 pounds. But today's low-cost illumination still has a dark side. Globally, lighting consumes more electricity than is produced by either hydro or nuclear power and results in CO2 emissions equivalent to two thirds of the world's cars. A standard incandescent lamp may be much more efficient than a tallow candle, but it is far less efficient than a high-pressure sodium lamp. Were inefficient light sources to be replaced by the equivalent efficient ones, global lighting energy demand would be up to 40% less at a lower overall cost. Larger savings still could be realised through the intelligent use of controls, lighting levels and daylight. But achieving efficient lighting is not just a question of technology; it requires policies to transform current practice. This book documents the broad range of policy measures to stimulate efficient lighting that have already been implemented around the world and suggests new ways these could be strengthened to prevent light's labour's from being lost
PRICE TRANSMISSION AND HOUSEHOLDS DEMAND ELASTICITY FOR FROZEN FISH UNDER FUEL SUBSIDY REFORM IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Achoja Felix Odemero

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Fuel subsidy removal is assumed to translate to general increase in the cost of operating business such as fish marketing.The response of price of fish and corresponding demand elasticity are welfare issues worthy of investigation in Nigeria. The present study evaluates price transmission in fish marketing system by analysing the response of fish market indices to fuel subsidy reform in Nigeria. Primary data collected with structured questionnaire from purposively selected 78 frozen fish marketers, were analysed with descriptive statistics and regression model. A test of hypothesis shows a significant price transmission of about 100% (P < 0.05. Marketing cost increased by 31.8% and profitability dropped by 24.20%, confirming negative effect of new price regime. The result further revealed a 0.05% drop in quantity of frozen fish demanded by households. It was recommended that economic measures should be introduced by the government to cushion the effect of fuel policy removal.
Perspectives on implementing energy efficiency in existing Swedish detached houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joelsson, Anna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Department of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, SE-831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

2008-01-15

In this study, we first analyse energy-efficiency measures in existing electrically heated houses in Sweden from a societal economic perspective. Measures to a house envelopes and to energy supply chains are evaluated through a system analysis approach and we include the external costs of climate change and the effect of different Swedish climatic zones. We find that in a typical house from the 1970s, conversion from electric heating is highly motivated since the mitigation cost of conversion is lower than the estimated external costs of emitted CO{sub 2}. Both conversions and house envelope measures are more motivated in the northern part of the country, where there is a higher heat demand. A successful implementation of changes requires them to be attractive for consumers to adopt. We therefore secondly analyse the economic conditions for Swedish house owners to implement societal economic cost-efficient measures. We include the economic influence of an investment subsidy for heating system conversion, an income tax deduction for changing windows, customer electricity tax, real estate tax and of the cost of purchased energy from different energy suppliers. Apart from the economics, several other factors affect a house owner's decision to change heating systems. We therefore thirdly analyse house owners' perceptions of different heating supply alternatives based on the results of two comprehensive questionnaires. These different perspectives are combined in a discussion whether the studied policy instruments encourage house owners to implement changes in accordance with the energy-efficiency goals of decision makers. We find that the investment subsidy could be useful to break the lock-in effect of resistance heaters, which house owners seemed to experience. The electricity tax makes heating systems in line with national goals more competitive and efficiency measures to the house envelope more profitable. The reduction of the electricity tax in the northern part

Perspectives on implementing energy efficiency in existing Swedish detached houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joelsson, Anna; Gustavsson, Leif

2008-01-01

In this study, we first analyse energy-efficiency measures in existing electrically heated houses in Sweden from a societal economic perspective. Measures to a house envelopes and to energy supply chains are evaluated through a system analysis approach and we include the external costs of climate change and the effect of different Swedish climatic zones. We find that in a typical house from the 1970s, conversion from electric heating is highly motivated since the mitigation cost of conversion is lower than the estimated external costs of emitted CO 2 . Both conversions and house envelope measures are more motivated in the northern part of the country, where there is a higher heat demand. A successful implementation of changes requires them to be attractive for consumers to adopt. We therefore secondly analyse the economic conditions for Swedish house owners to implement societal economic cost-efficient measures. We include the economic influence of an investment subsidy for heating system conversion, an income tax deduction for changing windows, customer electricity tax, real estate tax and of the cost of purchased energy from different energy suppliers. Apart from the economics, several other factors affect a house owner's decision to change heating systems. We therefore thirdly analyse house owners' perceptions of different heating supply alternatives based on the results of two comprehensive questionnaires. These different perspectives are combined in a discussion whether the studied policy instruments encourage house owners to implement changes in accordance with the energy-efficiency goals of decision makers. We find that the investment subsidy could be useful to break the lock-in effect of resistance heaters, which house owners seemed to experience. The electricity tax makes heating systems in line with national goals more competitive and efficiency measures to the house envelope more profitable. The reduction of the electricity tax in the northern part of
The Relationship between Child Care Subsidies and Children's Cognitive Development

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkinson, Laura E.; Griffen, Andrew S.; Dong, Nianbo; Maynard, Rebecca A.

2013-01-01

Child care subsidies help low-income families pay for child care while parents work or study. Few studies have examined the effects of child care subsidy use on child development, and no studies have done so controlling for prior cognitive skills. We use rich, longitudinal data from the ECLS-B data set to estimate the relationship between child…
IMPACT OF ROMANIAN HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING POLICY ON UNIVERSITY EFFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CRETAN Georgiana Camelia

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The issues of higher education funding policy and university operating efficiency are hot points on the actual public agenda worldwide as the pressures exercised upon the public resources increased, especially in the aftermath of the last economic crisis. Concerned with the improvement of the funding mechanism through which government allocates the public funds in order to meet the national core objectives within the area of higher education, the policy makers adjusted the funding policy by diversifying the criteria used in distributing the funds to public universities. Thus, the aim of this research is to underline both the impact and the consequences the public funding patterns of higher education have on the relative efficiency of public funded higher education institutions, across time. Moreover, the research conducted aims to determine whether the changes occurred within the Romanian public funding methodology of higher education institutions improved the relative efficiency scores of public funded universities, before and after the economic crisis of 2008. Thus, on one hand we have underlined the changes brought to the Romanian public funding mechanism of higher education during the years of 2007, 2009 and 2010 compared to the year of 2006, using the content analysis, and on the other hand we assessed and compared the relative efficiency scores of each selected public funded university using a multiple input - multiple output linear programming model, by employing the Data Envelopment Analysis technique. The findings of the research undertaken emphasized that a more performance oriented funding mechanism improves the efficiency scores of public universities. The results of the research undertaken could be used either by the policy makers within the area of higher education or by the administrative management of public universities in order to correlate the funding with the results obtained and/or the objectives assumed by both the
Impacts of energy subsidy reform on the Malaysian economy and transportation sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solaymani, Saeed; Kari, Fatimah

2014-01-01

Malaysia is paying a high level of subsidies on the consumption of energy (about 5% of its GDP). Therefore, reforming the energy subsidies, as planned by the government, will have a significant impact on household welfare and energy-intensive sectors, such as the transport sector. This study employs a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to highlight the transmission channels through which the removal of energy subsidies affects the domestic economy. The findings show that the shock increases real GDP and real investment, while decreasing Malaysian total exports and imports. The removal of energy subsidies also decreases the aggregate energy demand, and, consequently, decreases the level of carbon emissions in the Malaysian economy. In addition, households experience significant falls in their consumption and welfare. The transport sector is significantly influenced through an increase in production costs due to an increase in the prices of intermediate inputs. The total output and total exports of the whole transport sector decrease while its imports increase. In addition, the use of all kinds of transport by households decreases significantly. The Malaysian energy subsidy reform, leads to an initial decrease in CO 2 emissions and demand for electricity, gas, and petroleum products in the entire transport sector. - Highlights: • Malaysia pays a high level of subsidy on consumption of energy. • The transportation sector in this country is the highest energy consumer among others. • A general equilibrium model used to analyse the effects of energy subsidy reform. • The shock increases real GDP and decreases energy and carbon emission in this sector. • It is not beneficial for the transport sector as decreases the output of this sector
Using stated preference methods to design cost-effective subsidy programs to induce technology adoption: an application to a stove program in southern Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Walter; Salgado, Hugo; Vásquez, Felipe; Chávez, Carlos

2014-01-01

We study the design of an economic incentive based program - a subsidy - to induce adoption of more efficient technology in a pollution reduction program in southern Chile. Stated preferences methods, contingent valuation (CV), and choice experiment (CE) are used to estimate the probability of adoption and the willingness to share the cost of a new technology by a household. The cost-effectiveness property of different subsidy schemes is explored numerically for different regulatory objectives. Our results suggest that households are willing to participate in voluntary programs and to contribute by paying a share of the cost of adopting more efficient technologies. We find that attributes of the existing and the new technology, beyond the price, are relevant determinant factors of the participation decision and payment. Limited access to credit markets for low income families can be a major barrier for an effective implementation of these types of programs. Variations in the design of the subsidy and on the regulator's objective and constraints can have significant impact on the level and the cost of reduction of aggregate emissions achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Essays on equity-efficiency trade offs in energy and climate policies

Science.gov (United States)

Sesmero, Juan P.

Economic efficiency and societal equity are two important goals of public policy. Energy and climate policies have the potential to affect both. Efficiency is increased by substituting low-carbon energy for fossil energy (mitigating an externality) while equity is served if such substitution enhances consumption opportunities of unfavored groups (low income households or future generations). However policies that are effective in reducing pollution may not be so effective in redistributing consumption and vice-versa. This dissertation explores potential trade-offs between equity and efficiency arising in energy and climate policies. Chapter 1 yields two important results. First, while effective in reducing pollution, energy efficiency policies may fall short in protecting future generations from resource depletion. Second, deployment of technologies that increase the ease with which capital can substitute for energy may enhance the ability of societies to sustain consumption and achieve intertemporal equity. Results in Chapter 1 imply that technologies more intensive in capital and materials and less intensive in carbon such as corn ethanol may be effective in enhancing intertemporal equity. However the effectiveness of corn ethanol (relative to other technologies) in reducing emissions will depend upon the environmental performance of the industry. Chapter 2 measures environmental efficiency of ethanol plants, identifies ways to enhance performance, and calculates the cost of such improvements based on a survey of ethanol plants in the US. Results show that plants may be able to increase profits and reduce emissions simultaneously rendering the ethanol industry more effective in tackling efficiency. Finally while cap and trade proposals are designed to correcting a market failure by reducing pollution, allocation of emission allowances may affect income distribution and, hence, intra-temporal equity. Chapter 3 proves that under plausible conditions on preferences
Federal Subsidies and the Housing GSEs

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2001-01-01

.... Congressman Baker also asked that CBO extend the estimate to include the Federal Home Loan Banks and to update its estimate of the portion of the subsidy that the government-sponsored enterprises (OSEs) retain. Congressman John M...
G20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

G-20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress, a report prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the G-20 Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group, provides an overview of clean energy and energy efficiency technology deployment and summarises support policies in place across G-20 countries. The report highlights that while clean energy technology deployment has made steady progress and energy efficiency improvements have been made, continued reliance on fossil fuels to meet growth in global energy demand presents a significant challenge. Scaling-up the deployment of renewable energy, in addition to improving end-use efficiency, enhancing the efficiency of fossil fuel based power generation, and supporting the widespread deployment of CCS will, therefore, also be crucial aspects of the transition to a cleaner energy future. Because the G-20 group of countries represent close to 80% of energy-related CO2 emissions, by developing and deploying energy efficiency and clean energy technologies, they are presented with a unique opportunity to make collective progress in transitioning the global energy system. IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones emphasised the importance of G-20 efforts, saying, 'The IEA welcomes this important collaboration with the G-20. Enhanced deployment of clean energy technologies and of energy efficiency improvements offers energy security and environmental benefits. It will also enable cost savings over the medium and long term -- an aspect that is particularly relevant at a time of economic uncertainty. We believe that enhanced policy assessment and analysis, building on this initial report, will enable governments to take more cost effective and efficient policy decisions.' This report was issued on the authority of the IEA Executive Director, it does not necessarily represent the views of IEA Member countries or the G20.
G20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

G-20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress, a report prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the G-20 Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group, provides an overview of clean energy and energy efficiency technology deployment and summarises support policies in place across G-20 countries. The report highlights that while clean energy technology deployment has made steady progress and energy efficiency improvements have been made, continued reliance on fossil fuels to meet growth in global energy demand presents a significant challenge. Scaling-up the deployment of renewable energy, in addition to improving end-use efficiency, enhancing the efficiency of fossil fuel based power generation, and supporting the widespread deployment of CCS will, therefore, also be crucial aspects of the transition to a cleaner energy future. Because the G-20 group of countries represent close to 80% of energy-related CO2 emissions, by developing and deploying energy efficiency and clean energy technologies, they are presented with a unique opportunity to make collective progress in transitioning the global energy system. IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones emphasised the importance of G-20 efforts, saying, 'The IEA welcomes this important collaboration with the G-20. Enhanced deployment of clean energy technologies and of energy efficiency improvements offers energy security and environmental benefits. It will also enable cost savings over the medium and long term -- an aspect that is particularly relevant at a time of economic uncertainty. We believe that enhanced policy assessment and analysis, building on this initial report, will enable governments to take more cost effective and efficient policy decisions.' This report was issued on the authority of the IEA Executive Director, it does not necessarily represent the views of IEA Member countries or the G20.
Coordination of the EU's emissions trading, energy taxation and subsidies for energy production. Interim Report by the Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The Working Group was to make preparations for the coordination of emissions trading in the European Union, energy taxation and energy production subsidies. It was supposed to issue an interim report on the role of energy taxation by 15 December 2003. In its interim report, the Working Group examined the present energy taxation scheme and the needs for its development upon the start-up of EU-wide emissions trading in 2005. The aim has been to recognise the immediate needs for amending energy taxation and energy tax subsidies in the near future while taking account of the outlines set out in the Government Programme. From the climate policy perspective, emissions trading is an efficient means of steering, because the commitment set for the emissions trading sector can be met by means of it. At the first stage, the EU's emissions trading will concern carbon dioxide emissions only, and in the future probably also other greenhouse gas emissions mentioned in the Kyoto Protocol. Its steering effect does not extend to other emissions, such as acidifying emissions. Other measures will be required for curbing them. Emissions trading is not a sufficient instrument for energy policy, although it partly directs development in a direction that is favourable for energy policy targets. On top of that, the most important steering mechanism of emissions trading, the price of an emission allowance, is beyond the reach of Finnish energy policy. It is determined on the EU-wide emission allowances market. The current energy taxation and energy tax subsidies safeguard the position of renewable energy sources in the circumstances of emissions trading. The competitiveness of domestic fuels, too, can be partly secured with current taxes. In the energy production of communities and industry, energy wood often replaces peat. i.e. two domestic and local fuels are competing against one another. In condensing power production peat is clearly losing more of its competitive edge the higher the
Do wage subsidies for disabled workers reduce their non-employment?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gupta, Nabanita Datta; Larsen, Mona; Thomsen, Lars Stage

2015-01-01

We evaluate the potential of wage subsidy programs for reducing non-employment of the disabled by exploiting a reform of the Danish Flexjob scheme targeted towards employing the long-term (partially) disabled. Firms received a salary reimbursement for all employees granted a Flexjob. We examine....... A reduction in subsidies thus leads to a decrease in the hiring of the non-employed disabled....
Regionalized Techno-Economic Assessment and Policy Analysis for Biomass Molded Fuel in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Xu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available As a relatively mature technology, biomass molded fuel (BMF is widely used in distributed and centralized heating in China and has received considerable government attention. Although many BFM incentive policies have been developed, decreased domestic traditional fuel prices in China have caused BMF to lose its economic viability and new policy recommendations are needed to stimulate this industry. The present study built a regionalized net present value (NPV model based on real production process simulation to test the impacts of each policy factor. The calculations showed that BMF production costs vary remarkably between regions, with the cost of agricultural briquette fuel (ABF ranging from 86 US dollar per metric ton (USD/t to 110 (USD/t, while that of woody pellet fuel (WPF varies from 122 USD/t to 154 USD/t. The largest part of BMF’s cost composition is feedstock, which accounts for up 50%–60% of the total; accordingly a feedstock subsidy is the most effective policy factor, but in consideration of policy implementation, it would be better to use a production subsidy. For ABF, the optimal product subsidy varies from 26 USD/t to 57 USD/t among different regions of China, while for WPF, the range is 36 USD/t to 75 USD/t. Based on the data, a regional BMF development strategy is also proposed in this study.
Perceptions of employers and unemployed youth on the proposed youth employment wage subsidy incentive in South Africa: A KwaZulu-Natal study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuyokazi N. Mtembu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Orientation: South Africa has high levels of unemployment and severe problem of youth unemployment. This implies that the country requires a comprehensive strategy to create more jobs for the youth. Policymaking is one of the strategies that have been introduced to encourage job creation for the youth. The youth wage subsidy is just one of the strategies proposed and this article unpacks what employers and unemployed youth say and think about this policy directive. Research purpose: The main aim of the study was to determine the perceptions of unemployed South African youth and employers on the proposed youth wage subsidy incentive scheme. Motivation for the study: Youth unemployment is a very important issue and the reality is that it is a concern of every government globally. South Africa is therefore not an exception as it is a country that has been experiencing high levels of youth unemployment for the last few decades. In an attempt to curb this pressing challenge of youth unemployment, a proposal to introduce a youth wage subsidy policy was made by government; (since its mention, this idea has been met with a lot of opposing opinions from those against it and applause from those who support it. This has motivated this study to probe the perceptions of the subsidy by those who will be affected by its provisions. Method: A triangulated research approach was adopted through the administration of survey questionnaires amongst the unemployed youth and semi-structured interviews with human resource managers and specialists. A sample of unemployed youth was drawn from selected communities within KwaZulu-Natal. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with human resource managers and specialists at selected organisations to determine their perceptions of the proposed scheme and any benefits or limitations they believe it might have. Non-probability sampling was used to sample 100 respondents (N = 100, 90% of whom were unemployed
Analisis Penentuan Variabel dari Biaya Kapal Sebagai Acuan Penentuan Subsidi untuk Kapal Perintis :Studi Kasus Maluku

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rio Jagarin Silaban

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Subsidi diberikan untuk menjembatani ketidak-seimbangan antara harga atau tarip yang ditetapkan produsen dengan kekuatan daya beli konsumen dikarenakan konsumen tersebut tidak dapat membayar sesuai dengan tarip yang ditetapkan. Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mengkaji formula penentuan subsidi saat ini dan mengeloborasi dengan solusi alternatife. Studi dilakukan dengan menentukan variabel jarak, yang ada di biaya kapal perintis dan dapat dijadikan sebagai acuan penentuan subsidi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penentuan subsidi saat ini hanya ditentukan oleh variabel Jarak saja dan variabel penentu saat ini belum bisa menghitung besaran subsidi dengan lebih objektif karena ada beberapa variabel penentu lainnya yang bisa dijadikan sebagai acuan penentuan subsidi seperti GT, BHP, ABK dan Umur.
A Danish case. Portfolio evaluation and its impact on energy efficiency policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Togeby, M.; Dyhr-Mikkelsen, K. [Ea Energy Analyses, Frederiksholms Kanal 4, 1220 Copenhagen K (Denmark); Larsen, A.E. [Department of Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Bach, P. [Danish Energy Agency, Amaliegade 44, 1256 Copenhagen K (Denmark)

2012-01-15

A political agreement from 2005 stated that an evaluation of the entire Danish energy efficiency policy portfolio must be carried out before the end of 2008, with the aim to assess the following: (1) Is the policy portfolio sufficient to meet the energy efficiency targets? (2) Do the policies enable the national goals to be met in a cost-effective manner? (3) Is the overall design of the policy portfolio appropriate? The evaluation gave recommendations on how to improve and develop the portfolio, mainly using cost-effectiveness as criteria. The evaluation was completed in December 2008, and this paper presents the main findings and the subsequent impact on Danish policy. A key lesson learned is the importance of including all energy efficiency policies in the evaluation. Examining the entire portfolio of policies (as opposed to only selected policies) gave way to findings that would otherwise not have been captured. With its broad perspective, the evaluation found that the policy instruments prioritised the commercial and industrial sectors less than the household and public sectors. The recommendations made by the authors contributed to the implementation of new taxes for the commercial and industrial sectors together with the reform of the Electricity Saving Trust to a Centre for Energy Savings charged with energy savings within all sectors, except transport - both which have been important steps towards a more cost-effective solution.
Food price policies improve diet quality while increasing socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Prices are an important determinant of food choices. Consequently, food price policies (subsidies and/or taxes) are proposed to improve the nutritional quality of diets. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of food price policies on the expenditures and nutritional quality of the food baskets chosen by low- and medium-income households. Methods Experimental economics was used to examine two price manipulations: i) a fruit and vegetable price subsidy named “fruit and vegetables condition”; ii) a healthy-product subsidy coupled with an unhealthy-product tax named “nutrient profile condition”. The nutrient profiling system called SAIN,LIM was used. This system classifies each individual food according to its overall nutritional quality which then allows for a food item to be taxed or subsidized. Women from low- (n = 95) and medium-incomes (n = 33) selected a daily food basket, first, at current prices and then at manipulated prices. The redistributive effects of experimental conditions were assessed by comparing the extent of savings induced by subsidies and of costs generated by the tax on the two income groups. Energy density (kcal/100 g), free sugars (% energy) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. Results At baseline (before price manipulations), low-income women selected less expensive and less healthy baskets than medium-income ones. After price manipulations expenditures for both income group decreased significantly, whereas, the nutritional quality improved (energy density decreased, the MAR increased). Additionally, the redistributive effects were less favourable for low-income women and their nutritional quality improvements from baseline were significantly lower. Conclusion Low-income women derived fewer financial and nutritional benefits from implemented food subsidies and taxes than medium-income women. This outcome suggests that food price policies may improve diet
Food price policies improve diet quality while increasing socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmon, Nicole; Lacroix, Anne; Muller, Laurent; Ruffieux, Bernard

2014-05-20

Prices are an important determinant of food choices. Consequently, food price policies (subsidies and/or taxes) are proposed to improve the nutritional quality of diets. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of food price policies on the expenditures and nutritional quality of the food baskets chosen by low- and medium-income households. Experimental economics was used to examine two price manipulations: i) a fruit and vegetable price subsidy named "fruit and vegetables condition"; ii) a healthy-product subsidy coupled with an unhealthy-product tax named "nutrient profile condition". The nutrient profiling system called SAIN,LIM was used. This system classifies each individual food according to its overall nutritional quality which then allows for a food item to be taxed or subsidized. Women from low- (n = 95) and medium-incomes (n = 33) selected a daily food basket, first, at current prices and then at manipulated prices. The redistributive effects of experimental conditions were assessed by comparing the extent of savings induced by subsidies and of costs generated by the tax on the two income groups. Energy density (kcal/100 g), free sugars (% energy) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. At baseline (before price manipulations), low-income women selected less expensive and less healthy baskets than medium-income ones. After price manipulations expenditures for both income group decreased significantly, whereas, the nutritional quality improved (energy density decreased, the MAR increased). Additionally, the redistributive effects were less favourable for low-income women and their nutritional quality improvements from baseline were significantly lower. Low-income women derived fewer financial and nutritional benefits from implemented food subsidies and taxes than medium-income women. This outcome suggests that food price policies may improve diet quality while increasing socio
Effects of consumer subsidy on household fuel switching from coal to cleaner fuels: A case study for anthracites in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hojeong; Kwon, Hyucksoo

2011-01-01

The Korean coal industry is in a transition under low carbon policy through the steady reduction of coal production. Since consumer subsidy for the consumption of anthracites briquette in low-income households caused a distortion in domestic coal market, the so-called coupon program will be the first target in energy reform policy in order to induce fuel switching from anthracites to alternative clean energy. This paper tries to identify various factors that influence households' fuel switching decision. Disutility from briquette consumption is also considered as an important factor. Using the 2007 census data on briquette-consuming households, it is found that the coupon program provides an adverse effect to switching fuels to clean energy while the disutility of briquettes is positively associated with the probability of fuel switching. However, the empirical finding suggests that the policy alone attempting to remove coupon program may fail to switch fuels unless the cost of boiler changes is substantially reduced through the provision of accessible networks to alternative energy sources. It indicates that reform policy for consumer subsidy must be understood in line with more comprehensive regional energy plans to resolve energy poverty issue. - Research highlights: → Various factors are identified for low income households' fuel switching from coal to clean energy. → Coupon program and accessibility to alternative energy sources are considered; Result shows that accessible network to alternative clean energy sources is essential for low income group. → More comprehensive regional energy plans are required to resolve energy poverty issue.
How the removal of energy subsidy affects general price in China: A study based on input–output model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Zhujun; Tan, Jijun

2013-01-01

In China, most energy prices are controlled by the government and are under-priced, which means energy subsidies existing. Reforming energy subsidies have important implications for sustainable development through their effects on energy price, energy use and CO 2 emission. This paper applies a price-gap approach to estimate China's fossil-fuel related subsidies with the consideration of the external cost. Results indicate that the magnitude of subsidies amounted to CNY 1214.24 billion in 2008, equivalent to 4.04% of GDP of that year. Subsidies for oil products are the largest, followed by subsidies for the coal and electricity. Furthermore, an input–output model is used to analyze the impacts of energy subsidies reform on different industries and general price indexes. The findings show that removal of energy subsidies will have significant impact on energy-intensive industry, and consequently push up the general price level, yet with a small variation. Removing oil products subsidies will have the largest impact, followed by electricity, coal and natural gas. However, no matter which energy price increases, PPI is always the most affected, then GDP deflator, with CPI being the least. Corresponding compensation measures should be accordingly designed to offset the negative impact caused by energy subsidies reform. - Highlights: • China's fossil-fuel subsidies were CNY 1214.24 billion in 2008 including external cost. • Removing energy subsidies will have the largest impact on energy-intensity industry. • Removal of oil products subsidies will have the largest impact. • The effect of removing energy subsidies on general price is: PPI>GDP deflator>CPI
Guideposts for Low Carbon Finance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizer, Billy

2015-01-01

The author proposes four guideposts for efficient low carbon finance: remove subsidies for high-carbon technologies, improve the cost-effectiveness of low-carbon subsidies, encourage private sector innovation and maintain transparent public policy tools that support cost-benefit accounting

Energy Efficiency Policy in the United States: Overview of Trends at Different Levels of Government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doris, E.; Cochran, J.; Vorum, M.

2009-12-01

This report catalogs by sector--buildings, transportation, industrial, and power--energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends. Four key findings emerged from this report: 1) leadership on energy efficiency is necessary--and is found--at each level of government; 2) there is no widely accepted methodology for evaluating energy efficiency policies; 3) coordination among the three levels of government--and across sectors--is increasingly important, and there are opportunities to significantly improve policy performance through a unified strategy; and 4) there are efficiencies to be gained by informing policies in one sector with experience from others.
Energy Efficiency Policy in the United States. Overview of Trends at Different Levels of Government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doris, Elizabeth [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cochran, Jaquelin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Vorum, Martin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2009-12-01

This report catalogs by sector--buildings, transportation, industrial, and power--energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends. Four key findings emerged from this report: 1) leadership on energy efficiency is necessary--and is found--at each level of government; 2) there is no widely accepted methodology for evaluating energy efficiency policies; 3) coordination among the three levels of government--and across sectors--is increasingly important, and there are opportunities to significantly improve policy performance through a unified strategy; and 4) there are efficiencies to be gained by informing policies in one sector with experience from others.
Potentials and policy implications of energy and material efficiency improvement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worrell, Ernst; Levine, Mark; Price, Lynn; Martin, Nathan; van den Broek, Richard; Block, Kornelis

1997-01-01

There is a growing awareness of the serious problems associated with the provision of sufficient energy to meet human needs and to fuel economic growth world-wide. This has pointed to the need for energy and material efficiency, which would reduce air, water and thermal pollution, as well as waste production. Increasing energy and material efficiency also have the benefits of increased employment, improved balance of imports and exports, increased security of energy supply, and adopting environmentally advantageous energy supply. A large potential exists for energy savings through energy and material efficiency improvements. Technologies are not now, nor will they be, in the foreseeable future, the limiting factors with regard to continuing energy efficiency improvements. There are serious barriers to energy efficiency improvement, including unwillingness to invest, lack of available and accessible information, economic disincentives and organizational barriers. A wide range of policy instruments, as well as innovative approaches have been tried in some countries in order to achieve the desired energy efficiency approaches. These include: regulation and guidelines; economic instruments and incentives; voluntary agreements and actions, information, education and training; and research, development and demonstration. An area that requires particular attention is that of improved international co-operation to develop policy instruments and technologies to meet the needs of developing countries. Material efficiency has not received the attention that it deserves. Consequently, there is a dearth of data on the qualities and quantities for final consumption, thus, making it difficult to formulate policies. Available data, however, suggest that there is a large potential for improved use of many materials in industrialized countries.
Effects of spatial subsidies and habitat structure on the foraging ecology and size of geckos.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy A Briggs

Full Text Available While it is well established that ecosystem subsidies--the addition of energy, nutrients, or materials across ecosystem boundaries--can affect consumer abundance, there is less information available on how subsidy levels may affect consumer diet, body condition, trophic position, and resource partitioning among consumer species. There is also little information on whether changes in vegetation structure commonly associated with spatial variation in subsidies may play an important role in driving consumer responses to subsidies. To address these knowledge gaps, we studied changes in abundance, diet, trophic position, size, and body condition of two congeneric gecko species (Lepidodactylus spp. that coexist in palm dominated and native (hereafter dicot dominated forests across the Central Pacific. These forests differ strongly both in the amount of marine subsidies that they receive from seabird guano and carcasses, and in the physical structure of the habitat. Contrary to other studies, we found that subsidy level had no impact on the abundance of either gecko species; it also did not have any apparent effects on resource partitioning between species. However, it did affect body size, dietary composition, and trophic position of both species. Geckos in subsidized, dicot forests were larger, had higher body condition and more diverse diets, and occupied a much higher trophic position than geckos found in palm dominated, low subsidy level forests. Both direct variation in subsidy levels and associated changes in habitat structure appear to play a role in driving these responses. These results suggest that variation in subsidy levels may drive important behavioral responses in predators, even when their numerical response is limited. Strong changes in trophic position of consumers also suggest that subsidies may drive increasingly complex food webs, with longer overall food chain length.
Market conditions affecting energy efficiency investments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seabright, J.

1996-01-01

The global energy efficiency market is growing, due in part to energy sector and macroeconomic reforms and increased awareness of the environmental benefits of energy efficiency. Many countries have promoted open, competitive markets, thereby stimulating economic growth. They have reduced or removed subsidies on energy prices, and governments have initiated energy conservation programs that have spurred the wider adoption of energy efficiency technologies. The market outlook for energy efficiency is quite positive. The global market for end-use energy efficiency in the industrial, residential and commercial sectors is now estimated to total more than $34 billion per year. There is still enormous technical potential to implement energy conservation measures and to upgrade to the best available technologies for new investments. For many technologies, energy-efficient designs now represent less than 10--20% of new product sales. Thus, creating favorable market conditions should be a priority. There are a number of actions that can be taken to create favorable market conditions for investing in energy efficiency. Fostering a market-oriented energy sector will lead to energy prices that reflect the true cost of supply. Policy initiatives should address known market failures and should support energy efficiency initiatives. And market transformation for energy efficiency products and services can be facilitated by creating an institutional and legal structure that favors commercially-oriented entities
The rule on granting subsidies for survey of hot drainage influences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The rule is defined under the law concerning subsidies and the provisions of the order for execution of the law. Basic terms are explained, such as: nuclear power generating facilities; arrangement business of research equipment for hot drainage influences; pre-research business of hot drainage; research business of hot drainage influences; place of enterprise; and expected time of beginning of the use. The Minister of International Trade and Industry grants subsidies to those prefectures where nuclear power generating facilities are or are expected to be established, or their neighboring prefectures to support all or a part of expenses of arrangement of research equipment, pre-research and research of hot drainage influences. Limits of subsidies are for a place of enterprise in a prefecture 14 million yen for a fiscal year for arrangement of research equipment, 5 million yen for pre-research and research respectively. Prefectures shall file an application for subsidies to the Minister of International Trade and Industry with gists of business and outlines of nuclear power generating facilities according to the forms attached. Receiving the application, the minister shall examine it and notify without delay the decision of delivery and its conditions to the applicant in writing, when such settlement is made. Receivers of subsidies shall present to the minister for each quarter reports of subsidized business. Terms and conditions of delivery and others are prescribed particularly. (Okada, K.)
Choosing greenhouse gas emission reduction policies in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demerse, C.; Bramley, M.; Craig, L.

2008-10-01

There is a growing consensus in Canada that climate change needs to be addressed through concrete actions. The implementation of specific policies have been impeded by concerns over economic costs. However, uncertainty over the course of policy creates a cost since businesses have little idea how to factor future environmental policies into their planning. This report examined the policy tools that federal and provincial governments have at their disposal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon pricing (through cap-and-trade systems or carbon taxes), regulated standards, subsidies, infrastructure spending, research and development, and voluntary initiatives. In order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these policy options, the study assessed them against a set of criteria that included environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency, fairness and cost-effectiveness. The report also reviewed the real-world experience with the implementation of these policy options in Canada and internationally. In particular, the report examined carbon pricing mechanisms in detail and explored the best ways to use revenues raised through carbon pricing, and the best options to mitigate any reduced international competitiveness that Canadian industries may encounter. The report concluded with a discussion of areas for further research. It was concluded that climate policy in Canada raises a host of jurisdictional questions that would benefit from further research. 7 tabs., 2 appendices
Energy efficiency and capital-energy substitutability: Evidence from four OPEC countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adetutu, Morakinyo O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The analysis examines energy efficiency gains in selected OPEC countries during 1972–2010. • Capital-energy substitutability is also explored to analyze the impact of policy measures to reduce energy use. • The magnitudes of energy efficiency gains are somewhat small or modest. • Energy and capital are substitutes in some countries, but complements in others. • Climate change policies need to internalize the environmental cost of energy consumption in end-use prices. - Abstract: Rapid economic growth and development in several oil-exporting developing countries have led to increasing energy consumption and the accompanying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Consequently, a good understanding of the nature and structure of energy use in developing economies is required for future energy and climate change policies. To this end, a modified translog cost function is employed in this paper to estimate energy efficiency for selected members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) over the period 1972–2010. This also allows for the estimation of energy-capital substitutability, which arguably reflects the likely ease/disruption to long-term growth arising from policy measures aimed at reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. The estimated results show that energy efficiency gains range from −14% to 13% for sampled countries. Furthermore, factor substitution elasticities suggest that energy and capital are substitutes in Algeria and Saudi Arabia, but are found to be complements in Iran and Venezuela. The insight generated by this study is that, over the last four decades, energy efficiency improvements in selected OPEC countries are modest, possibly reflecting a “subsidy effect” arising from artificially low energy prices. Thus, policy makers should take note that measures aimed at conserving energy need to internalize the environmental cost arising from energy consumption using pricing and fiscal instruments
Market-Driven Management: the Policy Implications

OpenAIRE

Bellini, Nicola

2008-01-01

The first policy implication of the diffusion of a Market-Driven Management approach is the same as the spreading of globalization, i.e. the obsolescence of industrial policies as traditionally designed and managed by Nation-States with the established toolbox of protectionism and subsidies, picking 'national champions', etc. The growing asymmetry between the physical jurisdiction of political bodies and the global operation space of modern corporations feeds the apparent trend toward company...
Towards a More Energy Efficient Future: Applying indicators to enhance energy policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

Improving energy efficiency is a shared policy goal of many governments around the world. The benefits of more efficient use of energy are well known. Not only does it reduce energy costs and investments in energy infrastructure, it also lowers fossil fuel dependency and CO2 emissions, while at the same time increasing competitiveness and improving consumer welfare. Yet many questions remain unanswered. What are the latest trends in global energy use and CO2 emissions? How do factors such as demography, economic structure, income, lifestyle and climate affect these trends? Where are the greatest potentials to further improve energy efficiency, and which data are required to support energy efficiency policy development? This publication answers these questions using the latest insights from the IEA energy indicators work. The goal is to show policy makers how in-depth indicators can be used to track the progress in efficiency and identify new opportunities for improvements.
Energy efficiency trends and policy in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Mansour, Fouad

2011-01-01

The energy dependency of Slovenia is high (52.1%), but it is a little lower than the average energy dependency in the EU 27 (53.8%). Slovenia imports all its petroleum products and natural gas and partly coal and electricity. The energy intensity of Slovenia is higher by about 50% than the average in the EU 27. The target of the EU Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services adopted in 2006 is to achieve a 9% improvement of EE (energy efficiency) within the period 2008-2016. The new target of the EU climate and energy package '20-20-20 plan' is a 20% increase in EE by 2020. Since 1991 the Slovenian government has been supporting energy efficiency activities. The improvement of EE was one of the targets of strategic energy documents ReSROE (Resolution on the Strategy of Use and Supply of Energy in Slovenia from 1996 and ReNEP (Resolution on the National Energy Programme) from 2004 adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly (Parliament) in previous years. The Energy Act adopted in 1999 defines the objective of energy policy as giving priority to EE and utilization of renewable energy sources. The goals of the 'National Energy Action Plan 2008-2016 (NEEAP)' adopted by the Slovenian government in 2008 include a set of energy efficiency improvement instruments in the residential, industrial, transport and tertiary sectors. The target of the NEEAP is to save final energy in the 2008-2016 period, amounting to at least 4261 GWh or 9% of baseline consumption. The indicators of energy efficiency trends show considerable improvement in the period from 1998 to 2007. The improvement of EE was reached in all sectors: manufacturing, transport and households. The paper analyses the structure, trends of energy consumption and energy efficiency indicators by sectors of economic activity. A review of energy efficiency policy and measures is described in the paper.
Monetary Policies And Credit Financing As Factors In Agricultural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences ... cheap interest rate polices has negative effect on credit supply while policies associated with plough ... credit was influenced mainly by the availability of credit subsidies and availability of guarantees.
Enhanced policies for the improvement of electricity efficiencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blok, Kornelis

2005-01-01

Energy-efficiency improvement is considered as an important option to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, the possibilities to implement new policies to improve the efficiency of electricity end-use are explored. The following policy actions are considered: - introduction of a '1 W standard' for standby power consumption of appliances;- incremental standards for large electric appliances;- design guidelines for small electric appliances;- a technology-forcing standard for lighting;- a motor-drive program;- a program directed at the reduction of electricity use during empty-office hours;- actual energy performance requirements for service-sector buildings. The implementation of these programs will contribute substantially to reaching greenhouse gas emission targets in the European Union (total estimated effect to be 200-350 Mton CO 2 emission reduction in the year 2020). However, to reach these targets a very substantial effort is required, both in terms of policy ambition, force of the applied instruments, and implementation efforts. In the case of electric appliances, regulatory instruments may need wider application. And, in order to attain the substantial potential savings in motor-drive systems, an effort comparable to the effort to promote renewable electricity in the European Union may be both justified and necessary
Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of renewable energy support policies in the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klessmann, C.B.

2012-01-01

The thesis discusses the effective and cost-efficient design of renewable energy sources (RES) support policies in the European Union along some major discussion lines of the European RES policy debate: the effectiveness of the different national support policies in the member states; the cost savings potential of different cost reduction policies for reaching the 2020 RES target; the role of market risk exposure and market integration for RES deployment and the cost-efficiency of RES support; and the role and design of cross-country cooperation mechanisms for efficient RES target achievement. The analysis showed that the effectiveness and efficiency of RES support policies is still low in many European member states but that top runner countries have gained significant experience in tailored RES policy design. The key recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of RES support policies across Europe are: Reducing policy and market risks, particularly those that have no or little potential to trigger cost-optimised behaviour of RES generators Ensuring long-term commitment and increasing the stability of the regulatory framework for RES Against the background of the risk-averse financial environment and the new budgetary constraints of the recent financial crisis, it has become even more important for governments to take measures to reduce RES financing risks. Without such risk reduction, it seems unlikely that sufficient investments will be attracted to reach the EU 2020 targets. Furthermore, stable and risk sensitive policies could reduce the policy costs for achieving the target by up to 4 billion Euro per year. In addition to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their national support instruments, policymakers should consider the increased use of cooperation mechanisms that could potentially further decrease the cost of European RES target achievement by 2-3 billion Euro per year, at least if the respective cooperation mechanisms do
Energy efficiency as a resource in state portfolio standards: Lessons for more expansive policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoyre, Autumn

2015-01-01

In this paper, state electricity portfolio standards in the U.S. are analyzed to examine how energy efficiency is being created as a particular kind of resource through this type of climate change governance. Such policies can incentivize energy efficiency by requiring or encouraging electricity providers to meet a certain percentage of their demand through energy efficiency measures. North Carolina’s portfolio standard is used as an in-depth case study to identify factors that are then compared across all 36 states that include energy efficiency as part of a portfolio requirement or goal. The main finding of this study is that state portfolio standards tend to emphasize demand-side energy efficiency, or energy efficiency on the customer’s side of the electricity meter, and only rarely incentivize a full range of both demand-side and supply-side efficiency changes. As a result, the amount of energy efficiency and climate change mitigation benefits that are likely to result from this type of portfolio standard policy tool are limited. From this analysis, lessons are drawn out for crafting stronger portfolio standards that incentivize a wider range of efficiency changes across electricity networks. - Highlights: • Energy efficiency in 36 U.S. state portfolio standard policies was analyzed. • Such standards were found to incentivize mainly demand-side energy efficiency. • Supply-side energy efficiency was rarely incentivized by portfolio standards. • Such framings likely limit the carbon mitigation potential of these policies. • Recommendations are made for more expansive portfolio standard policies.
Estimating the Impact of Means-tested Subsidies under Treatment Externalities with Application to Anti-Malarial Bednets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bhattacharya, Debopam; Dupas, Pascaline; Kanaya, Shin

and its neighbors. Using experimental data from Kenya where subsidies were randomized, coupled with GPS-based location information, we show how to estimate aggregate ITN use resulting from means-tested subsidies in the presence of such spatial spillovers. Accounting for spillovers introduces infinite......-dimensional estimated regressors corresponding to continuously distributed location coordinates and makes the inference problem novel. We show that even if individual ITN use unambiguously increases with increasing incidence of subsidy in the neighborhood, ignoring spillovers may over- or under-predict overall ITN use...... resulting from a specific targeting rule, depending on the resulting aggregate incidence of subsidy. Applying our method to the Kenyan data, we find that (i) individual ITN use rises with neighborhood subsidy-rates, (ii) under means-testing, predicted ITN use is a convex increasing function of the subsidy...
Implementing energy efficiency policy in Croatia: Stakeholder interactions for closing the gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukarica, Vesna; Robić, Slavica

2013-01-01

Despite the substantial efforts made to develop sound energy efficiency policies, the desired effects in terms of achieved energy savings are lacking. This phenomenon is known as the energy efficiency gap and has been extensively investigated in the literature. Barrier models to explain the gap are primarily oriented towards the technical aspects of energy efficiency and often disregard its social aspects. The aim of our research was to identify the social structures that play a prominent role in moving society towards greater energy efficiency, to investigate their perceptions of the levers for and brakes to greater participation in the implementation of energy efficiency measures and to provide recommendations for policy enhancement. Four groups of stakeholders were identified: public institutions, businesses, civil society organisations and the media. A survey was administered to 93 representatives of these groups in Croatia. The results indicate that to encourage the society to adopt energy efficiency improvements, it is crucial for public institutions to play a leading role with the support of strong and visible political commitment. The level of benefit recognition among all groups is weak, which together with the slow progression of dialogue between and within the analysed groups is preventing full policy uptake. - Highlights: • We analyse attitudes of Croatian stakeholders towards energy efficiency. • Responses are gathered from public institutions, businesses, CSOs and media. • Lacking political will and public dialogue dominantly cause and maintain the gap. • Participative policy making and clear leadership in implementing are needed
Subsidies in WTO Law and Energy Regulation : Some Implications for Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marhold, Anna

2018-01-01

This contribution discusses WTO subsidies disciplines in the context of the energy sector. After laying out the relevant disciplines, it will discuss the paradox of WTO law with respect to subsidies towards fossil fuels vis-à-vis those towards renewable energy. It is clear that subsidies on clean
20 CFR 418.3230 - When will we use your subsidy inquiry as your filing date?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When will we use your subsidy inquiry as your filing date? 418.3230 Section 418.3230 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE... oral or written inquiry about the subsidy, or partially complete an Internet subsidy application on our...
Evaluating energy efficiency policies with energy-economy models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mundaca, L.; Neij, L.; Worrell, E.; McNeil, M.

2010-01-01

The growing complexities of energy systems, environmental problems, and technology markets are driving and testing most energy-economy models to their limits. To further advance bottom-up models from a multidisciplinary energy efficiency policy evaluation perspective, we review and critically

How to Set up Economic Relations in the Energy Market for the Realization of Climate Preservation Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granic, G. et al.

2014-01-01

The simplest, easiest and the most efficient way to integrate climate preservation policy cost into the energy price is by introduction of dedicated tax or CO2 charge as an unique measure for all fossil fuel energy buyers. The above stated implies abolishment of all existing financial resource collecting forms for particular climate policy measures and establishment of only one source from which all measures, like CO2 emission reduction, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, technology development as well as education, would be financed. In order to implement the new model as efficiently as possible, with a minimal increase in an administration, the solution should be sought in existing models, procedures and relations. Possible solutions are, firstly, to take only a part of or the whole VAT costs from the Fund which would manage financial funds of dedicated tax or CO2 charge. By this, subsidy can be up to 25 percent with no influence on state budget. Second possibility is an introduction of special premium for the ongoing projects, i.e. where the needed subsidy is greater than 25 percent or credit financing support through business banks or contractor. he new system needs to avoid any form of privileges and should preserve the energy market as a base relation in the energy sector. The energy efficiency goals should be prescribed on the highest level for all the new projects. This is particularly important for buildings where it is necessary to legally define insulation as well as energy efficiency standards. Furthermore, for all appliances and facilities it is necessary to determine quality standards and to decommission those that do not fulfil energy efficiency minimum. In the transport sector it is of high importance to decrease average age of used cars and in parallel deploy as efficient cars as possible. A part of measures can be restrictive through withdrawing from traffic due to age and the amount of CO2 emissions, while the second part of measures
Political Connections, Government Subsidies and Technical Innovation of Wind Energy Companies in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiaan Qu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Developing wind energy is one of the win win measures in response to climate changes and energy security. In order to promote technical innovation in the wind-energy industry, the government grants various fiscal subsidies to wind-energy companies every year. To acquire these subsidies, enterprises often employ those with political backgrounds as members of the board of directors and board of supervisors. On the one hand, the acquisition of subsidies may indeed promote the technical innovation capacity of enterprises, but, on the other hand, due to the existence of “the grabbing hand”, the technical innovation capacity of enterprises may be weakened. We selected 35 Chinese wind-energy listed companies to analyze the relationship between political connections, subsidies and the technical innovation capacity. Results indicate that, political connections to an enterprise weaken its innovative potential and achievement. Moreover, the higher the strength of political connections is, the stronger the negative impact it will bring to the innovative capacity of the enterprise. Modulation of government subsidies, however, can alleviate the negative effects of political connections.
Strategic Sequencing for State Distributed PV Policies: A Quantitative Analysis of Policy Impacts and Interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doris, E.; Krasko, V.A.

2012-10-01

State and local policymakers show increasing interest in spurring the development of customer-sited distributed generation (DG), in particular solar photovoltaic (PV) markets. Prompted by that interest, this analysis examines the use of state policy as a tool to support the development of a robust private investment market. This analysis builds on previous studies that focus on government subsidies to reduce installation costs of individual projects and provides an evaluation of the impacts of policies on stimulating private market development.
ARE THE EUROPEAN UNION CAP’S SUBSIDIES A POLITICAL RENT? AN ATTEMPT AT METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bazyli Czyżewski

2014-03-01

Full Text Available According to the “induced innovation model of agricultural development” there exist mechanisms for this sector’s participation in contributing to economic development, as well as in sharing its benefits. Nonetheless, inefficiencies of the market that distort market signals, constitute a barrier of the latter process. Therefore, the so-called “surplus drainage” from agriculture takes place. The authors claim that it is possible to objectively measure a “surplus drainage” from agriculture as a result of market failure. Assuming that rural areas generate public goods (i.e. a landscape, a biodiversity, rural culture and tradition, unique food quality, food safety, food security speculative land investors have lower willingness to contribute to its creation, than family farms. This is why agrarian policy levies more duties on them (institutional barriers and favours farmers. The mentioned premises imply that the CAP’s subsidies should not be perceived as political rents according to its classical definition. Only a part of subsidies left after subtracting a value of “surplus drainage” and a compensation of public goods has a hallmark of the rent. A valuation of these values is an important scientific challenge.
An AHP decision making model for optimal allocation of energy subsidy among socio-economic subsectors in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, Mehdi; Ameli, Ahmad

2012-01-01

This paper presents an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) decision model for sectoral allocation of energy subsidy based on several criteria. With determination of priorities for these criteria through questionnaire and AHP method, the overall rank of these criteria that have the most influence on distribution of energy subsidy among socio-economic sub-sectors, are as the following: inflation, economic growth, labor intensity, distribution of energy subsidy among socio-economic levels, energy intensity and social cost of air pollution. According to the model, the first priority for allocation of energy subsidy is commercial sector and the last priority is related to transportation sector. Investigating the impact of changing priority of the criteria on overall results indicates that the socio-economic sub sectors’ ranking in receiving subsidy have little sensitivity for changing priority of the subsidy criteria. - Highlights: ► Commerce subsector is the best sub sector with an overall priority score of 0.331. ► The first priority for allocation of energy subsidy is commercial sector. ► When we increase the priority of each criterion first time, then overall rank of the outcome has little changing. ► The socio-economic sub sectors' ranking in receiving subsidy have little sensitivity for changing priority of the subsidy criteria.
Regulations on the allocating of subsidies to promote the development of radiation exposure reduction technology for nuclear power facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The regulations provide for subsidies for the research and development of radiation exposure reduction technology for nuclear power facilities and evaluation of the results. The subsidies are for purchase of equipment, materials, etc. and other expendures approved. The contents are as follows: applications for subsidies, determination of subsidy allocations, withdrawal of applications, a report on the work proceedings, a report on the results, confirmation on the sum of the subsidies, payment of subsidies, approval of alterations in the plans, withdrawal of the decision for subsidies, patent rights, payment of the earnings, management of the properties, etc. (Mori, K.)
In-Kind Export Subsidies for Processed and Bulk Goods

OpenAIRE

Philip L. Paarlberg

1996-01-01

This research analyzes the interaction between a bulk commodity and a processed good under in-kind export subsidies. An in-kind export subsidy lowers the export price of the good on which it is paid. The other price changes are ambiguous. A numerical model for U.S. wheat and flour illustrates these conditions. Given the parameters of the model, an in-kind payment using wheat lowers flour prices and the export price of wheat. The U.S. domestic wheat price rises. When flour is used for the paym...
19 CFR 351.514 - Export subsidies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Export subsidies. 351.514 Section 351.514 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES... government, a benefit does not exist if the Secretary determines that the activities consist of general...
Irrigation efficiency and water-policy implications for river-basin resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, C. A.; Vicuña, S.; Blanco-Gutiérrez, I.; Meza, F.; Varela-Ortega, C.

2013-07-01

Rising demand for food, fiber, and biofuels drives expanding irrigation withdrawals from surface- and groundwater. Irrigation efficiency and water savings have become watchwords in response to climate-induced hydrological variability, increasing freshwater demand for other uses including ecosystem water needs, and low economic productivity of irrigation compared to most other uses. We identify three classes of unintended consequences, presented here as paradoxes. Ever-tighter cycling of water has been shown to increase resource use, an example of the efficiency paradox. In the absence of effective policy to constrain irrigated-area expansion using "saved water", efficiency can aggravate scarcity, deteriorate resource quality, and impair river-basin resilience through loss of flexibility and redundancy. Water scarcity and salinity effects in the lower reaches of basins (symptomatic of the scale paradox) may partly be offset over the short-term through groundwater pumping or increasing surface water storage capacity. However, declining ecological flows and increasing salinity have important implications for riparian and estuarine ecosystems and for non-irrigation human uses of water including urban supply and energy generation, examples of the sectoral paradox. This paper briefly examines policy frameworks in three regional contexts with broadly similar climatic and water-resource conditions - central Chile, southwestern US, and south-central Spain - where irrigation efficiency directly influences basin resilience. The comparison leads to more generic insights on water policy in relation to irrigation efficiency and emerging or overdue needs for environmental protection.
Effects of spatial subsidies and habitat structure on the foraging ecology and size of geckos

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Amy A.; Young, Hillary S.; McCauley, Douglas J.; Hathaway, Stacie A.; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Fisher, Robert N.

2012-01-01

While it is well established that ecosystem subsidies—the addition of energy, nutrients, or materials across ecosystem boundaries—can affect consumer abundance, there is less information available on how subsidy levels may affect consumer diet, body condition, trophic position, and resource partitioning among consumer species. There is also little information on whether changes in vegetation structure commonly associated with spatial variation in subsidies may play an important role in driving consumer responses to subsidies. To address these knowledge gaps, we studied changes in abundance, diet, trophic position, size, and body condition of two congeneric gecko species (Lepidodactylus spp.) that coexist in palm dominated and native (hereafter dicot dominated) forests across the Central Pacific. These forests differ trongly both in the amount of marine subsidies that they receive from seabird guano and carcasses, and in the physical structure of the habitat. Contrary to other studies, we found that subsidy level had no impact on the abundance of either gecko species; it also did not have any apparent effects on resource partitioning between species. However, it did affect body size, dietary composition, and trophic position of both species. Geckos in subsidized, dicot forests were larger, had higher body condition and more diverse diets, and occupied a much higher trophic position than geckos found in palm dominated, low subsidy level forests. Both direct variation in subsidy levels and associated changes in habitat structure appear to play a role in driving these responses. These results suggest that variation in subsidy levels may drive important behavioral responses in predators, even when their numerical response is limited. Strong changes in trophic position of consumers also suggest that subsidies may drive increasingly complex food webs, with longer overall food chain length.
Does the DHET research output subsidy model penalise high-citation publication? A case study

OpenAIRE

Yolande X. Harley; Esmari Huysamen; Carlette Hlungwani; Tania S. Douglas

2016-01-01

South African universities are awarded annual subsidy from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) based on their research publication output. Journal article subsidy is based on the number of research publications in DHET-approved journals as well as the proportional contribution of authors from the university. Co-authorship with other institutions reduces the subsidy received by a university, which may be a disincentive to collaboration. Inter-institutional collaboration may ...
Country policy profile - Luxembourg. August 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

In Luxembourg, electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through a feed-in tariff as well as through subsidies. Private individuals operating small solar installations are entitled to tax benefits. The production of heat from renewable energy sources is promoted through four different subsidy schemes. Finally, the only support scheme for renewable energy sources used in transport is a quota system. Several policies aim at promoting the development, installation and usage of RES-installations, such as a training programme for RES-installers; a general research, development and demonstration (RD and D) programme and support schemes for RES-H infrastructures (source: RES-Legal Europe). New feed-in tariff for electricity were formally introduced in August 2014
Country policy profile - Greece. August 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

In Greece, electricity from renewable sources is promoted through a feed-in tariff, subsidies a tax exemption and a net metering scheme. Renewable energy sources for heating purposes profit from a tax exemption and a subsidy scheme. The main incentive for renewable energy use in transport is a quota system (RES-Legal Europe, 2014). The Greek progress report was released by the EC in March 2014. This EurObserv'ER report reports on a new Greek law: 'Measures for the support and development of Greek economy within the scope of application of Law 4046/2012 and other provisions', published in the Government Gazette on 7 April 2014, introducing various new elements in the Greek RES policy
26 CFR 6a.103A-1 - Interest on mortgage subsidy bonds.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... interest on a mortgage subsidy bond is includable in gross income and subject to Federal income taxation... the regulations thereunder. (4) Advance refunding. On or after December 5, 1980, no tax-exempt obligation may be issued for the advance refunding of a mortgage subsidy bond (determined without regard to...
20 CFR 418.3210 - What is a prescribed application for a subsidy?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a prescribed application for a subsidy? 418.3210 Section 418.3210 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE SUBSIDIES..., or an application available online on our Internet Web site (www.socialsecurity.gov). See § 418.3220...
Essays on globalization. Policies in trade, development, resources and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerkelae, L.

2009-07-01

This research study on globalization consists of an introduction on the methodology applied, a summary and four independent essays focussing on applied policy research in international trade. The study follows the CGE (Computable General Equilibrium) research tradition. The simulation environment is the publicly available GTAP model. The essays examine the specific topics of trade and aid policies, price liberalization of the Russian energy markets, trade preferences in the sugar sector of the EU and the role of carbon sinks in mitigating climate change. The first essay examines trade and aid policies in Mozambique. The essay analyses the impact of alternative options like trade agreements, aid and trade facilitation. The results suggest that Mozambique has very little to gain from trade agreements or the Doha Round, although some agreements with the EU do yield some benefit. Trade facilitation and aid-for-trade programs on the other hand have the potential for larger benefits. The second essay examines the impact of liberalising RussiaAEs energy sector. The analysis is based on the implicit subsidies in regulated prices of electricity and gas and focuses on the effect of the different taxes and subsidies with respect to welfare and GDP in Russia and abroad. Increases in the price of electricity and gas improve efficiency and shift output from domestic markets to exports. The third essay investigates the impact of liberalising the EUAEs sugar sector by taking into account the complex structure of the EU sugar market and preferences in imports for developing countries. The fourth essay focuses on the effects of including carbon sinks into the analysis of the impacts of the Kyoto agreement. (orig.)
Energy efficiency in the European Union: overview of policies and good practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The world is facing increasing energy prospects and stakes, in terms of energy supply security and safety, environmental impact as well as economic and social costs. In Europe, these fast-growing concerns have led to the adoption of new energy efficiency policies at national and European levels: legislation, regulations, institutional measures, awareness-raising and training campaigns, financial incentives, investment schemes, etc. As in other sectors and at each stage of European development, knowledge and experience feedback drive the Member States towards a growing harmonization of national policies: the most encouraging national measures may be adopted by other countries and even implemented at a European level. The valorization and exchange of best practices therefore contributes to the fulfilment of European commitments on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. All these schemes are integrally part of a common European energy policy to be applied to energy production, transportation and distribution - the supply side - as well as to all social and economic activities which make up the demand side, and which is the subject of this document. The presentation hereafter provides an overview of energy efficiency policies and programs implemented in the European Union and in the Member States. It shows the diversity of available means of action and strategic choices within the different countries whilst highlighting the most innovative and significant measures. The various tools available are of course used in different ways in each country depending on their characteristics. Economic structure, for example, can explain the differences in the implementation of certain measures as it results in concentrating on the sectors which produce the most greenhouse gases - and which differ from one country to another. Energy balances -energy-producing countries or energy-dependent countries - and political contexts - with more or less liberal governments
Renewable deployment in India: Financing costs and implications for policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrimali, Gireesh; Nelson, David; Goel, Shobhit; Konda, Charith; Kumar, Raj

2013-01-01

India′s ambitious goals for renewable energy raise many questions regarding the nature of investment required. We conduct financial modeling of actual renewable projects in India; and derive the following insights. First, the high cost of debt is the most pressing problem: higher cost and inferior terms of debt in India may raise the cost of renewable energy by 24–32% compared to the U.S. Second, even if cost of debt goes down, loan terms – including short tenors and variable interest rates – will become significant impediments, given that they add 13–14% to the cost of renewable energy in India compared to the U.S. Finally, due to the high cost of debt, policy lessons from the U.S. and Europe; which focus on finer instruments such as duration of revenue-support, revenue-certainty, investor-risk-perception, and completion/cost-certainty; are not likely to be as effective, with potential impacts on the cost of renewable energy in the 3–11% range. In fact, we find that an interest-rate subsidy, which reduces the cost of debt, reduces the overall subsidy burden by 13–16%. This suggests that Indian policymakers need to prioritize the provision of low-cost, long-term debt and take a closer look at the successful efforts by China and Brazil. -- Highlights: •We examine impact of policy on financing costs of renewables in India. •The high cost of debt – the most pressing problem – adds about 24–32% to the cost. •An interest rate subsidy can actually reduce the overall subsidy burden by 13–16%. •Loan terms – debt tenor and variable rate debt – add about 13–14% to the cost. •Finer policy instruments are not as effective, given that they add 3–11% to the cost
Evaluating an ensemble classification approach for crop diversityverification in Danish greening subsidy control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chellasamy, Menaka; Ferre, Ty; Greve, Mogens Humlekrog

2016-01-01

Beginning in 2015, Danish farmers are obliged to meet specific crop diversification rules based on total land area and number of crops cultivated to be eligible for new greening subsidies. Hence, there is a need for the Danish government to extend their subsidy control system to verify farmers......’ declarations to war-rant greening payments under the new crop diversification rules. Remote Sensing (RS) technology has been used since 1992 to control farmers’ subsidies in Denmark. However, a proper RS-based approach is yet to be finalised to validate new crop diversity requirements designed for assessing...... compliance under the recent subsidy scheme (2014–2020); This study uses an ensemble classification approach(proposed by the authors in previous studies) for validating the crop diversity requirements of the new rules. The approach uses a neural network ensemble classification system with bi-temporal (spring...
On the efficiency of climate policies international coordination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, Helioui

2006-01-01

This article analyses the economic efficiency of climate policies international coordination acknowledging long term perspectives and political constraints. It questions the economic and political viability of emission trading with respect to market power and dynamic distortions. The latter proves more worrying. While one may reasonably expect national positions being decentralized, the Climate Convention cannot commit on long term emission objectives. As a consequence, there is room for strategic behaviour by governments. Structural public programs, crucial to curb long term emissions, are likely to be scaled down because governments expect post-2012 quotas to be revised according to observed trends. This might jeopardize the climate action and further weaken the political consensus it requires. Are carbon taxes a better policy option? It might be the case provided the tax is levied at the international level, but this option faces political obstacles. A hybrid scheme should realize a good compromise between economic efficiency and political acceptability. (author)

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