Energy Economics

Preempting Possibility: Critical Assessment of the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2010

by Mazen Labban

Development and Change 43(1), pp. 375–393

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Carbon Lock-Out: Advancing Renewable Energy Policy in Europe

by Melf-Hinrich Ehlers

co-authored with Paul Lehmann, Felix Creutzig, Nele Friedrichsen, Clemens Heuson, Lion Hirth and Robert Pietzcker

As part of its climate strategy, the EU aims at increasing the share of electricity from renewable energy sources... more As part of its climate strategy, the EU aims at increasing the share of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-E) in overall electricity generation. Attaining this target poses a considerable challenge as the electricity sector is “locked” into a carbon-intensive system, which hampers the adoption of RES-E technologies. Electricity generation, transmission and distribution grids as well as storage and demand response are subject to important path dependences, which put existing, non-renewable energy sources at an advantage. This paper examines how an EU framework for RES-E support policies should be designed to facilitate a carbon lock-out. For this purpose, we specify the major technological, economic and institutional barriers to RES-E. For each of the barriers, a policy review is carried out which assesses the performance of existing policy instruments and identifies needs for reform. The review reveals several shortcomings: while policies targeting generation are widely in place, measures to address barriers associated with electricity grids, storage and demand are still in their infancy and have to be extended. Moreover, the implementation of policies has been fragmented across EU Member States. In this respect, national policies should be embedded into an integrated EU-wide planning of the RES-E system with overarching energy scenarios and partially harmonized policy rules.

Energy and economic growth

by David Stern

Economic growth and energy

by David Stern

A New Financial Architecture Based on a Global Carbon Standard

by Molly Scott Cato

Chapter 3 in Liam Leonard, John Barry (ed.) The Transition to Sustainable Living and Practice (Advances in Ecopolitics, Volume 4, 2009), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.55-76

The present crisis in the global economy is more serious than anything that we have witnessed since the 1930s, yet... more The present crisis in the global economy is more serious than anything that we have witnessed since the 1930s, yet policies designed to tackle it are limited and inadequate. Those that have been proposed, in terms of fiscal stimulus, rely on an outmoded view of the economy, where money can be used to force economic growth. Since the recognition of planetary limits such a strategy is no longer admissible. Instead, we need a global system where countries agree to limit their carbon dioxide emissions: this chapter outlines the Contraction and Convergence model (C&C), which proposes that countries do this within a framework of equal per capita emissions for all global citizens. However, within the existing financial architecture such a policy would do nothing to prevent the United States from continuing to print dollars and to use these to gain an unfair share of world production. Other countries controlling reserve currencies would also be able to avoid strict limits. The policy answer proposed is that of the Ebcu (environment-backed currency unit) – a neutral global trading currency to be used by countries that have also signed up to the C&C model.

China's changing energy intensity trend: A decomposition analysis

by David Stern

A Review of the Attitudes and Expectations of Public Utility Managers with Regard to the Effects of Deregulation and Open Competition in the Electrical Power Industry

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Thompson, Jeff, "A Review of the Attitudes and Expectations of Public Utility Managers with Regard to the Effects of Deregulation and Open Competition in the Electrical Power Industry" (1996). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 221.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/221

Cultivating a demand for clean cookstoves

by Brian E Robinson

Science (2011), with Jill C. Baumgartner

In their policy forum “a major environmental cause of death” (14 October, p. 180), W. J. Martin II and colleagues... more In their policy forum “a major environmental cause of death” (14 October, p. 180), W. J. Martin II and colleagues highlight the need to stimulate market demand for clean cookstoves because “a stove purchased by the consumer is inherently more valued than one that is received without charge.” This widely held view has been challenged, however, by evidence from recent randomized controlled trials studying other preventative health products.

Electricity Prices and Generator Behaviour in Gross Pool Electricity Markets

by Amy O'Mahoney

Electricity market liberalisation has become common practice internationally. The justification for this process has... more Electricity market liberalisation has become common practice internationally. The justification for this process has been to enhance competition in a market traditionally characterised by statutory monopolies in an attempt to reduce costs to end-users. This paper endeavours to see whether a pool market achieves this goal of increasing competition and reducing electricity prices. Here the electricity market is set up as a sealed bid second price auction. Theory predicts that such markets should result with firms bidding their marginal cost, thereby resulting in an efficient outcome and lower costs to consumers. The Irish electricity system with a gross pool market experiences among the highest electricity prices in Europe. Thus, we analyse the Irish pool system econometrically in order to test if the high electricity prices seen there are due to participants bidding outside of market rules or out of line with theory. Results indicate that the Irish pool system appears to be working efficiently and that generators are bidding their true marginal costs. Thus, the pool element of the market structure does not explain the high electricity prices experienced in Ireland.

Why the Green Economy?

by Andrew Smith

published in 'INFO magazine', by the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, in their November/December 2011 issue on the Green Economy

The Green Economy is worth hundreds of billions of pounds (euro / dollars) each year; it spans many sectors including... more The Green Economy is worth hundreds of billions of pounds (euro / dollars) each year; it spans many sectors including the most fundamental ones of energy, food and water supplies; and in the last fifty years, it’s gone from fringe to mainstream, growing in value and coverage each year …

The economic imperatives that lead to the spiralling of negative externalities into an environmental crisis are well-documented: back in 1968, the inevitable tragedy of the commons was first written of in scientific journals: that a resource used by all but owned by none, would inevitably be over-used until it turned to dust. Though this was not the first description of the phenomenon; approximately 2300 years previously, Aristotle wrote:

    “that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it.”

The inevitability of the tragedy of the commons became economic orthodoxy. However, …

Photovoltaics in Germany: has solar power been worth it?

by Andrew Smith

Values in the Wind: A Hedonic Analysis of Wind Power Facilities

by Martin Heintzelman

co-authored with Carrie M. Tuttle

The siting of wind facilities is extremely controversial. This paper
uses data on 11,331 property transactions... more The siting of wind facilities is extremely controversial. This paper
uses data on 11,331 property transactions over 9 years in Northern New York to explore
the effects of new wind facilities on property values. We use a fixed effects framework
to control for omitted variables and endogeneity biases. We find that nearby
wind facilities significantly reduce property values in two of the three counties studied.
These results indicate that existing compensation to local homeowners/communities
may not be sufficient to prevent a loss of property values.

10 Consumer behavior and the use of sustainable energy

by Marjolein Harmsen-van Hout

The Problem of the Competitiveness of Nuclear Energy: A Biophysical Explanation

by François Diaz Maurin

This Working Paper intends to provide a sound explanation for the systemic problem of low competitiveness of nuclear energy.

Parts of this working paper are under process for publication in different international peer reviewed journals soon.

Refer to as:
F. Diaz Maurin: The Problem of the Competitiveness of Nuclear Energy: A Biophysical Explanation, Working Papers on Environmental Sciences
http://www.recercat.net/handle/2072/169668
Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Edifici Cn, Campus UAB
08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
Tel: (+34) 935812974
http://icta.uab.cat
icta@uab.cat

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/)

In this study I try to explain the systemic problem of the low economic competitiveness of nuclear energy for the... more In this study I try to explain the systemic problem of the low economic competitiveness of nuclear energy for the production of electricity by carrying out a biophysical analysis of its production process. Given the fact that neither econometric approaches nor onedimensional methods of energy analyses are effective, I introduce the concept of biophysical explanation as a quantitative analysis capable of handling the inherent ambiguity associated with the concept of energy. In particular, the quantities of energy, considered as relevant for the assessment, can only be measured and aggregated after having agreed on a pre-analytical definition of a grammar characterizing a given set of finite transformations. Using this grammar it becomes possible to provide a biophysical explanation for the low economic competitiveness of nuclear energy in the production of electricity. When comparing the various unit operations of the process of production of electricity with nuclear energy to the analogous unit operations of the process of production of fossil energy, we see that the various phases of the process are the same. The only difference is related to characteristics of the process associated with the generation of heat which are completely different in the two systems. Since the cost of production of fossil energy provides the base line of economic competitiveness of electricity, the (lack of) economic competitiveness of the production of electricity from nuclear energy can be studied, by comparing the biophysical costs associated with the different unit operations taking place in nuclear and fossil power plants when generating process heat or net electricity. In particular, the analysis focuses on fossil-fuel requirements and labor requirements for those phases that both nuclear plants and fossil energy plants have in common: (i) mining; (ii) refining/enriching; (iii) generating heat/electricity; (iv) handling the pollution/radioactive wastes. By adopting this approach, it becomes possible to explain the systemic low economic competitiveness of nuclear energy in the production of electricity, because of: (i) its dependence on oil, limiting its possible role as a carbon-free alternative; (ii) the choices made in relation to its fuel cycle, especially whether it includes reprocessing operations or not; (iii) the unavoidable uncertainty in the definition of the characteristics of its process; (iv) its large inertia (lack of flexibility) due to issues of time scale; and (v) its low power level.

A spatially explicit techno-economic model of bioenergy and biofuel

by Peter Tittmann

Journal of Transport Geography 2011, Co-authored with Nathan Parker, Bryan Jenkins, and Quinn Hart

This study presents a spatially explicit techno-economic Bioenergy Siting Model (BSM) of the bioenergy production... more This study presents a spatially explicit techno-economic Bioenergy Siting Model (BSM) of the bioenergy production system in California. The model describes the bioenergy system in terms of facility siting and size, conversion technology, feedstock profile, and feedstock supply chain configuration for the year 2015. The BSM expands upon previous bioenergy siting work by optimizing the system using spatially explicit feedstock supply curves, multiple potential conversion technologies and geographically determined bioenergy demand. We present sensitivity analysis demonstrating the effect of market and policy change scenarios. The model couples transportation network analysis using a Geographic Information System (GIS) with a mixed integer-linear programming (MIP) optimization model. Scenario results show total biomass resource utilization between 18 and 25 million dry tons annually at biofuel prices from $2.20 to $4.00/gallon of gasoline equivalent.

Construcción de un modelo digital de análisis espacial de las intensidades y estructura del consumo energético nacional. Proyecto Venemap/Venerg/IGDR

by KARENIA CÓRDOVA SÁEZ

Resumen
Las investigaciones en materia de consumo energético e intensidades energéticas están predominantemente... more Resumen
Las investigaciones en materia de consumo energético e intensidades energéticas están predominantemente dominadas por análisis económico estadísticos que pocas veces toman en consideración la variable espacial como herramienta de análisis. Si bien los indicadores pueden enmascarar
comportamientos específicos, en relación al consumo de un determinado energético, o al comportamiento de un determinado sector, son de gran utilidad para realizar análisis de gran escala, donde por la magnitud de las variables que
se involucran, llevaría un tiempo indescriptible el levantamiento, o la construcción de una data fuente de mayor precisión.
Partimos del supuesto, de que Venezuela, posee, de acuerdo a evaluaciones comparativas realizadas por la Dirección de Planificación Energética del MEM, uno de los más altos índices de electrificación de la América Latina,constituyéndose por lo tanto este indicador, en un instrumento valioso de análisis,
para estudiar la diferenciación espacial del consumo energético nacional.
A tales efectos se procedió a calcular estimaciones de consumo con base a este indicador, tomando en consideración los centros poblados a nivel nacional con una población superior a los 2.500 hab. Esta información fue volcada
directamente sobre la base digitalizada de centros poblados, construyéndose a partir de ella, con los recursos de un sistema de información geográfico, un modelo espacial de aproximación al consumo eléctrico nacional, que es la experiencia
que sobre la cual versa este trabajo.
Palabras clave: Modelaje espacial, Energía, Consumo

Eco-eficiencia en firmas del sector agro-alimentario en Venezuela: evaluación estructura, tendencias y uso final de la energía

by KARENIA CÓRDOVA SÁEZ

Revista TERRA, Vol. XXVI, N° 39, 2010.

La estructura de consumo energético, en Venezuela está basada sobre
una matriz de combustibles fósiles, ello se... more La estructura de consumo energético, en Venezuela está basada sobre
una matriz de combustibles fósiles, ello se debe no solo a la relativa abundancia
de estos combustibles por su condición de país petrolero, sino a las políticas de
precios subsidiados en el mercado interno. Tal situación ha dificultado la
adopción de prácticas eco-eficientes en el país, que mejoren los rendimientos
en los sectores de consumo final de mayor intensidad energética, como el sector
industrial y el transporte. Sin embargo, frente a las perspectivas del cambio
climático y la adhesión del país al protocolo de Kyoto, el Estado venezolano
asume el compromiso de diseñar e implementar políticas que estimulen la
adopción de prácticas eco-eficientes en los sectores de mayor consumo. Ello
requiere de una evaluación de la gestión energética en estos sectores, a los
efectos de contribuir con el diseño de estrategias y políticas para mejorar la
eficiencia energética. El sector agroalimentario, dentro de los sectores de
consumo final antes mencionados, representa un importante componente, por
el volumen de su producto industrial y el consumo de materias primas y energía.
A tal efecto fue diseñado el proyecto de investigación Gestión Integral
78 Karenia Córdova Sáez
(Tecnología, Calidad y Ambiente) de la Agroindustria en Venezuela, del cual
este estudio forma parte, desarrollado por investigadores de tres universidades
nacionales (UCV-ULA-LUZ) con apoyo del Fondo Nacional de Ciencia,
Tecnología e Investigación (FONACIT). Uno de los objetivos del estudio, fue
analizar la estructura energética del sector agroalimentario, así como las
iniciativas para incorporar prácticas eco-eficientes en la gestión tecno-ambiental,
en una muestra de 129 firmas representativas de las ramas que componen el
sector en toda la geografía nacional.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Agroindustria, consumo energético, gestión ambiental.

Criterios para la definición de ámbitos territoriales prioritarios en la implantación de fuentes alternas de energía en Venezuela

by KARENIA CÓRDOVA SÁEZ

Resumen

En Venezuela, un país de una arraigada economía y cultura primario exportadora-energético... more Resumen

En Venezuela, un país de una arraigada economía y cultura primario exportadora-energético petrolera, ha resultado difícil, aunque pareciera paradójico, la implementación formal de programas de desarrollo de fuentes alternas de energía más allá de algunas modestas iniciativas en el sector privado, relacionados a la utilización de desechos como combustible y la infraestructura de turismo ecológico. En este contexto, parecería que el espacio para un desarrollo energético alternativo estaría todavía vinculado a los desarrollos en pequeñas escalas, sólo donde no estuviera prevista la inversión en la expansión de las redes energéticas convencionales. Este ensayo propone una aproximación a la definición de criterios que permitan caracterizar aquellos ámbitos territoriales en Venezuela, que por sus particularidades socio-ambientales - accesibilidad actual y futura de las redes energéticas convencionales, potencialidades físico-naturales para el desarrollo de fuentes alternas pueden considerarse como prioritarios para un programa de desarrollo energético alternativo

Palabras clave
Energías alternas, programas, territorio

PERSPECTIVAS Y ESTRATEGIAS PARA EL GAS NATURAL EN LA AMERICA LATINA: BRASIL Y VENEZUELA

by KARENIA CÓRDOVA SÁEZ

Las crecientes necesidades de preservación del medio ambiente están fuertemente vinculadas a la búsqueda de fuentes... more Las crecientes necesidades de preservación del medio ambiente están fuertemente vinculadas a la búsqueda de fuentes energéticas y tecnologías más limpias, menos contaminantes, especialmente aquéllas relacionadas al mejoramiento de la calidad del aire, condiciones atmosféricas, reducción del efecto invernadero y preservación de la capa de ozono. El presente trabajo explora la evolución de la industria del gas natural en dos importantes países latinoamericanos, Brasil y Venezuela, caracterizados por poseer uno, un extenso potencial de mercado para el uso intensivo de gas natural y otro una significativa capacidad productiva de hidrocarburos derivados de gas natural y petróleo. A partir de esta síntesis histórica, se esbozan algunas perspectivas para el sector de la industria del gas natural en ambos países, dentro del contexto latinoamericano. Palabras Clave: Gas natural, Venezuela, Brasil

Evolução da matriz energetica venezuelana e suas implicações socio-economicas de 1970 a 1990

by KARENIA CÓRDOVA SÁEZ

Tese de Mestrado, UNICAMP, Brasil, 1996.

Resumo: A evolução da economia Venezuelana está estreitamente vinculada ao modelo "petroleiro-rentista" de... more Resumo: A evolução da economia Venezuelana está estreitamente vinculada ao modelo "petroleiro-rentista" de desenvolvimento, que é em boa medida responsável pela definição das tendências energo-intensivas que caracterizaram e definem, ainda hoje, as tendências, a estrutura e a evolução da matriz de consumo energético da Venezuela. Esses fatos serão objeto de estudo nessa pesquisa, na qual pretende-se fazer uma reconstituição histórica da evolução do modelo de desenvolvimento "petroleiro-rentista" e da matriz de consumo energético na Venezuela entre os anos 70-90. Nesse contexto, o modelo Criqui, será aplicado como parte dessa pesquisa, contribuindo para explicar as variações que se verificam tanto na estrutura interna quanto nas tendências desse consumo final. Os resultados desse estudo contribuem para a compreensão das estreitas ligações que existem entre o modelo de desenvolvimento desse país e o consumo energético, o que será de grande utilidade para definição de diversas linhas de pesquisa na área energética na Venezuela

Abstract: The economical evolution of Venezuela is much related to "oil-rent" development model, which is greatly responsible for the definition of energy -intensity trends that describe and define even now, the evolution and structure of the country energy matrix. These issues are the object of this study . An historical account of the "oil-rent" development model and Venezuelan consumption matrix, between 1970-90 is presented. The Criqui model is applied as part of this study to contribute to explain variations registered in the structure and trends of final consumption. The outcome of this study contribute to the understanding of the close links between the country development model and energy consumption patterm and may be useful to the definition of different research lines in Venezuelan energy issues