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Modeling a Clean Energy Standard for Electricity: Policy Design Implications for Emissions, Supply, Prices, and Regions

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  • Paul, Anthony

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Palmer, Karen

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Woerman, Matt

    (Resources for the Future)

Abstract
The electricity sector is responsible for roughly 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and a shift away from conventional coal-fired generation is an important component of the U.S. strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Toward that goal, several proposals for a clean energy standard (CES) have been put forth, including one espoused by the Obama administration that calls for 80 percent clean electricty by 2035 phased in from current levels of roughly 40 percent. This paper looks at the effects of such a policy on CO2 emissions from the electricity sector, the mix of technologies used to supply electricity, electricity prices, and regional flows of clean energy credits. The CES leads to a 30 percent reduction in cumulative CO2 emissions between 2013 and 2035 and results in dramatic reductions in generation from conventional coal. The policy also results in fairly modest increases on national electricity prices, but this masks a wide variety of effects across regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul, Anthony & Palmer, Karen & Woerman, Matt, 2011. "Modeling a Clean Energy Standard for Electricity: Policy Design Implications for Emissions, Supply, Prices, and Regions," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-35, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-11-35
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Parry, Ian W.H. & Williams, Roberton C., 2011. "Moving U.S. Climate Policy Forward: Are Carbon Taxes the Only Good Alternative?," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-02, Resources for the Future.
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    6. Bryan K. Mignone & Thomas Alfstad & Aaron Bergman & Kenneth Dubin & Richard Duke & Paul Friley & Andrew Martinez & Matthew Mowers & Karen Palmer & Anthony Paul & Sharon Showalter & Daniel Steinberg & , 2012. "Cost-effectiveness and Economic Incidence of a Clean Energy Standard," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
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    Cited by:

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    2. Cosmi, Carmelina & Dvarionenė, Jolanta & Marques, Isabel & Di Leo, Senatro & Gecevičius, Giedrius & Gurauskienė, Inga & Mendes, Gisela & Selada, Catarina, 2015. "A holistic approach to sustainable energy development at regional level: The RENERGY self-assessment methodology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 693-707.
    3. Heeter, Jenny & Bird, Lori, 2013. "Including alternative resources in state renewable portfolio standards: Current design and implementation experience," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1388-1399.
    4. Rausch, Sebastian & Mowers, Matthew, 2014. "Distributional and efficiency impacts of clean and renewable energy standards for electricity," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 556-585.
    5. Wright, Evelyn & Kanudia, Amit, 2014. "Low carbon standard and transmission investment analysis in the new multi-region US power sector model FACETS," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 136-150.
    6. Dominique Finon & Fabien Roques, 2013. "European Electricity Market Reforms: The "Visible Hand" of Public Coordination," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    7. Warwick J. McKibbin & Adele Morris & Peter J. Wilcoxen, 2015. "Controlling carbon emissions from U.S. power plants: how a tradable performance standard compares to a carbon tax," CAMA Working Papers 2015-30, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    8. Burtraw, Dallas & Woerman, Matt, 2013. "Technology Flexibility and Stringency for Greenhouse Gas Regulations," RFF Working Paper Series dp-13-24, Resources for the Future.
    9. Liu, Xi & Du, Huibin & Brown, Marilyn A. & Zuo, Jian & Zhang, Ning & Rong, Qian & Mao, Guozhu, 2018. "Low-carbon technology diffusion in the decarbonization of the power sector: Policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 344-356.
    10. Chang, Kai & Ge, Fangping & Zhang, Chao & Wang, Weihong, 2018. "The dynamic linkage effect between energy and emissions allowances price for regional emissions trading scheme pilots in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 415-425.
    11. Balash, Peter & Nichols, Christopher & Victor, Nadejda, 2013. "Multi-regional evaluation of the U.S. electricity sector under technology and policy uncertainties: Findings from MARKAL EPA9rUS modeling," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 89-119.
    12. Brown, David P. & Eckert, Andrew & Eckert, Heather, 2018. "Carbon pricing with an output subsidy under imperfect competition: The case of Alberta's restructured electricity market," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 102-123.
    13. Bielen, David A., 2018. "Do differentiated performance standards help coal? CO2 policy in the U.S. electricity sector," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 79-100.
    14. Paul, Anthony & Palmer, Karen & Woerman, Matt, 2014. "Analysis of the Bingaman clean energy standard proposal," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 113-129.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    renewables; climate; clean energy standard;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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