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Brown coal exit: a market mechanism for regulated closure of highly emissions intensive power stations

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  • Jotzo, Frank
  • Mazouz, Salim
Abstract
In this paper we propose a market mechanism for regulated exit of highly emissions intensive power stations from the electricity grid. The starting point is that there is surplus capacity in coal fired power generation in Australia. In the absence of a carbon price signal, black coal generation capacity may leave the market instead of high emitting brown coal power stations. We lay out options for a mechanism of regulated power station closure using a market mechanism. Plants bid competitively over the payment they require for closure, the regulator chooses the most cost effective bid, and payment for closure is made by the remaining power stations in proportion to their carbon dioxide emissions. This could overcome adverse incentive effects for plants to stay in operation in anticipation of payment for closure and solve the political difficulties and problems of information asymmetry that plague government payments for closure and direct regulation for exit. We explore the issues theoretically and provide empirical illustrations. These suggest that closure of a brown coal fired power station in Australia could yield emissions savings at costs that are lower than the social benefits. The analysis in this paper is applicable to other countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Jotzo, Frank & Mazouz, Salim, 2015. "Brown coal exit: a market mechanism for regulated closure of highly emissions intensive power stations," Working Papers 249515, Australian National University, Centre for Climate Economics & Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ancewp:249515
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.249515
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    Cited by:

    1. Sugandha Srivastav & Michael Zaehringer, 2024. "The Economics of Coal Phaseouts: Auctions as a Novel Policy Instrument for the Energy Transition," Papers 2406.14238, arXiv.org.
    2. Pereira , Alfredo Marvão & Pereira, Rui Manuel, 2021. "On the Macroeconomic and Distributional Effects of the Regulated Closure of Coal-Operated Power Plants," Journal of Economic Development, The Economic Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, vol. 46(4), pages 1-30, December.
    3. Halkos, George E. & Papageorgiou, George J., 2017. "A dynamic game with feedback strategies for internalizing externalities," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 147-157.
    4. Hung Do & Rabindra Nepal & Russell Smyth, 2020. "Interconnectedness in the Australian National Electricity Market: A Higher‐Moment Analysis," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 96(315), pages 450-469, December.
    5. Hu, Jing & Harmsen, Robert & Crijns-Graus, Wina & Worrell, Ernst, 2018. "Barriers to investment in utility-scale variable renewable electricity (VRE) generation projects," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 730-744.
    6. Simshauser, Paul, 2019. "Missing money, missing policy and Resource Adequacy in Australia's National Electricity Market," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-1.
    7. Tim Nelson & Joel Gilmore & Tahlia Nolan, 2023. "Be Wary of Paying Wounded Bulls – Capacity Markets in Australia's National Electricity Market," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 42(1), pages 72-91, March.
    8. Simshauser, Paul, 2018. "Garbage can theory and Australia's National Electricity Market: Decarbonisation in a hostile policy environment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 697-713.
    9. Srivastav, Sugandha & Zaehringer, Michael, 2023. "The Economics of Coal Phaseouts," INET Oxford Working Papers 2023-17, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
    10. Tim Nelson & Stephanie Bashir & Eleanor McCracken-Hewson & Michael Pierce, 2017. "The Changing Nature of the Australian Electricity Industry," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 36(2), pages 104-120, June.
    11. Philipp M. Richter & Roman Mendelevitch & Frank Jotzo, 2018. "Coal taxes as supply-side climate policy: a rationale for major exporters?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 43-56, September.
    12. Nelson, Tim & Pascoe, Owen & Calais, Prabpreet & Mitchell, Lily & McNeill, Judith, 2019. "Efficient integration of climate and energy policy in Australia’s National Electricity Market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 178-193.
    13. Gillich, Annika & Hufendiek, Kai & Klempp, Nikolai, 2020. "Extended policy mix in the power sector: How a coal phase-out redistributes costs and profits among power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    14. Maamoun, Nada & Kennedy, Ryan & Jin, Xiaomeng & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2020. "Identifying coal-fired power plants for early retirement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Tiedemann, Silvana & Müller-Hansen, Finn, 2023. "Auctions to phase out coal power: Lessons learned from Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marketing; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy;

    JEL classification:

    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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