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European experiences with white certificate obligations: A critical review of existing evaluations

Author

Listed:
  • Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet

    (CIRED - centre international de recherche sur l'environnement et le développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • D. Finon

    (CIRED - centre international de recherche sur l'environnement et le développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract
White certificate obligations impose energy savings targets on energy companies and allow them to trade energy savings certificates. They can be seen as a means of internalizing energy-use externalities and addressing energy efficiency market failures. This paper reviews existing evaluations of experiences with white certificate obligations in Great Britain, Italy and France. Ex ante microeconomic analysis find that the obligation is best modelled as a hybrid subsidy-tax instrument, whereby energy companies subsidize energy efficiency and pass-through the subsidy cost onto energy prices. Ex post static efficiency assessments find largely positive benefit-cost balances, with national differences reflecting heterogeneity in technical potentials. Compliance involved little trading between obligated parties. Whether the cost borne by obligated parties was recovered through increased energy revenue could not be ascertained. Ex post dynamic efficiency assessments find that in addition to addressing liquidity constraints through subsidies, white certificate obligations seem to have addressed informational and organisational market failures. Confidence in these conclusions is limited by the fact that no econometric analysis was performed. Yet the lack of publicly available data, a counterpart to the rationale of the instrument of harnessing private financing, makes any empirical evaluation of white certificate obligations challenging.

Suggested Citation

  • Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & D. Finon, 2014. "European experiences with white certificate obligations: A critical review of existing evaluations," Working Papers hal-01016110, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01016110
    DOI: 10.5547/2160-5890.4.1.lgir
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01016110
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mundaca, Luis & Neij, Lena, 2009. "A multi-criteria evaluation framework for tradable white certificate schemes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4557-4573, November.
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    4. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & S. Houde, 2013. "Double moral hazard and the energy efficiency gap," Post-Print hal-00799725, HAL.
    5. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Philippe Quirion, 2008. "Efficiency and distributional impacts of tradable white certificates compared to taxes, subsidies and regulations," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 118(6), pages 885-914.
    6. Hunt Allcott & Michael Greenstone, 2012. "Is There an Energy Efficiency Gap?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 3-28, Winter.
    7. Newell, Richard G & Stavins, Robert N, 2003. "Cost Heterogeneity and the Potential Savings from Market-Based Policies," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 43-59, January.
    8. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Luc Bodineau & Dominique Finon, 2011. "The costs and benefits of white certificates schemes," Working Papers hal-00866420, HAL.
    9. Marie-Laure Nauleau, 2013. "Heavy subsidization reduces free-ridership : Evidence from an econometric study of the French dwelling insulation tax credit," CIRED Working Papers hal-00866445, HAL.
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    12. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Luc Bodineau & Dominique Finon, 2011. "The costs and benefits of white certificates schemes," CIRED Working Papers hal-00866420, HAL.
    13. Marie-Laure Nauleau, 2013. "Heavy subsidization reduces free-ridership : Evidence from an econometric study of the French dwelling insulation tax credit," Working Papers hal-00866445, HAL.
    14. Oikonomou, Vlasis & Jepma, Catrinus & Becchis, Franco & Russolillo, Daniele, 2008. "White Certificates for energy efficiency improvement with energy taxes: A theoretical economic model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 3044-3062, November.
    15. Mundaca, Luis, 2007. "Transaction costs of Tradable White Certificate schemes: The Energy Efficiency Commitment as case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 4340-4354, August.
    16. Lutzenhiser, Loren, 1994. "Innovation and organizational networks Barriers to energy efficiency in the US housing industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(10), pages 867-876, October.
    17. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Dominique Finon, 2011. "White certificate schemes : the static and dynamic efficiency of an adaptive policy instrument," CIRED Working Papers hal-00866422, HAL.
    18. Bertoldi, Paolo & Rezessy, Silvia & Lees, Eoin & Baudry, Paul & Jeandel, Alexandre & Labanca, Nicola, 2010. "Energy supplier obligations and white certificate schemes: Comparative analysis of experiences in the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 1455-1469, March.
    19. Jaffe, Adam B. & Stavins, Robert N., 1994. "The energy-efficiency gap What does it mean?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(10), pages 804-810, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Crampes, Claude & Léautier, Thomas-Olivier, 2020. "White certificates and competition," TSE Working Papers 20-1167, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    2. Katrina Jessoe, Maya Papineau, and David Rapson, 2020. "Utilities Included: Split Incentives in Commercial Electricity Contracts," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 5), pages 271-303.
    3. Franzò, Simone & Frattini, Federico & Cagno, Enrico & Trianni, Andrea, 2019. "A multi-stakeholder analysis of the economic efficiency of industrial energy efficiency policies: Empirical evidence from ten years of the Italian White Certificate Scheme," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 424-435.
    4. Malinauskaite, J. & Jouhara, H. & Ahmad, L. & Milani, M. & Montorsi, L. & Venturelli, M., 2019. "Energy efficiency in industry: EU and national policies in Italy and the UK," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 255-269.

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    Keywords

    White certificate obligation; energy savings; energy efficiency gap; static efficiency; dynamic efficiency;
    All these keywords.

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