The electricity sector plays a key role in achieving zero-emission targets. The required transition will lead to substantial changes in the supply, demand, and distribution of electricity but also in stakeholder roles. Future market designs may change substantially to accommodate these changes,...

We analyze the role of electricity storage for technological innovations in electricity generation. We propose a directed technological change model of the electricity sector, where innovative firms develop better electricity storage solutions, which affect not only the relative competitiveness...

The most prevalent and perhaps most popular climate policies in the U.S. are Renewable PortfolioStandards (RPS) that mandate that renewables (e.g., wind and solar) produce a specifiedshare of electricity, yet little is known about their efficiency. Using the most comprehensivedata set ever...

Relative to conventional power generation projects, investments in renewable energy — such as hydro, solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal power — usually have higher upfront capital costs and commercial risks as well as longer investment recovery. Because private investors typically focus on...

We evaluate the role of a fossil fuel tax and research subsidy in directing innovation from fossil fuel toward renewable energy technologies in the electricity sector. Using a global firm-level electricity patent database from 1978 to 2011, we find that the impact of fossil fuel taxes on...

The twenty-first century must see a decarbonisation of electricity production to mitigate the flow of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This paper presents an econometric analysis of the factors that motivate the use of renewable energy in electricity production using panel data from...

While progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is notable in the power sector, other sectors such as transportation and often heating are lagging behind. A strategy to propagate greenhouse gas emission reductions from the power sector to other sectors is so-called "sector coupling." Against...

The European Union has set ambitious targets for emission reduction and the penetration of renewable energy, including the electricity generation sector as one of the major emitters of CO2. After a period of subsidy-driven investments, the costs of renewables decreased strongly making...

Firstly, this paper defines a tax to establish a definition of a carbon tax and then examines the Clean Energy Act 2011 (Cth) (CE Act), which is considered to be a carbon tax. Secondly, it examines the Australian Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (Cth) (REE Act) to ascertain if it...

Improvement in energy efficiency (EE) has slowed globally since 2015 and is now falling short of the 2.6% per year target recommended by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, despite an abundance of EE opportunities. Barriers to EE have existed long before the rise in renewable...