Summary of contingency planning for energy emergencies
The direction of the government's energy emergency planning is discussed in this report. Basically, there are two ways in which a given supply of energy can equate with a given demand. The first of these is through the working market. In this case, if a shortage developed, prices would rise until demand and supply balance. For many reasons including income distribution, inflation and many other effects, the government has decided to date that it prefers, at least in the short-run, to react to any energy emergency with non-price mechanisms. If prices are not allowed to bring equilibrium to a system, three things can be done. A new supply can be released to allow supply to remain equal to demand, supply and demand can be allowed to diverge prompting the need for allocation to some over others, or demand can be reduced to the new supply level by some non-price measures. Implicit in each program is the government's view of how energy should be distributed. Many of the contingency plans will have to be used together to create a balanced system.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (USA). Energy and Environmental Policy Center
- OSTI ID:
- 5232843
- Report Number(s):
- NP-2906128; ON: DE82906128
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
292000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
294002* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
ALLOCATIONS
DEMAND
EMERGENCY PLANS
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SHORTAGES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
EVALUATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LAWS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM
PRICES
SHORTAGES
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
SUPPLY DISRUPTION
USA