Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales

Houde, Sebastien; Spurlock, C. Anna

doi:10.5547/2160-5890.5.2.shou

Title: Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales

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Abstract

In this study, we revisit Hausman and Joskow (1982)'s economic rationales for appliance minimum energy efficiency standards. In addition to the four market failures they argued could justify appliance standards--energy prices below marginal social cost, consumers underestimating energy prices, consumer discount rates above social discount rates, or principal agent problems--we discuss two additional market failures that are relevant and potentially economically important in this context: market power and innovation market failures. We highlight puzzles uncovered by recent empirical results, and suggest directions future research should take to better understand the normative implications of appliance standards.

Authors:

Houde, Sebastien ^[1]; Spurlock, C. Anna ^[2]

Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Division

Publication Date:: 2016-09-01

Research Org.:: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1344786

Report Number(s):: LBNL-1006327
Journal ID: ISSN 2160-5882; ir:1006327

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2160-5882

Publisher:: International Association for Energy Economics

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION

Citation Formats


                    Houde, Sebastien, and Spurlock, C. Anna. Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.5547/2160-5890.5.2.shou.

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                    Houde, Sebastien, & Spurlock, C. Anna. Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.5547/2160-5890.5.2.shou

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                    Houde, Sebastien, and Spurlock, C. Anna. Thu .  
"Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.5547/2160-5890.5.2.shou.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1344786.

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@article{osti_1344786,

  title        = {Minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances: Old and new economic rationales},

  author       = {Houde, Sebastien and Spurlock, C. Anna},

  abstractNote = {In this study, we revisit Hausman and Joskow (1982)'s economic rationales for appliance minimum energy efficiency standards. In addition to the four market failures they argued could justify appliance standards--energy prices below marginal social cost, consumers underestimating energy prices, consumer discount rates above social discount rates, or principal agent problems--we discuss two additional market failures that are relevant and potentially economically important in this context: market power and innovation market failures. We highlight puzzles uncovered by recent empirical results, and suggest directions future research should take to better understand the normative implications of appliance standards.},

  doi          = {10.5547/2160-5890.5.2.shou},

  journal      = {Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 5,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2016},

  month        = {9}

}

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