Financing the alternative: renewable energy in developing and transition countries

This paper examines the determinants of credit allocation to renewable energy firms in developing and transition countries. Using a simple en- dogenous growth model, we show that the development of the renewable energy sector, i.e. the diversification of renewable energy resources used in primary energy production, depends on the quality of financial intermedia- tion, debtor information costs to banks, and financing needs of renewable energy firms. Policies should aim at increasing financial sector perfor- mance through better institutional frameworks and improving financing conditions for new energy firms. The empirical analysis confirms the pos- itive effect of financial intermediary development on the renewable energy sector.Financial intermediation, banks, renewable energy, economic growth

Oil and Growth in Transition Countries

This paper examines the impact of oil on economic growth in transition economies of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We use oil production and reserves data in a series of panel estimations to show that oil has had strong and robust positive growth effects between 1990-2006. This is confirmed when we consider the different oil ownership structures. Additionally, we find that privatization levels have had positive growth effects, while privatization speed has had negative effects on growth.oil, resource curse, economic growth, transition countries, oil ownership

Cursing the blessings? Natural resource abundance, institutions, and economic growth

Since Sachs and Warner's (1995a) contribution, there has been a lively debate on the so-called natural resource curse. This paper re-examines the effects of natural resource abundance on economic growth using new measures of resource endowment and considering the role of institutional quality. We find a positive direct empirical relationship between natural resource abundance and economic growth. In both OLS and 2SLS re- gressions, the positive resource effects are particularly strong for subsoil wealth. Our results also show no evidence of negative indirect effects of natural resources through the institutional channel.Natural resources, resource curse, economic growth, institutional quality

Finance for Renewable Energy: An Empirical Analysis of Developing and Transition Economies

This paper examines the role of the financial sector in renewable energy (RE) development. Although RE can bring socio-economic and environ- mental benefits, its implementation faces a number of obstacles, especially in non-OECD countries. One of these obstacles is financing: underdevel- oped financial sectors are unable to efficiently channel loans to RE produc- ers. The influence of financial sector development on the use of renewable energy resources is confirmed in panel data estimations on up to 119 non- OECD countries for 1980-2006. Financial intermediation, in particular commercial banking, has a significant positive effect on the amount of RE produced, and the impact is especially large when we consider non- hydropower RE such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. There is also evidence that the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol has had a significant positive impact on the development of the RE sector.renewable energy, financial sector, banking, development

International Partnerships, Foreign Control and Income Levels: Theory and Evidence

We analyze the effects of different regimes of control rights over critical resources on the total domestic income of open economies. We consider home control, foreign control, and international partnerships in a theoretical model where contracts are incomplete, resource exploitation requires local capital, and foreign technologies are more efficient. Enacting foreign control is never optimal, and assigning complete residual rights to foreign ?firms reduces domestic income. Two testable predictions are derived. First, international partnerships tend to generate higher domestic income than foreign control. Second, the typical regime choice is either partnership or foreign control when the international relative pro?tability of the domestic resource endowment is high or intermediate, and home control with low relative pro?tability. We test these predictions using a new dataset on petroleum ownership structures for up to 68 countries between 1867-2008, ?finding strong empirical support for the theoretical results.Property rights, control rights, income, oil, panel data

Natural Resources and Violent Conflict: Resource Abundance, Dependence and the Onset of Civil Wars

In this paper we examine the claim that natural resources invite civil conflict, and challenge the main stylized facts in this literature. We find that the nature of causation between resource dependence and civil war is opposite to conventional wisdom. In particular, (i) civil war creates dependence on primary sector exports, but the reverse is not true, and (ii) resource abundance is associated with a reduced probability of the onset of war. These results are robust to a range of specifications and, considering the conflict channel, we conclude there is no reason to regard resources as a general curse to development.Civil war, resource abundance, resource dependence, greed versus grievance, resource curse

The Resource Curse Revisited and Revised: A Tale of Paradoxes and Red Herrings

We critically evaluate the empirical basis for the so-called resource curse and find that, despite the topic’s popularity in economics and political science research, this apparent paradox is a red herring. The most commonly used measure of ‘resource abundance’ can be more usefully interpreted as a proxy for ‘resource dependence’—endogenous to underlying institutional factors. In multiple estimations that combine resource abundance and dependence, institutional and constitutional variables, we find that (i) resource abundance, constitutions and institutions determine resource dependence, (ii) resource dependence does not affect growth, and (iii) resource abundance positively affects growth and institutional quality.Natural resource curse, economic growth, growth regressions, political regimes, institutions, constitutions