Green Electricity Market Development in the United States: Policy Analysis and Case Studies

This paper reviews green electricity development in the United States, focusing on policies that have been enacted to promote green electricity. Green power is a term that refers to electricity generated from particular renewable energy sources including wind and solar power, geothermal, low-impact hydropower, and certain forms of biomass. While there has been interest in promoting the use of renewable energy sources for a number of years, the United States currently relies heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels for energy. The paper reviews the principal energy resources used for electricity production, considers the changing regulatory environment for the electricity industry, and describes government policies that have been used to promote green electricity in the United States. Important factors that have influenced the development of green electricity markets are discussed, including underlying economic issues, government policy measures, the regulatory environment, external costs and subsidies, and other factors

Acid rain in Europe and the United States: an update.

Abstract This paper discusses the evolution of science and policies to control acid rain in Europe and the United States over the past several decades. Acid rain gained prominence in the late 1960s because of its perceived effects on ecosystem integrity. Extensive research efforts in both Europe and the United States, however, have concluded that the effects of acid rain-at least those on terrestrial ecosystems-were less serious than originally believed. More recently, interest in controlling acid rain precursors stems primarily from health concerns, particularly their effects in the form of fine particulate matter. The paper discusses the emergence of acid rain as an environmental concern, scientific evidence about the effects of acidic deposition on natural ecosystems, US and European acid rain control policies, studies of the costs and benefits of reducing acid rain, and different policy contexts in Europe and the United States

Mobile source pollution control in the United States and China

This paper reviews policies for the control of mobile source pollution and their potential application in China. The first section of the paper reviews the U.S. experience with mobile source pollution control since regulations were first established in the Clean Air Act of 1970. Highlights in the policy and trends in vehicle emissions over the 1970 to 2000 time period are discussed. The second section of the paper discusses the range of policy instruments that could be used to control vehicle pollution, ranging from traditional direct regulations to market-based instruments. Experiences with the use of economic incentives in the United States and elsewhere are also discussed. The third section of the paper discusses possible implications of the U.S. experience for controlling vehicle pollution in China. While market-based instruments might be particularly appropriate for use in several aspects of China’s pollution control policies, important differences between the institutional structures in China and the United States suggest that they should be phased in gradually. The paper closes with concluding remarks

Green Electricity Market Development in the United States: Policy Analysis and Case Studies

This paper reviews green electricity development in the United States, focusing on policies that have been enacted to promote green electricity. Green power is a term that refers to electricity generated from particular renewable energy sources including wind and solar power, geothermal, low-impact hydropower, and certain forms of biomass. While there has been interest in promoting the use of renewable energy sources for a number of years, the United States currently relies heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels for energy. The paper reviews the principal energy resources used for electricity production, considers the changing regulatory environment for the electricity industry, and describes government policies that have been used to promote green electricity in the United States. Important factors that have influenced the development of green electricity markets are discussed, including underlying economic issues, government policy measures, the regulatory environment, external costs and subsidies, and other factors

Domestic Price, (Expected) Foreign Price, and Travel Spending by Canadians in the United States

In this paper, the authors develop and test a model to explain travel expenditures in the United States by Canadians. The model examines a consumer's choice problem where income is allocated between domestic and foreign consumption. Consumers do not know the foreign price level and base their spending in part on expected foreign price. In addition to expected foreign price, domestic price, exchange rates, income, and foreign price uncertainty influence travel spending. Empirically, each determinant is statistically significant. The contribution of each determinant, however, is not the same: Canadian prices and the exchange rate are the primary factors influencing Canadian travel spending.