Energy efficiency-economic growth nexus: What is the role of income inequality?

Submitted by Vicentia Quartey on

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 stresses the importance for economies around the world to double
their efforts in improving energy efficiency. Energy efficiency improvements have been found to trigger economic
growth, albeit empirical evidence to support this claim remains mixed. In a world of widening inequality,
how income inequality dynamics affect the growth and energy efficiency nexus is critical, yet empirical research
investigating the role of income inequality is lacking. This study addresses this concern by examining the

Energy

Towards sustainability: Does energy efficiency reduce unemployment in African societies?

Submitted by Vicentia Quartey on

The Sustainable Development Goal 7 seeks universal access to energy, substantial increase in the share of
renewable energy and doubling of energy efficiency efforts. The success of these targets most likely depends on
maximizing, where they exist, positive synergies or trade-offs with other development outcomes. Studies
investigating the relationship between energy efficiency and (un)employment remain inconclusive and mainly
focus their analysis on the energy-supply side, neglecting the demand side. Moreover, these empirical studies

Energy

Renewable Electricity Development in China: Policies, Performance, and Challenges

Submitted by Hang Yin on

Since 2006, China has experienced an unprecedented expansion of its wind and solar power generation capacity and associated manufacturing industries. This rapid growth was supported by large subsidies that resulted in a significant and increasing government subsidy debt to renewable investors as well as a high curtailment rate for renewable electricity. This article reviews China’s renewable electricity development and policies between 2006 and 2020.

Energy, Policy Design

Impact of tiered pricing reform on China's residential electricity use

Submitted by Hang Yin on
EfD Authors:

Based on a county-level monthly panel data from four provinces and a province-level monthly panel data from 21 provinces from 2009 to 2015, we use the regression discontinuity method to examine the impacts of the tired pricing reform implemented in July 2012 on residential electricity use in China. The county-level (province-level) estimation shows that the tiered pricing reform has reduced the monthly electricity use per household by 6.5 ​kWh (8.9 ​kWh), accounting for 6.1% (7.1%) of the monthly electricity use per household.

Energy, Policy Design

Shale gas potential in China: A production forecast of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation and implications for future development

Submitted by Hang Yin on
EfD Authors:

Developing the abundant shale gas in China is a potential means to address the country’s challenges in air pollution and carbon emissions. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the production potential of the most promising shale gas play—the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation (WL) in China. We use a Difference-Index analogy method and well-level U.S. shale gas drilling data to estimate the production potential and use a scenario simulation method to propose optimal drilling plans.

Energy

What does an electric vehicle replace?

Submitted by Hang Yin on
EfD Authors:

The emissions reductions from the adoption of a new transportation technology depend on the emissions from the new technology relative to those from the displaced technology. We evaluate the emissions reductions from electric vehicles (EVs) by identifying which vehicles would have been purchased had EVs not been available. We do so by estimating a random coefficients discrete choice model of new vehicle demand and simulating counterfactual sales with EVs no longer subsidized or removed from the new vehicle market.

Energy, Policy Design

A review of water-forest-energy-food security nexus data and assessment of studies in East Africa

Submitted by Jane Nyawira Maina on
EfD Authors:

The increasing scarcity of environmental resources and competition among forest, water, food and energy coupled with the ever-growing population and climate change pose a serious threat to natural ecosystems. In an effort to provide an integrated approach towards forest conservation as well as energy, water and food security within the broader context of climate change and variability, this study sought to undertake a literature and data review to provide a critical analysis and synthesis of the baseline and trends of the forest- water-food- energy security nexus in East Africa.

Agriculture, Energy, Forestry, Water

Time-varying pricing may increase total electricity consumption: Evidence from Costa Rica

Submitted by Marianela Arguello on

We study the implementation of a time-varying pricing (TVP) program by a major electricity utility in Costa Rica. Because of particular features of the data, we use recently developed understanding of the two-way fixed effects differences-in-differences estimator along with event-study specifications to interpret our results. Similar to previous research, we find that the program reduces consumption during peak-hours. However, in contrast with previous research, we find that the program increases total consumption.

Energy, Policy Design, Urban