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Green Power voluntary purchases: Price elasticity and policy analysis

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  • Mewton, Ross T.
  • Cacho, Oscar J.

Abstract

Green Power schemes offer electricity from renewable energy sources to customers for a higher price than ordinary electricity. This study examines the demand characteristics of Green Power in Australia and policies which could increase its sales. A sample of 250 pooled time series and cross sectional observations was used to estimate a statistically significant elasticity of demand for Green Power with respect to price of -0.96 with a 95% confidence interval of ±68%. The wide variation in market penetration between jurisdictions and between countries for Green Power, and the low awareness of Green Power found by surveys indicate that Green Power sales could be increased by appropriate marketing and government policies. The most cost effective means to increase sales was found to be advertising campaigns although only one Australian example was found, in the state of Victoria in 2005. It was also found that full tax deductibility of the Green Power premium to residential customers, exemption from the Goods and Services Tax and a tax rebate for Green Power are all probably less cost effective for promoting sales than direct government purchase of Green Power, in terms of cost per unit of increased sales.

Suggested Citation

  • Mewton, Ross T. & Cacho, Oscar J., 2011. "Green Power voluntary purchases: Price elasticity and policy analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 377-385, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:1:p:377-385
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    17. Chan, Kai-Ying & Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Volschenk, Jako, 2015. "On the construct validity of measures of willingness to pay for green electricity: Evidence from a South African case," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 321-328.
    18. Ma, Chunbo & Burton, Michael P., 2013. "A Nested Logit Model of Green Electricity Consumption in Western Australia," Working Papers 148411, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
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    22. Mark Tocock & Dugald Tinch & Darla Hatton MacDonald & John M. Rose, 2023. "Managing the energy trilemma of reliability, affordability and renewables: Assessing consumer demands with discrete choice experiments," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 67(2), pages 155-175, April.

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