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The Costs of Misaligned Incentives: Energy Inefficiency and the Principal-Agent Problem

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  • Joshua A. Blonz

Abstract

In many settings, misaligned incentives and inadequate monitoring lead employees to take self-interested actions. This paper identifies and quantifies the costs of this principal-agent problem in the context of an energy efficiency appliance replacement program. I show that contractors (agents) hired by the electric utility (the principal) increase their compensation by intentionally misreporting program data to authorize the replacement of nonqualified refrigerators. I estimate that each unqualified replacement reduces program benefits by $106 and saves 30 percent less electricity than replacements that follow program guidelines. The same program without a principal-agent distortion would increase program benefits by $60 per replacement.

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  • Joshua A. Blonz, 2023. "The Costs of Misaligned Incentives: Energy Inefficiency and the Principal-Agent Problem," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 286-321, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:286-321
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20210208
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Severin Borenstein & James B. Bushnell, 2022. "Do Two Electricity Pricing Wrongs Make a Right? Cost Recovery, Externalities, and Efficiency," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 80-110, November.
    2. Meredith Fowlie & Michael Greenstone & Catherine Wolfram, 2015. "Are the Non-monetary Costs of Energy Efficiency Investments Large? Understanding Low Take-Up of a Free Energy Efficiency Program," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 201-204, May.
    3. Meredith Fowlie & Michael Greenstone & Catherine Wolfram, 2015. "Are the Non-monetary Costs of Energy Efficiency Investments Large? Understanding Low Take-Up of a Free Energy Efficiency Program," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 201-204, May.
    4. Severin Borenstein, 2012. "The Private and Public Economics of Renewable Electricity Generation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 67-92, Winter.
    5. Koichiro Ito, 2014. "Do Consumers Respond to Marginal or Average Price? Evidence from Nonlinear Electricity Pricing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(2), pages 537-563, February.
    6. John List, 2020. "Non est Disputandum de Generalizability? A Glimpse into The External Validity Trial," Artefactual Field Experiments 00711, The Field Experiments Website.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elżbieta Stańczyk & Katarzyna Szalonka & Małgorzata Niklewicz-Pijaczyńska & Wioletta Nowak & Piotr Stańczyk & Katarzyna Witczyńska & Justyna Ziobrowska-Sztuczka, 2024. "Rationalization of Energy Expenditure: Household Behavior in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Bishop, Kelly C. & Kiribrahim-Sarikaya, Ozgen, 2024. "Energy-efficient investments in housing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L68 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Appliances; Furniture; Other Consumer Durables
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • L98 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Government Policy

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