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Electric utilities, fuel use, and responsiveness to fuel prices

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  • Matisoff, Daniel C.
  • Noonan, Douglas S.
  • Cui, Jinshu

Abstract

This research tests the impact of changes in fuel price to explain fuel use by electric utilities. We employ a three-stage least squares model that explains changes in fuel use as a function of changes in three fuel prices. This model is repeated across sub-samples of data aggregated at the plant level and operating holding company level. We expect that plants and holding companies reduce fuel use when fuel prices rise. Several fuel substitution effects within and across plants and holding companies are demonstrated, as well as several frictions. At the plant level, higher prices of natural gas lead to less natural gas consumption, less coal consumption, and more fuel oil consumption. At the operating holding company level, results demonstrate the inelasticity of coal use and the increases of natural gas in response to higher coal prices. Subsamples demonstrate heterogeneity of results across different plants. Results emphasize that technological, market, and regulatory frictions may hinder the performance of energy policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Matisoff, Daniel C. & Noonan, Douglas S. & Cui, Jinshu, 2014. "Electric utilities, fuel use, and responsiveness to fuel prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 445-452.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:46:y:2014:i:c:p:445-452
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2014.05.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lips, Johannes, 2016. "Do they still matter? – Impact of Fossil Fuels on Electricity Prices in the Light of Increased Renewable Generation," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145601, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Mulder, Machiel & Scholtens, Bert, 2016. "A plant-level analysis of the spill-over effects of the German Energiewende," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1259-1271.
    3. Daniel Matisoff, 2015. "Sources of specification errors in the assessment of voluntary environmental programs: understanding program impacts," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(1), pages 109-126, March.
    4. Yin Chu & J. Scott Holladay & Jacob LaRiviere, 2017. "Opportunity Cost Pass-through from Fossil Fuel Market Prices to Procurement Costs of the U.S. Power Producers," Working Papers 2017-02, University of Tennessee, Department of Economics.
    5. Lips Johannes, 2017. "Do They Still Matter? – Impact of Fossil Fuels on Electricity Prices in the Light of Increased Renewable Generation," Journal of Time Series Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-30, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fuel switching; Electric utilities; Utility regulation; Fuel use; Three-stage-least-squares;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities

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