IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v76y2018icp202-227.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effects of energy-related policies on energy consumption in China

Author

Listed:
  • Si, Shuyang
  • Lyu, Mingjie
  • Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia
  • Chen, Song

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of different types of energy-related policies on different types of energy consumption in China. We collect and construct a novel, comprehensive, and detailed data set on province-level energy-related policies that includes specific types of energy-related command and control policies; financial incentives; awards; intellectual property rights; and education and information policies. Our econometric method employs instruments to address the potential endogeneity of the policies. According to our results, some types of energy-related policies have been effective in reducing energy consumption. However, many other policies have the possibly unintended or even perverse consequence of increasing rather than decreasing energy consumption. Our results on the mixed effectiveness of energy-related policies in China in reducing energy consumption have important implications for the design of energy-related policies in China and elsewhere.

Suggested Citation

  • Si, Shuyang & Lyu, Mingjie & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia & Chen, Song, 2018. "The effects of energy-related policies on energy consumption in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 202-227.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:76:y:2018:i:c:p:202-227
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2018.10.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988318304158
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2018.10.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barker, Terry & Ekins, Paul & Foxon, Tim, 2007. "Macroeconomic effects of efficiency policies for energy-intensive industries: The case of the UK Climate Change Agreements, 2000-2010," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 760-778, July.
    2. Karen Fisher-Vanden & Yong Hu & Gary Jefferson & Michael Rock & Michael Toman, 2016. "Factors Influencing Energy Intensity in Four Chinese Industries," The Energy Journal, , vol. 37(1_suppl), pages 153-178, January.
    3. Günther Rehme, 2011. "Endogenous Policy And Cross‐Country Growth Empirics," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 58(2), pages 262-296, May.
    4. Lin, Boqiang & Jiang, Zhujun, 2011. "Estimates of energy subsidies in China and impact of energy subsidy reform," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 273-283, March.
    5. Roberton C. Williams III, 2016. "Environmental Taxation," NBER Working Papers 22303, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Kenneth Gillingham & David Rapson & Gernot Wagner, 2016. "The Rebound Effect and Energy Efficiency Policy," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 10(1), pages 68-88.
    7. Jing Cao, Mun S. Ho, and Huifang Liang, 2016. "Household energy demand in Urban China: Accounting for regional prices and rapid income change," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(China Spe).
    8. Zhang, Zengkai & Guo, Ju'e & Qian, Dong & Xue, Yong & Cai, Luping, 2013. "Effects and mechanism of influence of China's resource tax reform: A regional perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 676-685.
    9. Richerzhagen, Carmen & von Frieling, Tabea & Hansen, Nils & Minnaert, Anja & Netzer, Nina & Rußbild, Jonas, 2008. "Energy efficiency in buildings in China: policies, barriers and opportunities," IDOS Studies, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), volume 41, number 41, July.
    10. Gabriel E Lade & C-Y Cynthia Lin Lawell & Aaron Smith, 2018. "Designing Climate Policy: Lessons from the Renewable Fuel Standard and the Blend Wall," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(2), pages 585-599.
    11. Fell, Harrison & Linn, Joshua, 2013. "Renewable electricity policies, heterogeneity, and cost effectiveness," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 688-707.
    12. Jiang, Zhujun & Lin, Boqiang, 2014. "The perverse fossil fuel subsidies in China—The scale and effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 411-419.
    13. Ian Parry, Dirk Heine, Shanjun Li, and Eliza Lis, 2014. "How Should Different Countries Tax Fuels to Correct Environmental Externalities?," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    14. Kevin Novan, 2017. "Overlapping Environmental Policies and the Impact on Pollution," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(S1), pages 153-199.
    15. Auerbach, Alan J. & Smetters, Kent (ed.), 2017. "The Economics of Tax Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780190619725.
    16. Lin, Boqiang & Yang, Fang & Liu, Xia, 2013. "A study of the rebound effect on China's current energy conservation and emissions reduction: Measures and policy choices," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 330-339.
    17. Allen Blackman & Zhengyan Li & Antung A. Liu, 2018. "Efficacy of Command-and-Control and Market-Based Environmental Regulation in Developing Countries," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 10(1), pages 381-404, October.
    18. Scott, Michael J. & Roop, Joseph M. & Schultz, Robert W. & Anderson, David M. & Cort, Katherine A., 2008. "The impact of DOE building technology energy efficiency programs on U.S. employment, income, and investment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2283-2301, September.
    19. Xi Yang & Yang Yao, 2012. "Environmental Compliance and Firm Performance: Evidence from China," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 74(3), pages 397-424, June.
    20. repec:aen:journl:eeep3_2_05parry is not listed on IDEAS
    21. David Popp, 2002. "Induced Innovation and Energy Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 160-180, March.
    22. Mar Reguant, 2018. "The Efficiency and Sectoral Distributional Implications of Large-Scale Renewable Policies," NBER Working Papers 24398, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    23. Liu, Chang & Lin, Boqiang, 2018. "Analysis of the changes in the scale of natural gas subsidy in China and its decomposition factors," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 37-44.
    24. Liu, Wei & Li, Hong, 2011. "Improving energy consumption structure: A comprehensive assessment of fossil energy subsidies reform in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 4134-4143, July.
    25. Zhang, Sufang & Andrews-Speed, Philip & Zhao, Xiaoli, 2013. "Political and institutional analysis of the successes and failures of China’s wind power policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 331-340.
    26. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2015. "Heterogeneity in rebound effects: Estimated results and impact of China’s fossil-fuel subsidies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 148-160.
    27. Lin, C.-Y. Cynthia & Zeng, Jieyin (Jean), 2013. "The elasticity of demand for gasoline in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 189-197.
    28. Zhang, Jiangshan & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia, 2017. "The macroeconomic rebound effect in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 202-212.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Graça Gomes, João & Medeiros Pinto, José & Xu, Huijin & Zhao, Changying & Hashim, Haslenda, 2020. "Modeling and planning of the electricity energy system with a high share of renewable supply for Portugal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    2. Zhang, Yixiang & Xiong, Yali & Li, Feng & Cheng, Jinhua & Yue, Xiaochen, 2020. "Environmental regulation, capital output and energy efficiency in China: An empirical research based on integrated energy prices," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    3. Liangliang Liu & Yonghao Guan, 2023. "How do fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental fiscal transfers affect energy consumption in China?," Energy & Environment, , vol. 34(5), pages 1228-1242, August.
    4. Zheng, Jiajia & Kamal, Muhammad Abdul, 2020. "The effect of household income on residential wastewater output: Evidence from urban China," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    5. Runst, Petrik & Höhle, David, 2022. "The German eco tax and its impact on CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Meng, Guanfei & Liu, Hongxun & Li, Jianglong & Sun, Chuanwang, 2022. "Determination of driving forces for China's energy consumption and regional disparities using a hybrid structural decomposition analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    7. Louis Sears & Joseph Caparelli & Clouse Lee & Devon Pan & Gillian Strandberg & Linh Vuu & C. -Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell, 2018. "Jevons’ Paradox and Efficient Irrigation Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-12, May.
    8. Yan, Zheming & Zhou, Zicheng & Du, Kerui, 2023. "How does environmental regulatory stringency affect energy consumption? Evidence from Chinese firms," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    9. Li, Xingguang, 2023. "Farmland rental market participation and residential energy consumption: Evidence from rural areas in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    10. Jiajia Zheng & Muhammad Abdul Kamal & Assad Ullah, 2020. "The direct and indirect effects of China's wastewater treatment service on urban household wastewater discharge," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1380-1400, September.
    11. Zhou, Dequn & Wu, Changsong & Wang, Qunwei & Zha, Donglan, 2019. "Response of scale and leverage of thermal power enterprises to renewable power enterprises in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Lingyan Li & Lujiao Feng & Xiaotong Guo & Haiyan Xie & Wei Shi, 2020. "Complex Network Analysis of Transmission Mechanism for Sustainable Incentive Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-25, January.
    13. Ensieh Shojaeddini & Ben Gilbert, 2023. "Heterogeneity in the Rebound Effect: Evidence from Efficient Lighting Subsidies," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(1), pages 173-217, January.
    14. Si, Shuyang & Lyu, Mingjie & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia & Chen, Song, 2021. "The effects of environmental policies in China on GDP, output, and profits," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    15. Yunlong Zhao & Geng Kong & Chin Hao Chong & Linwei Ma & Zheng Li & Weidou Ni, 2021. "How to Effectively Control Energy Consumption Growth in China’s 29 Provinces: A Paradigm of Multi-Regional Analysis Based on EAALMDI Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-26, January.
    16. Luiza Ossowska & Dorota Janiszewska & Natalia Bartkowiak-Bakun & Grzegorz Kwiatkowski, 2020. "Energy Consumption Versus Greenhouse Gas Emissions in EU," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 185-198.
    17. Yuehong Lu & Zafar A. Khan & Manuel S. Alvarez-Alvarado & Yang Zhang & Zhijia Huang & Muhammad Imran, 2020. "A Critical Review of Sustainable Energy Policies for the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-31, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Si, Shuyang & Lyu, Mingjie & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia & Chen, Song, 2021. "The effects of environmental policies in China on GDP, output, and profits," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    2. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2015. "How does administrative pricing affect energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 952-962.
    3. Lin, Boqiang & Kuang, Yunming, 2020. "Natural gas subsidies in the industrial sector in China: National and regional perspectives," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    4. Beaudoin, Justin & Chen, Yuan & Heres, David R. & Kheiravar, Khaled H. & Lade, Gabriel E. & Yi, Fujin & Zhang, Wei & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia, 2018. "Environmental Policies in the Transportation Sector: Taxes, Subsidies, Mandates, Restrictions, and Investment," ISU General Staff Papers 201808150700001050, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Korrakot Phomsoda & Nattapong Puttanapong & Mongkut Piantanakulchai, 2021. "Economic Impacts of Thailand’s Biofuel Subsidy Reallocation Using a Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-21, April.
    6. Jianglong Li & Zhi Li, 2018. "Understanding the role of economic transition in enlarging energy price elasticity," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(2), pages 253-281, April.
    7. Lin, Boqiang & Li, Zhensheng, 2020. "Analysis of the natural gas demand and subsidy in China: A multi-sectoral perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    8. Xu, Shang & Zhang, Jun, 2023. "The welfare impacts of removing coal subsidies in rural China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    9. Husaini, Dzul Hadzwan & Puah, Chin-Hong & Lean, Hooi Hooi, 2019. "Energy subsidy and oil price fluctuation, and price behavior in Malaysia:A time series analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1000-1008.
    10. Li, Aijun & Peng, Dan & Wang, Daoping & Yao, Xin, 2017. "Comparing regional effects of climate policies to promote non-fossil fuels in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 1998-2012.
    11. Yan, Zheming & Ouyang, Xiaoling & Du, Kerui, 2019. "Economy-wide estimates of energy rebound effect: Evidence from China's provinces," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 389-401.
    12. Hasanov, Fakhri J. & Shannak, Sa'd, 2020. "Electricity incentives for agriculture in Saudi Arabia. Is that relevant to remove them?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Lin, Boqiang & Xu, Mengmeng, 2019. "Good subsidies or bad subsidies? Evidence from low-carbon transition in China's metallurgical industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 52-60.
    14. Li, Jianglong & Li, Aijun & Xie, Xuan, 2018. "Rebound effect of transportation considering additional capital costs and input-output relationships: The role of subsistence consumption and unmet demand," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 441-455.
    15. Husaini, Dzul Hadzwan & Lean, Hooi Hooi & Puah, Chin-Hong & Affizzah, A.M. Dyg, 2023. "Energy subsidy reform and energy sustainability in Malaysia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 913-927.
    16. Cansino, José M. & Ordóñez, Manuel & Prieto, Manuela, 2022. "Decomposition and measurement of the rebound effect: The case of energy efficiency improvements in Spain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PA).
    17. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2015. "Heterogeneity in rebound effects: Estimated results and impact of China’s fossil-fuel subsidies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 148-160.
    18. Safarzadeh, Soroush & Rasti-Barzoki, Morteza & Hejazi, Seyed Reza, 2020. "A review of optimal energy policy instruments on industrial energy efficiency programs, rebound effects, and government policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    19. Hosan, Shahadat & Rahman, Md Matiar & Karmaker, Shamal Chandra & Saha, Bidyut Baran, 2023. "Energy subsidies and energy technology innovation: Policies for polygeneration systems diffusion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    20. Louis Sears & Joseph Caparelli & Clouse Lee & Devon Pan & Gillian Strandberg & Linh Vuu & C. -Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell, 2018. "Jevons’ Paradox and Efficient Irrigation Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-12, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy-related policies; Energy consumption; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:76:y:2018:i:c:p:202-227. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.