IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v152y2021ics0301421521001002.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regulatory policy and misallocation: A new perspective based on the productivity effect of cleaner production standards in China's energy firms

Author

Listed:
  • Cao, Hongjian
  • Wang, Bizhe
  • Li, Ke

Abstract

Based on a theoretical model, this study reveals that regulatory policy can impact two different types of total factor productivity (TFP) at both the firm and industry levels, namely the true/distorted TFP, calculated by the observed and distorted data, and the counterfactual/undistorted TFP, after correcting distortions. Then, using the difference-in-differences method, we investigate the impact of cleaner production standards on Chinese energy firms' TFP and resource allocation efficiency over the period of 2000–2007. The empirical results show that when resources are fully and effectively allocated, the distorted TFP of China's energy industry can be increased by 117%–491.6%. Although the regulations of cleaner production reduce the efficiency of resource allocation in the energy industry, it enhances two levels of firms' TFP. Heterogeneity analysis shows that these policies have a stronger impact on small and state-owned firms. This study suggests that policy evaluation should combine the changes in two levels of TFP and resource allocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Cao, Hongjian & Wang, Bizhe & Li, Ke, 2021. "Regulatory policy and misallocation: A new perspective based on the productivity effect of cleaner production standards in China's energy firms," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:152:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521001002
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112231
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521001002
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112231?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. Petia Topalova, 2010. "Factor Immobility and Regional Impacts of Trade Liberalization: Evidence on Poverty from India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 1-41, October.
    2. Wei, Chu & Löschel, Andreas & Liu, Bing, 2015. "Energy-saving and emission-abatement potential of Chinese coal-fired power enterprise: A non-parametric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 33-43.
    3. Felipe, Jesus & Kumar, Utsav & Abdon, Arnelyn, 2013. "Exports, capabilities, and industrial policy in India," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 939-956.
    4. Yang, Mian & Yang, Fuxia & Sun, Chuanwang, 2018. "Factor market distortion correction, resource reallocation and potential productivity gains: An empirical study on China's heavy industry sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 270-279.
    5. Ouyang, Xiaoling & Sun, Chuanwang, 2015. "Energy savings potential in China's industrial sector: From the perspectives of factor price distortion and allocative inefficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 117-126.
    6. Dai, Xiaoyong & Cheng, Liwei, 2016. "Market distortions and aggregate productivity: Evidence from Chinese energy enterprises," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 304-313.
    7. Bi, Gong-Bing & Song, Wen & Zhou, P. & Liang, Liang, 2014. "Does environmental regulation affect energy efficiency in China's thermal power generation? Empirical evidence from a slacks-based DEA model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 537-546.
    8. Timothy C.G. Fisher & Robert G. Waschik, 2000. "Union bargaining power, relative wages, and efficiency in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(3), pages 742-765, August.
    9. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 7-71, March.
    10. Mc Morrow, Kieran & Röger, Werner & Turrini, Alessandro, 2010. "Determinants of TFP growth: A close look at industries driving the EU-US TFP gap," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 165-180, August.
    11. Dias, Daniel A. & Robalo Marques, Carlos & Richmond, Christine, 2016. "Misallocation and productivity in the lead up to the Eurozone crisis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 46-70.
    12. Sophia P. Dimelis & Sotiris K. Papaioannou, 2016. "Entry Regulation, Public Ownership and TFP Growth: Industry-Level Evidence from South European Countries," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 84(6), pages 749-770, December.
    13. Hodler, Roland, 2009. "Industrial policy in an imperfect world," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 85-93, September.
    14. 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).
    15. Chang-Tai Hsieh & Peter J. Klenow, 2009. "Misallocation and Manufacturing TFP in China and India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1403-1448.
    16. Weijian Du, Mengjie Li, Ke Li, and Jiang Lin, 2021. "Impact of Energy Market Distortions on the Productivity of Energy Enterprises in China," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4).
    17. Loren Brandt & Trevor Tombe & Xiadong Zhu, 2013. "Factor Market Distortions Across Time, Space, and Sectors in China," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 39-58, January.
    18. Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu & Ren, Siyu, 2020. "How do environmental regulation and environmental decentralization affect green total factor energy efficiency: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Lin, Boqiang & Li, Aijun, 2012. "Impacts of removing fossil fuel subsidies on China: How large and how to mitigate?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 741-749.
    20. Brandt, Loren & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes & Zhang, Yifan, 2012. "Creative accounting or creative destruction? Firm-level productivity growth in Chinese manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 339-351.
    21. Loren Brandt & Trevor Tombe & Xiadong Zhu, 2013. "Factor Market Distortions Across Time, Space, and Sectors in China," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 39-58, January.
    22. Aoki, Shuhei, 2012. "A simple accounting framework for the effect of resource misallocation on aggregate productivity," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 473-494.
    23. Tombe, Trevor & Winter, Jennifer, 2015. "Environmental policy and misallocation: The productivity effect of intensity standards," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 137-163.
    24. 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.
    25. 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.
    26. Romain Wacziarg, 2002. "Review of Easterly's The Elusive Quest for Growth," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(3), pages 907-918, September.
    27. Xin-gang, Zhao & Ling, Wu & Ying, Zhou, 2020. "How to achieve incentive regulation under renewable portfolio standards and carbon tax policy? A China's power market perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    28. Cantore, Nicola & Calì, Massimiliano & Velde, Dirk Willem te, 2016. "Does energy efficiency improve technological change and economic growth in developing countries?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 279-285.
    29. Shi, Xunpeng & Sun, Sizhong, 2017. "Energy price, regulatory price distortion and economic growth: A case study of China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 261-271.
    30. Zhu, Lei & Fan, Ying, 2011. "A real options–based CCS investment evaluation model: Case study of China’s power generation sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 4320-4333.
    31. Chen, Zhongfei & Barros, Carlos Pestana & Borges, Maria Rosa, 2015. "A Bayesian stochastic frontier analysis of Chinese fossil-fuel electricity generation companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 136-144.
    32. Guo, Ran & Yuan, Yijun, 2020. "Different types of environmental regulations and heterogeneous influence on energy efficiency in the industrial sector: Evidence from Chinese provincial data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    33. Atkinson, Scott E & Halvorsen, Robert, 1980. "A Test of Relative and Absolute Price Efficiency in Regulated Utilities," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(1), pages 81-88, February.
    34. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2017. "Economic growth model, structural transformation, and green productivity in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 489-500.
    35. Li, Lili & Taeihagh, Araz, 2020. "An in-depth analysis of the evolution of the policy mix for the sustainable energy transition in China from 1981 to 2020," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    36. Bigerna, Simona & D'Errico, Maria Chiara & Polinori, Paolo, 2020. "Heterogeneous impacts of regulatory policy stringency on the EU electricity Industry:A Bayesian shrinkage dynamic analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    37. Zhang, Weike & Meng, Jia & Tian, Xiaoli, 2020. "Does de-capacity policy enhance the total factor productivity of China's coal companies? A Regression Discontinuity design," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    38. Jiang, Zhujun & Ouyang, Xiaoling & Huang, Guangxiao, 2015. "The distributional impacts of removing energy subsidies in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 111-122.
    39. Hao, Yu & Gai, Zhiqiang & Wu, Haitao, 2020. "How do resource misallocation and government corruption affect green total factor energy efficiency? Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    40. Chen, Shiyi & Santos-Paulino, Amelia U., 2013. "Energy consumption restricted productivity re-estimates and industrial sustainability analysis in post-reform China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 52-60.
    41. Jiang, Zhujun & Lin, Boqiang, 2014. "The perverse fossil fuel subsidies in China—The scale and effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 411-419.
    42. Zhang, Ning & Choi, Yongrok, 2013. "Total-factor carbon emission performance of fossil fuel power plants in China: A metafrontier non-radial Malmquist index analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 549-559.
    43. Rath, Badri Narayan & Akram, Vaseem & Bal, Debi Prasad & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar, 2019. "Do fossil fuel and renewable energy consumption affect total factor productivity growth? Evidence from cross-country data with policy insights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 186-199.
    44. Wang, H. & Zhou, P. & Zhou, D.Q., 2013. "Scenario-based energy efficiency and productivity in China: A non-radial directional distance function analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 795-803.
    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. Chaofeng Lyu & Shuxin Deng & Zewei Dai, 2023. "Emissions Trading Systems, Structure Adjustment and Air Pollution Reduction: Evidence from Enterprises in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Dong, Zhaoyingzi & Xia, Chuyu & Fang, Kai & Zhang, Weiwen, 2022. "Effect of the carbon emissions trading policy on the co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction and air pollution control," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    3. Li, Zhen & Wu, Baijun & Wang, Danyang & Tang, Maogang, 2022. "Government mandatory energy-biased technological progress and enterprises' environmental performance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of cleaner production standards in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Ling-Yun He & Xiao-Feng Qi, 2021. "Resource Misallocation and Energy-Related Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-19, May.
    5. Gao, Lan & Huang, Ruting, 2024. "Digital transformation and green total factor productivity in the semiconductor industry: The role of supply chain integration and economic policy uncertainty," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    6. Qin, Quande & Yu, Ying & Liu, Yuan & Zhou, Jianqing & Chen, Xiude, 2023. "Industrial agglomeration and energy efficiency: A new perspective from market integration," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    7. Lyu, Yanwei & Wu, You & Zhang, Jinning, 2023. "How industrial structure distortion affects energy poverty? Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    8. Lai, Aolin & Wang, Qunwei, 2024. "How coal de-capacity policy affects renewable energy development efficiency? Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    9. Jia, Wentao & Xie, Rui & Ma, Chunbo & Gong, Zezhong & Wang, Hui, 2024. "Environmental regulation and firms' emission reduction – The policy of eliminating backward production capacity as a quasi-natural experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    10. Yang, Weixin & Yang, Yunpeng & Chen, Hongmin, 2022. "How to stimulate Chinese energy companies to comply with emission regulations? Evidence from four-party evolutionary game analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    11. Yuan, Kaihua & Cui, Jingyuan & Zhang, Haipeng & Gao, Xiang, 2023. "Do cleaner production standards upgrade the global value chain position of manufacturing enterprises? Empirical evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    12. Huafei Wei & Lei Du, 2024. "Official environmental accountability policy and firm’s environmental violations: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 20397-20412, August.

    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. Tan, Ruipeng & Lin, Boqiang & Liu, Xiying, 2019. "Impacts of eliminating the factor distortions on energy efficiency—A focus on China's secondary industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 693-701.
    2. Li, Zhen & Wu, Baijun & Wang, Danyang & Tang, Maogang, 2022. "Government mandatory energy-biased technological progress and enterprises' environmental performance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of cleaner production standards in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. Tan, Ruipeng & Xu, Mengmeng & Sun, Chuanwang, 2021. "The impacts of energy reallocation on economic output and CO2 emissions in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Qiao, Sen & Zhao, Dong Hao & Guo, Zi Xin & Tao, Zhang, 2022. "Factor price distortions, environmental regulation and innovation efficiency: An empirical study on China's power enterprises," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    5. Zhang, Ning & Zhao, Yu & Wang, Na, 2022. "Is China's energy policy effective for power plants? Evidence from the 12th Five-Year Plan energy saving targets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    6. Cui, Yi, 2024. "Place-based policies and capital misallocation: Evidence from Chinese cities," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(4).
    7. Wang, Bin & Yu, Minxiu & Zhu, Yucheng & Bao, Pinjuan, 2021. "Unveiling the driving factors of carbon emissions from industrial resource allocation in China: A spatial econometric perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    8. Tao, Zhang & Huang, Xiao Yue & Dang, Yi Jing & Qiao, Sen, 2022. "The impact of factor market distortions on profit sustainable growth of Chinese renewable energy enterprises: The moderating effect of environmental regulation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1068-1080.
    9. Yang, Mian & Yang, Fuxia & Sun, Chuanwang, 2018. "Factor market distortion correction, resource reallocation and potential productivity gains: An empirical study on China's heavy industry sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 270-279.
    10. Peng Hou & Yilin Li & Yong Tan & Yuanjie Hou, 2020. "Energy Price and Energy Efficiency in China: A Linear and Nonlinear Empirical Investigation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-24, August.
    11. Ling-Yun He & Xiao-Feng Qi, 2021. "Resource Misallocation and Energy-Related Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-19, May.
    12. Xinze Li & Luojia Wang & Kerui Du, 2023. "How do environmental regulations influence resource misallocation in China? The role of investment flows," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 538-550, January.
    13. Wu, Liangpeng & Xu, Chengzhen & Zhu, Qingyuan & Zhou, Dequn, 2024. "Multiple energy price distortions and improvement of potential energy consumption structure in the energy transition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    14. Laiqun Jin & Xiuyan Liu & Sam Hak Kan Tang, 2021. "High-Technology Zones, Misallocation of Resources among Cities and Aggregate Productivity: Evidence from China," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 21-11, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    15. Trenczek, Jan & Wacker, Konstantin M., 2023. "Human Capital Misallocation and Output per Worker Differences: Beyond Cobb-Douglas," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1331, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    16. Juan Tang & Fangming Qin, 2022. "Analyzing the impact of local government competition on green total factor productivity from the factor market distortion perspective: based on the three stage DEA model," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(12), pages 14298-14326, December.
    17. Shuai Qin & Hong Chen & Tuyen Thi Tran & Haokun Wang, 2022. "Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Capital Misallocation on Agricultural Output—Taking the Main Grain Producing Areas in Northeast China as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    18. Laiqun Jin & Changwei Mo & Bochao Zhang & Bing Yu, 2018. "What Is the Focus of Structural Reform in China?—Comparison of the Factor Misallocation Degree within the Manufacturing Industry with a Unified Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    19. Zhang, Jinning & Wang, Jianlong & Yang, Xiaodong & Ren, Siyu & Ran, Qiying & Hao, Yu, 2021. "Does local government competition aggravate haze pollution? A new perspective of factor market distortion," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    20. Ru Sha & Tao Ge & Jinye Li, 2022. "How Energy Price Distortions Affect China’s Economic Growth and Carbon Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-27, June.

    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:enepol:v:152:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521001002. 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/enpol .

    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.