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Valuing diversity in energy supply

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  • Skea, Jim

Abstract

There is renewed interest in the role of supply diversity in promoting energy security. This paper explores ways of valuing diversity. A possible incentive mechanism for promoting diversity which takes account of underlying "disparities" between different technology options is developed. The mechanism provides a way of trading off cost and diversity and results in an "efficient" cost-diversity frontier by analogy with financial portfolio theory. If all technologies are believed to be equally disparate, the appropriate mechanism is a "levy" imposed on market share. If the technologies are not equally disparate, the levy needs to be adjusted by technology-specific multipliers that take account of levels of disparity and patterns of market share. The analysis is applied to two stylised situations. In the long-run equilibrium case, the implications of both different patterns of disparity and different values attached to diversity are investigated. The paper also explores the implications of applying such a mechanism to the current Great Britain electricity system. The implications in terms of financial flows, for both the market as a whole and for individual operators, are investigated. Finally, the appropriateness of such a mechanism in the light of other policy goals, and possible future research directions, is discussed.

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  • Skea, Jim, 2010. "Valuing diversity in energy supply," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3608-3621, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:38:y:2010:i:7:p:3608-3621
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Chuang, Ming Chih & Ma, Hwong Wen, 2013. "Energy security and improvements in the function of diversity indices—Taiwan energy supply structure case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 9-20.
    4. Lopes Ferreira, H. & Costescu, A. & L'Abbate, A. & Minnebo, P. & Fulli, G., 2011. "Distributed generation and distribution market diversity in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 5561-5571, September.
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