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Lobbying for and Against Subsidizing Green Energy

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  • Thomas Eichner
  • Rüdiger Pethig

Abstract

We consider a small open economy that operates a carbon emission trading scheme and subsidizes green energy. Taking cap-and-trade as given, we seek to explain the subsidy as the outcome of a trilateral tug of war between the green lobby, the brown lobby and the consumer lobby. With parametric functions we fully solve the competitive economic equilibrium and the lobbying Nash equilibrium. The rate of the green subsidy results from complementary or opposing political pressures of the three interest groups. If the brown lobby is stronger than the green one, our main results are (i) that the outcome of the three-party lobbying game is a green tax, if preferences are not green, and (ii) that green consumer preferences are necessary but not sufficient for generating a green subsidy in the lobbying game. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Eichner & Rüdiger Pethig, 2015. "Lobbying for and Against Subsidizing Green Energy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(4), pages 925-947, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:62:y:2015:i:4:p:925-947
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-014-9852-2
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    5. Hille, Erik & Oelker, Thomas J., 2023. "International expansion of renewable energy capacities: The role of innovation and choice of policy instruments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Green lobby; Brown lobby; Green subsidy; Green preferences; C72; F18; Q50; Q58;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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