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Long-Run Energy Use and the Efficiency Paradox

Author

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  • Sebastian Rausch

    (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Hagen Schwerin

    (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

We develop a general equilibrium growth theory of vintage capital and energy use in businesses and households to measure the response of energy use to energy-saving technological change. Both investment-specific technological progress and a higher energy price save energy by increasing energy efficiency, yet investment-specific technological progress spurs while a higher energy price depresses energy use. Calibration of the model's balanced growth path to U.S. post-WWII data shows that higher energy efficiency increased rather than reduced energy use. Investment-specific technological progress enhanced energy use by more than the increase in the energy price reduced it. Both neutral and investment-specific technological changes were major determinants of observed growth in energy use.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Rausch & Hagen Schwerin, 2016. "Long-Run Energy Use and the Efficiency Paradox," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 16/227, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:eth:wpswif:16-227
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    File URL: http://www.cer.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/mtec/cer-eth/cer-eth-dam/documents/working-papers/WP-16-227.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hunt Allcott & Michael Greenstone, 2012. "Is There an Energy Efficiency Gap?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 3-28, Winter.
    2. Binswanger, Mathias, 2001. "Technological progress and sustainable development: what about the rebound effect?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 119-132, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Figus, Gioele & Swales, J.Kim & Turner, Karen, 2018. "Can Private Vehicle-augmenting Technical Progress Reduce Household and Total Fuel Use?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 136-147.
    2. Brockway, Paul E. & Sorrell, Steve & Semieniuk, Gregor & Heun, Matthew Kuperus & Court, Victor, 2021. "Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects: A review of the evidence and its implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    3. Díaz Antonia & Puch Luis A., 2019. "Investment, technological progress and energy efficiency," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 1-28, June.
    4. John Hassler & Per Krusell & Conny Olovsson, 2021. "Directed Technical Change as a Response to Natural Resource Scarcity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(11), pages 3039-3072.
    5. Tang, Le & Jefferson, Gary, 2024. "A DSGE model of energy efficiency with vintage capital in Chinese industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    6. Motavasseli, Ali, 2024. "Consumer energy efficiency gap and the rebound effect across households income groups," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 37-51.
    7. Antonia Díaz & Gustavo A. Marrero & Luis Puch & Jesús Rodríguez-López, 2018. "A Note on Growth, Energy Intensity and the Energy Mix: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," Working Papers 18.08, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    8. Le Tang, 2020. "Energy prices and investment in energy efficiency: evidence from Chinese industry 1997–2004," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 34(2), pages 93-105, November.
    9. Colmenares, Gloria & Löschel, Andreas & Madlener, Reinhard, 2019. "The rebound effect and its representation in energy and climate models," CAWM Discussion Papers 106, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy efficiency; energy rebound; energy-saving technological change; investment-specific technological change; household production; putty-clay;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy

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