IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/wuewep/301868.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Rethinking renewable energy policies for hydrogen: How the intercept of electricity and hydrogen markets can be addressed

Author

Listed:
  • Geßner, Daniel

Abstract

A lot of countries have recently published updated hydrogen strategies, often including more ambitious targets for hydrogen production. In parallel, accompanying ramp-up mechanisms are increasingly coming into focus with the first ones already being released. However, these proposals usually translate mechanisms from renewable energy (RE) policy without considering the specific uncertainties, spillovers, and externalities of integrating hydrogen electrolysis into electricity grids. This article details how different aspects of a policy can address the specific issues, namely funding, risk-mitigation, and the complex relation with electricity markets. It shows that, compared to RE policy, subsidies need to emphasize the input side more strongly as price risks and intermittency from electricity markets are more prominent than from hydrogen markets. Also, it proposes a targeted mechanism to capture the positive externality of mitigating excess electricity in the grid while keeping investment security high. Economic policy should consider such approaches before massively scaling support and avoid the design shortcomings experienced with early RE policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Geßner, Daniel, 2024. "Rethinking renewable energy policies for hydrogen: How the intercept of electricity and hydrogen markets can be addressed," W.E.P. - Würzburg Economic Papers 111, University of Würzburg, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wuewep:301868
    DOI: 10.25972/OPUS-37097
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/301868/1/189947854X.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.25972/OPUS-37097?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kitzing, Lena, 2014. "Risk implications of renewable support instruments: Comparative analysis of feed-in tariffs and premiums using a mean–variance approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 495-505.
    2. Hirth, Lion & Ueckerdt, Falko & Edenhofer, Ottmar, 2015. "Integration costs revisited – An economic framework for wind and solar variability," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 925-939.
    3. Brian C. Murray & Maureen L. Cropper & Francisco C. de la Chesnaye & John M. Reilly, 2014. "How Effective Are US Renewable Energy Subsidies in Cutting Greenhouse Gases?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(5), pages 569-574, May.
    4. Fabra, Natalia, 2018. "A primer on capacity mechanisms," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 323-335.
    5. Michael G. Pollitt & Karim L. Anaya, 2021. "Competition in Markets for Ancillary Services? The Implications of Rising Distributed Generation," The Energy Journal, , vol. 42(1_suppl), pages 1-2, June.
    6. Haufe, Marie-Christin & Ehrhart, Karl-Martin, 2018. "Auctions for renewable energy support – Suitability, design, and first lessons learned," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 217-224.
    7. Fabra, Natalia, 2021. "The energy transition: An industrial economics perspective," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Lion Hirth, Falko Ueckerdt, and Ottmar Edenhofer, 2016. "Why Wind Is Not Coal: On the Economics of Electricity Generation," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    9. Neuhoff, Karsten & May, Nils & Richstein, Jörn C., 2022. "Financing renewables in the age of falling technology costs," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    10. Kozlova, Mariia & Huhta, Kaisa & Lohrmann, Alena, 2023. "The interface between support schemes for renewable energy and security of supply: Reviewing capacity mechanisms and support schemes for renewable energy in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    11. Reichenbach, Johanna & Requate, Till, 2012. "Subsidies for renewable energies in the presence of learning effects and market power," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 236-254.
    12. Liebensteiner, Mario & Naumann, Fabian, 2022. "Can carbon pricing counteract renewable energies’ cannibalization problem?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Lesser, Jonathan A. & Su, Xuejuan, 2008. "Design of an economically efficient feed-in tariff structure for renewable energy development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 981-990, March.
    14. Andor, Mark & Voss, Achim, 2016. "Optimal renewable-energy promotion: Capacity subsidies vs. generation subsidies," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 144-158.
    15. Kitzing, Lena & Mitchell, Catherine & Morthorst, Poul Erik, 2012. "Renewable energy policies in Europe: Converging or diverging?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 192-201.
    16. Huntington, Samuel C. & Rodilla, Pablo & Herrero, Ignacio & Batlle, Carlos, 2017. "Revisiting support policies for RES-E adulthood: Towards market compatible schemes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 474-483.
    17. Özdemir, Özge & Hobbs, Benjamin F. & van Hout, Marit & Koutstaal, Paul R., 2020. "Capacity vs energy subsidies for promoting renewable investment: Benefits and costs for the EU power market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    18. Boyce, James K., 2018. "Carbon Pricing: Effectiveness and Equity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 52-61.
    19. Hongtao Yi & Richard C. Feiock, 2012. "Policy Tool Interactions and the Adoption of State Renewable Portfolio Standards," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 29(2), pages 193-206, March.
    20. del Río, Pablo & Resch, Gustav & Ortner, Andre & Liebmann, Lukas & Busch, Sebastian & Panzer, Christian, 2017. "A techno-economic analysis of EU renewable electricity policy pathways in 2030," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 484-493.
    21. Nascimento da Silva, Gabriela & Rochedo, Pedro R.R. & Szklo, Alexandre, 2022. "Renewable hydrogen production to deal with wind power surpluses and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from oil refineries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Zhishuang Zhu & Hua Liao, 2019. "Do subsidies improve the financial performance of renewable energy companies? Evidence from China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 95(1), pages 241-256, January.
    2. Hastings-Simon, Sara & Leach, Andrew & Shaffer, Blake & Weis, Tim, 2022. "Alberta's Renewable Electricity Program: Design, results, and lessons learned," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Nandeeta Neerunjun & Hubert Stahn, 2023. "Renewable energy support: pre-announced policies and (in)-efficiency," AMSE Working Papers 2335, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    4. Chen, Ting & Vandendriessche, Frederik, 2023. "Evolution of the EU legal framework for promoting RES-E: A market compatible paradigm shift?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Pérez de Arce, Miguel & Sauma, Enzo & Contreras, Javier, 2016. "Renewable energy policy performance in reducing CO2 emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 272-280.
    6. Özdemir, Ö. & Hobbs, B. & van Hout, M. & Koutstaal, P., 2019. "Capacity vs Energy Subsidies for Renewables: Benefits and Costs for the 2030 EU Power Market," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1927, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Hu, Jing & Harmsen, Robert & Crijns-Graus, Wina & Worrell, Ernst & van den Broek, Machteld, 2018. "Identifying barriers to large-scale integration of variable renewable electricity into the electricity market: A literature review of market design," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2181-2195.
    8. Özdemir, Özge & Hobbs, Benjamin F. & van Hout, Marit & Koutstaal, Paul R., 2020. "Capacity vs energy subsidies for promoting renewable investment: Benefits and costs for the EU power market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Meus, Jelle & Van den Bergh, Kenneth & Delarue, Erik & Proost, Stef, 2019. "On international renewable cooperation mechanisms: The impact of national RES-E support schemes," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 859-873.
    10. Hu, Jing & Harmsen, Robert & Crijns-Graus, Wina & Worrell, Ernst, 2018. "Barriers to investment in utility-scale variable renewable electricity (VRE) generation projects," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 730-744.
    11. Rupayan Pal & Marcella Scrimitore & Ruichao Song, 2023. "Externalities, entry bias, and optimal subsidy policy for cleaner environment," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 25(1), pages 90-122, February.
    12. Youhyun Lee & Inseok Seo, 2019. "Sustainability of a Policy Instrument: Rethinking the Renewable Portfolio Standard in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, May.
    13. La Monaca, Sarah & Ryan, Lisa, 2017. "Solar PV where the sun doesn’t shine: Estimating the economic impacts of support schemes for residential PV with detailed net demand profiling," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 731-741.
    14. Mier, Mathias, 2021. "Efficient pricing of electricity revisited," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    15. Patrycjusz Zarębski & Dominik Katarzyński, 2023. "A Theoretical Framework for a Local Energy Innovation System Based on the Renewable Energy Case of Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Di Foggia, Giacomo & Beccarello, Massimo, 2024. "European roadmaps to achieving 2030 renewable energy targets," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    17. Liu, Diyi & Zou, Hongyang & Qiu, Yueming & Du, Huibin, 2024. "Consumer reaction to green subsidy phase-out in China: Evidence from the household photovoltaic industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    18. Khanna, Tarun M., 2022. "Using agricultural demand for reducing costs of renewable energy integration in India," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    19. Semmler, Willi & Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni & Minooei Fard, Behnaz & Braga, Joao Paulo, 2022. "Limit pricing and entry game of renewable energy firms into the energy sector," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 179-190.
    20. Zerrahn, Alexander, 2017. "Wind Power and Externalities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 245-260.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    hydrogen policy; renewable energy policy; support mechanisms; contracts for difference;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O25 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Industrial Policy
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:zbw:wuewep:301868. 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: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/viwuede.html .

    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.