Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Kuznets, Kaya, And Shapley: The Economic And Energetic Determinants Of Carbon Emissions And The Implications For Development And Environmental Policy, Heidi Garrett-Peltier

PERI Working Papers

With global climate change becoming an increasingly pressing concern, the relationship between economic growth and environmental outcomes is as important as ever to understand, particularly in designing policies for low- and middle-income countries that incorporate both environmental and development objectives. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) shows the relationship between income and environmental outcomes. In this paper we examine the existence and shape of the EKC for 132 countries for the period 2000-2010. We add to the EKC literature by using the technique of Shapley Decomposition to assess Kaya identity factors for these 132 countries, grouped into income quartiles. The Kaya …

Sustainable Energy Transitions: Changing The ‘Business As Usual’ Trajectory In Sub-Saharan African Urban Areas, Mark Borchers, Megan Euston-Brown, Simon Bawakyillenuo, Alex Ndibwami, Simon Batchelor

International Journal of African Development

This paper describes a novel approach to helping municipal authorities address the sustainable energy challenges associated with rapidly growing urban populations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Population in Africa is expected to double between 2010 and 2040, and substantial urban growth is expected in small and medium-sized cities where local government capacity constraints are most serious. A long-term partnership between municipal authorities, NGOs, and academics can build capacity, and a prescribed strategy can lead to progress on the ground. In order to contribute to future action, the paper argues for a greater role of local government in sustainable energy transitions, and presents …

Resource Nationalism And Energy Integration In Latin America: The Paradox Of Populism, Brian Hollingsworth

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationship between resource nationalism and energy integration, and uses Bolivia and Brazil as a test case. Essentially, does resource nationalism affect energy integration? The findings nest within more expansive questions on international political economy and export-driven models of development. Why do populist regimes, historically operating under an economic nationalist cum protectionist paradigm, simultaneously pursue policies of economic integration? What is the relationship between resource nationalists and open markets, especially in the hydrocarbons sector? What is the relationship between populists, who are typically resource nationalists, and their decision to choose policies of energy integration?

The most common …

International Energy Geopolitics, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Overview of international energy geopolitical trends. Emphasizes the importance of the Persian Gulf, South China Sea, East China Sea, Russia, and the Arctic to U.S. and international economic and strategic developments. Stresses the continuing importance of fossil fuels in domestic and international energy consumption, the variety of energy sources being used by various global regions, the potential for military conflict over access to natural resources, and how emerging energy leaders will determine global energy, environmental, and international security developments.

Ecio Model Operators Guide, Randall Jackson, Péter Járosi

Regional Research Institute Resource Documents

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)/ West Virginia University (WVU) Econometric Input-Output (ECIO) model is a time-series enabled hybrid econometric input-output (IO) model that combines the capabilities of econometric modeling with the strengths of IO modeling. The model was developed and designed specifically for estimating the income and employment impacts of the development and deployment of new energy technologies over a given forecast period. The ECIO model consists of a macroeconomic econometric model of the United States (U.S.) national economy and an inter-industry model that reflects the interdependence of all the industries in the economy. These two components have three …

Energy Resources And Its Present Use In India, S. Manjula

International Review of Business and Economics

Energy is an essential ingredient for human life on earth. It is used in all activities of society, for preparing meals, making cloth, building house, industries and other activities. Human beings require energy at an increasing rate for their sustenance and well-being. The present study is an attempt to understand the details with types of energy use in India. The largest energy source is coal, followed by petroleum and traditional biomass. According to the 2011 Census, the household-level data indicates that only 55.3 per cent of rural homes used electricity as the primary source for lighting. Energy access, with about …

An Economic Analysis Of The Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem: Summary Report, Randall W. Jackson, Eric Bowen, Christiadi, John Deskins, Brian Lego, Péter Járosi, Mark L. Burton, Rebecca J. Davis, Charles Simms, Matthew Murray, Péter Schaeffer

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

The decline in the demand for coal has led to significant negative impacts in areas throughout Appalachia. Consider the integrated effects across components of the coal industry ecosystem (CIE). As extraction activity is diminished, there are ripples through the industry supply chain that extends to a wide number of sectors, occupations, and county and multi-county regions of the Appalachian economy. As these suppliers are impacted, jobs are imperiled, and the fiscal health of communities i s weakened. Displaced workers will need to seek alternative employment opportunities that may entail investments in formal education and training, and this takes both time …

An Overview Of The Coal Economy In Appalachia, Eric Bowen, Christiadi, John Deskins, Brian Lego

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

This report notes that coal production in the Appalachian Region fell nearly 45 percent between 2005 and 2015, more than double the rate of the national decline during the same period. It outlines how regional coal production losses intersect with regional data on employment and unemployment, population and labor force, income and poverty, and education and health in Appalachia’s subregions.

Transportation Implications Of Coal, Mark L. Burton, David B. Clarke

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

This report describes the direct economic relationship between the coal and railroad industries in Appalachia. It finds that between 2015 and 2016, changing electric generation strategies—including accelerated coal-powered plant retirements—combined with a downturn in coal demand contributed to losses of nearly 2,000 full-time jobs and $150 million in income across Appalachia’s railroad sector.

County-Level Cie Supply Chain Analysis, Randall Jackson, Peter Jarosi

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

This report examines the impact of the decline in coal production on supply chain industries at the county level across Appalachia. It offers, and uses, a typology to classify counties based on their dependence on the CIE, recent employment changes due to reduced coal production, and their risk for further impacts due to any future declines in the coal industry.

The Economic Impacts And Risks Associated With Electric Power Generation In Appalachia, Eric Bowen, Christiadi, Rebecca J. Davis, John Deskins, Charles Sims

Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem

This report provides a detailed examination of the economic impacts of changes in electric power generation in Appalachia between 2005 and 2015. It finds that while coal represented around 74 percent of total electric generation in Appalachia in 2005, that percentage dropped to 53 percent in 2015. However, despite this decline, Appalachia remains more dependent on coal for electricity generation when compared with the rest of the country. This report also offers a risk factor analysis for coal-fired generation retirements and repowerings, and notes that coal prices have little influence on coal-fired power plant retirement decisions.

Coal-To-Liquid Technology: A Look At The Geopolitical Tension Behind China's Energy Strategy, Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Scripps Senior Theses

As interest in renewable energy development continues to rise around the globe, the alignment of China’s capabilities and incentive to invest in the green energy sector position the country in a leading role. However, China’s recent investment in coal-to-liquid (CTL) technology raises questions as to the direction of China’s energy policy and reflects broader geopolitical tensions within the Chinese government. Although CTL technology has been widely criticized as being environmentally unfriendly and economically unsustainable, China continues to invest in it at an astounding pace. Research proposes several possible explanations, such as corruption or local conflicts of interest, however, a critical …

Identifying Price Bubble Periods In The Energy Sector, Shahil Sharma, Diego Escobari

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper we test for the existence of single and multiple episodes of explosive behavior in three energy sector indices (crude oil, heating oil, and natural gas) and five energy sector spot prices (West Texas Intermediate (WTI), Brent, heating oil, natural gas, and jet fuel). The results from the Supremum Augmented Dickey-Fuller (SADF) and the Generalized SADF tests provide strong statistical evidence of explosive behavior in all of our energy series. A simple theoretical framework of commodity pricing allows us to understand the assumptions to interpret explosive behavior as bubbles. By constructing implied convenience yields using futures prices we …

Are Peer Effects Present In Residential Solar Installations? Evidence From Minnesota And Wisconsin, Nadia Mezic

Economics Honors Projects

There are geographic differences in the rate of adoption of residential photovoltaic (PV) solar. Are adoption rates in small scale localities (counties and zip codes) influenced by previous, nearby adoptions? This paper adds to the literature on Peer Effects with an analysis of Minnesota and Wisconsin zip codes. I use residential adoption data from the OpenPV Project in an empirical analysis of social interactions. My findings indicate that there is a small but significant effect of nearby adoptions at the zip code level. These peer effects are shown to be nuanced by policy incentives such as the XCEL Solar Rewards …