中文版 | English
G2TT
来源类型Working Paper
规范类型论文
Price Regulation and Environmental Externalities: Evidence from Methane Leaks
Catherine Hausman; Lucija Anna Muehlenbachs
发表日期2018-01-31
出版年2018
页码DP 16-23-REV2
语种英语
概述

Using data from natural gas distribution utilities on expenditures and volume of methane leaked, this paper estimates the amount of money utilities are spending to abate leaks. Expenditures are suboptimal at less than the cost of gas itself.

结论
  • For decades, the Energy Information Administration has kept records of lost and unaccounted for gas, yet the data's usefulness has been criticized. However, there are empirical strategies to overcome the data quality issues.
  • Natural gas distribution is a price-regulated industry and this can introduce distortions. This paper examines the outcome from allowing utilities to pass the cost of lost gas on to customers.
  • Utilities are spending between $0 per Mcf to $0.48 per Mcf on leak detection and repair; this is considerably lower than the sample average cost of natural gas of $5.67 per Mcf.
    • 摘要We estimate expenditures by US natural gas distribution firms to reduce natural gas leaks. Reducing leaks averts commodity losses (valued at around $5/Mcf), but also climate damages ($27/Mcf) because the primary component of natural gas is methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In addition to this private/social wedge, incentives to abate are weakened by this industry's status as a regulated natural monopoly: current price regulations allow many distribution firms to pass the cost of any leaked gas on to their customers. Our estimates imply that too little is spent repairing leaks—we estimate expenditures substantially below $5/Mcf, i.e. less than the commodity value of the leaked gas. In contrast, expenditures on accelerated pipeline replacement are in general higher than the combination of gas costs and climate benefi ts (we estimate expenditures ranging from $48/Mcf to $211/Mcf). We conclude by relating these fi ndings to regulatory-induced incentives in the industry.
    主题Energy and Electricity ; Environmental Economics Topics
    子主题Natural Gas ; Shale Gas
    URLhttp://www.rff.org/research/publications/price-regulation-and-environmental-externalities-evidence-methane-leaks
    来源智库Resources for the Future (United States)
    资源类型智库出版物
    条目标识符http://119.78.100.153/handle/2XGU8XDN/41535
    推荐引用方式
    GB/T 7714    		 Catherine Hausman,Lucija Anna Muehlenbachs. Price Regulation and Environmental Externalities: Evidence from Methane Leaks. 2018.
    条目包含的文件
    条目无相关文件。
    个性服务
    推荐该条目
    保存到收藏夹
    导出为Endnote文件
    谷歌学术
    谷歌学术中相似的文章
    [Catherine Hausman]的文章
    [Lucija Anna Muehlenbachs]的文章
    百度学术
    百度学术中相似的文章
    [Catherine Hausman]的文章
    [Lucija Anna Muehlenbachs]的文章
    必应学术
    必应学术中相似的文章
    [Catherine Hausman]的文章
    [Lucija Anna Muehlenbachs]的文章
    相关权益政策
    暂无数据
    收藏/分享

    除非特别说明，本系统中所有内容都受版权保护，并保留所有权利。