China is facing important challenges stemming from increasing rates of urbanization and aging population. To pursue its "harmonious society" objective without disrupting its path to development major overhauls are n...China is facing important challenges stemming from increasing rates of urbanization and aging population. To pursue its "harmonious society" objective without disrupting its path to development major overhauls are necessary in education, health, social security and above all in public services, particularly in electricity. China's electricity industry is at the crossroads. To meet the challenges, new models of regulation should be developed and applied. This paper examines the current state of the Chinese electricity industry and the burden it imposes on its public finances. It also reviews and critically examines the existing FIT (Europe) and RPS (USA) models of regulation and of promotion of renewable energies and advances on whether they are advantageous for China. It is argued that the electricity industry has already undergone important reforms but cross subsidies still exist, equivalent to 1.5% of China's GDP. Drastic rate rebalancing policies will create sustainability problems and a deterioration of China's public finances. To avoid such negative results, China has to further reform its electricity industry gradually and use wisely FIT-type programs to bring renewables into the grid and fulfill the Kyoto Protocol展开更多
The emissions trading scheme(ETS)is considered an effective policy tool for achieving emission reductions.At present,China's ETS pilots have completed several compliance periods and provided rich experience for a ...The emissions trading scheme(ETS)is considered an effective policy tool for achieving emission reductions.At present,China's ETS pilots have completed several compliance periods and provided rich experience for a national ETS.Taking advantage of the variations in the regional ETS pilots across regions and sectors and over time,this study used a difference-in-difference-in-differences(DDD)model to examine the effects of ETS pilots and differential program design on industry risk and the impacts of risk on future investment horizon.First,we found that the ETS pilots significa ntly increase profit variability(total risk)in China's industry;that is,ETS in duces greater uncertainty in the covered sectors.In terms of industry heterogeneity,non-eleclricily sectors(specifically ferrous metal)engage in higher levels of risk taking.Second,the influence of such program features as the allowance allocation(total amounts and approaches),China Certification Emission Reduction(CCER)trading volumes,and penalties are heterogeneous.Finally,during the period around the treatment,industry risk can significantly encourage longer rather than shorter investment.In particular,the punishment mechanism and benchmarking allocation play a positive role in regulating the risk-investment relationship.展开更多
文摘China is facing important challenges stemming from increasing rates of urbanization and aging population. To pursue its "harmonious society" objective without disrupting its path to development major overhauls are necessary in education, health, social security and above all in public services, particularly in electricity. China's electricity industry is at the crossroads. To meet the challenges, new models of regulation should be developed and applied. This paper examines the current state of the Chinese electricity industry and the burden it imposes on its public finances. It also reviews and critically examines the existing FIT (Europe) and RPS (USA) models of regulation and of promotion of renewable energies and advances on whether they are advantageous for China. It is argued that the electricity industry has already undergone important reforms but cross subsidies still exist, equivalent to 1.5% of China's GDP. Drastic rate rebalancing policies will create sustainability problems and a deterioration of China's public finances. To avoid such negative results, China has to further reform its electricity industry gradually and use wisely FIT-type programs to bring renewables into the grid and fulfill the Kyoto Protocol
基金This study was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China(19CJY021).
文摘The emissions trading scheme(ETS)is considered an effective policy tool for achieving emission reductions.At present,China's ETS pilots have completed several compliance periods and provided rich experience for a national ETS.Taking advantage of the variations in the regional ETS pilots across regions and sectors and over time,this study used a difference-in-difference-in-differences(DDD)model to examine the effects of ETS pilots and differential program design on industry risk and the impacts of risk on future investment horizon.First,we found that the ETS pilots significa ntly increase profit variability(total risk)in China's industry;that is,ETS in duces greater uncertainty in the covered sectors.In terms of industry heterogeneity,non-eleclricily sectors(specifically ferrous metal)engage in higher levels of risk taking.Second,the influence of such program features as the allowance allocation(total amounts and approaches),China Certification Emission Reduction(CCER)trading volumes,and penalties are heterogeneous.Finally,during the period around the treatment,industry risk can significantly encourage longer rather than shorter investment.In particular,the punishment mechanism and benchmarking allocation play a positive role in regulating the risk-investment relationship.