How Effective Are US Renewable Energy Subsidies in Cutting Greenhouse Gases?

Brian Murray, Maureen Cropper, Francisco C. de la Chesnaye and John Reilly

American Economic Review, 2014, vol. 104, issue 5, 569-74

Abstract: The federal tax code provides preferential treatment for the production and use of renewable energy. We report estimates of the subsidies' effects on greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions developed in a recent National Research Council (NRC) Report. Due to lack of estimates of the impact of tax provisions on GHG emissions, new modeling studies were commissioned. The studies found, at best, a small impact of subsidies in reducing GHG emissions; in some cases, emissions increased. The NRC report also identified the need to capture the complex interactions among subsidies, pre-existing regulations, and commodity markets.

JEL-codes: Q42 Q48 Q54 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.5.569
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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