Quantifying the net cost of a carbon price floor in Germany

Philipp Egli and Oskar Lecuyer ()

Energy Policy, 2017, vol. 109, issue C, 685-693

Abstract: The German energy and climate policy mix is failing to decarbonize electricity production until now, with only 6% overall CO2 emissions reductions since 2005. Using empirical methods and hourly market data, we estimate the aggregate supply curve of the German power market and simulate the effect of a 20€/tCO2 and 40€/tCO2 carbon price floor on the German power market and on the renewable subsidy scheme. With the 40€/tCO2 carbon price floor, median prices increase by 37€/MWh and average price peaks by 50€/MWh. At the wholesale level, the market's annual volume increases by some €18 billion to €39 billion. At the retail level, however, the net cost to consumers is moderated due to costs savings from the renewable subsidy scheme worth some €4 billion, or roughly one-fifth. The same ratio applies to a price floor at 20€/tCO2.

Keywords: Electricity markets; Carbon price floor; Germany; Merit order curve; EEG (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:109:y:2017:i:c:p:685-693

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.07.035

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