Non-renewable and intermittent renewable energy sources: Friends and foes?

Edmond Baranes, Julien Jacqmin and Jean-Christophe Poudou

Energy Policy, 2017, vol. 111, issue C, 58-67

Abstract: This paper studies the links between non-renewable and intermittent renewable energy sources in the production of electricity. Using U.S. state-level data from 1998 to 2015, we find that the relationship between the price of natural gas and investments in solar and wind capacity is non-linear and can be represented by an inverted U-shape. Hence, for relatively low natural gas prices, the two modes of production are substitutes. After a price threshold is reached, the two are complementary. A theoretical explanation argues that this stylized fact is the result of a trade-off between two characteristics of these modes of production: the high degree of flexibility of electricity production using natural gas as an input and the low marginal cost of renewable energy sources.

Keywords: Renewable energy production; Natural gas; Factor complementarity; Electricity production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 D24 Q41 Q42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Non-renewable and intermittent renewable energy sources: Friends and foes? (2017)
Working Paper: Non-renewable and intermittent renewable energy sources: friends and foes? (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:111:y:2017:i:c:p:58-67

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.09.018

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