Substituting Clean for Dirty Energy: A Bottom-Up Analysis

Fabian Stöckl and Alexander Zerrahn

No 1885, Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin from DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research

Abstract: We fit CES and VES production functions to data from a numerical bottom-up optimization model of electricity supply with clean and dirty inputs. This approach allows for studying high shares of clean energy not observable today and for isolating mechanisms that impact the elasticity of substitution between clean and dirty energy. Central results show that (i) dirty inputs are not essential for production. As long as some energy storage is available, the elasticity of substitution between clean and dirty inputs is above unity; (ii) no single clean technology is indispensable, but a balanced mix facilitates substitution; (iii) substitution is harder for higher shares of clean energy. Finally, we demonstrate how changing availability of generation and storage technologies can be implemented in macroeconomic models.

Keywords: Elasticity of substitution; clean and dirty energy; electricity production; decarbonization; green growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O44 Q42 Q43 Q55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 p.
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env, nep-reg and nep-tid
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.795779.de/dp1885.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Substituting Clean for Dirty Energy: A Bottom-Up Analysis (2023)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1885

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin from DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Bibliothek ().