The DOI matches its Crossref record; 13 of the 13 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Bridging the Energy Efficiency Gap: Policy Insights from Economic Theory and Empirical Evidence
Abstract
Despite several decades of government policies to promote energy efficiency, estimates of the costs and benefits of such policies remain controversial. At the heart of the controversy is whether there is an “energy efficiency gap,” whereby consumers and firms fail to make seemingly positive net present value energy saving investments. High implicit discount rates, undervaluation of future fuel savings, and negative cost energy efficiency measures have all been discussed as evidence of the existence of a gap. We review explanations for an energy efficiency gap including reasons why the size of the gap may be overstated, neoclassical explanations for a gap, and recent evidence from behavioral economics that has potential to help us understand why a gap could exist. Our review raises fundamental questions about traditional welfare analysis, but we find the alternatives offered in the literature to be far from ready for use in policy analysis. Nevertheless, we offer several suggestions for policymakers and for future economic research. (JEL: Q38, Q41)
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A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation
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Cited by
The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Gillingham, K., & Stock, J. H. (2018) · Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.32.4.53 · Cited by 584
Self-citationDo Energy Efficiency Investments Deliver? Evidence from the Weatherization Assistance Program*
Fowlie, M., Greenstone, M., & Wolfram, C. (2018) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.1093/qje/qjy005 · Cited by 432
Factors affecting energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments in British households
Trotta, G. (2018) · Energy Policy · doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2017.12.042 · Cited by 361
Optimal decarbonization pathways for urban residential building energy services
Leibowicz, B. D., Lanham, C. M., Brozynski, M. T., Vázquez-Canteli, J. R., Castejón, N. C., & Nagy, Z. (2018) · Applied Energy · doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.09.046 · Cited by 142
A community-based approach to low-income residential energy efficiency participation barriers
Reames, T. G. (2016) · Local Environment · doi:10.1080/13549839.2015.1136995 · Cited by 113
Metadata
- Authors
- Gillingham, K., & Palmer, K.
- Venue
- Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 2014-01-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 18-38
- ISSN
- 1750-6816 (ISSN-L)
- 1750-6824
- OpenAlex
- W2234114691
- Cited by
- 637
- References
- 13
- FWCI
- 15.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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