Solar photovoltaics have received government support in the form of rebates, tax credits and net metering tariff mechanisms. The intended goal of these incentives is to encourage innovation in the manufacturing and installation of these systems, which is expected to eventually help overcome the...

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden ausgewählte Probleme, die im Zusammenhang mit der Subventionierung von erneuerbarer Energien stehen, in finanztheoretischen und industrieökonomischen Modellen formal analysiert. Der erste Teil der Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Subventionierung von...

I study several policy instruments for carbon mitigation with a focus on subsidies for renewable energies, emission taxes and emission allowances. In Chapter 1, I analyze the optimal design and the welfare implications of two policies consisting of an emission tax for conventional fossil-fuel...

Within the United States, Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) programs have become a popular public policy initiative for states to enact in order to encourage the use of renewable resources for meeting state energy demand. As more states have adopted RPS programs, the design of these programs...

The most attractive markets for renewable energy investment are shifting from the developed world to emerging economies. Among the most prominent emerging economies, China, India, and Brazil have become three of the most important global investment markets, and the role of renewable energy in...

Lawmakers want to know the returns on their investment. The difficulties in measuring benefits and costs, and attributing some portion of those to specific research and technology development (R&D) programs, has meant that many such studies are not seen as credible by those lawmakers. This paper...

Nearly ninety percent of people in rural northern Ghana are without electricity. Many off-grid projects undertaken by the Ghanaian Government to provide electricity to this region have been largely unsuccessful due to the fiscal burdens that prevent the coverage of operational and maintenance...

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol offers developing countries the opportunity to participate in the effort to reduce global greenhouse gas levels while also benefitting from sustainable development opportunities. To date, the majority of CDM investments have gone to...

Driven by a variety of factors including falling costs, environmental impacts, and state mandates, the integration of renewable energy on the U. S. electrical grid is increasing. While studies have shown that the existing electric grid system can absorb this load with the addition of...

Market facilitation organizations (MFOs) are a new concept developed asprivate public partnerships for promoting renewable energy markets. Thesepublic-private entities support the growth of particular markets through a variety ofmeans, such as partner matching, information dissemination, and...