Escaping carbon lock-in

Unruh, Gregory C.

doi:10.1016/s0301-4215(01)00098-2

Cited by 736 publications

(347 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This view is supported by micro-modeling (Arthur, 1989) and various case studies; wellknown examples include keyboard layout and video recorders (David, 1985;Cusumano et al, 1992) but also energy technologies (Cowan and Hulten, 1996;Islas, 1997). In the context of global warming, research has focused on lock-in into fossil fuel technologies exacerbating the switch to carbon-free energy (Unruh, 2000(Unruh, , 2002Foxon and Pearson, 2007;Schmidt and Marschinski, 2009). In contrast, this paper examines the case of two competing low-carbon energy technologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning or lock-in: Optimal technology policies to support mitigation

Kalkuhl

Edenhofer

Lessmann

2012

Resource and Energy Economics

168

141

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. We investigate conditions that aggravate market failures in energy innovations, and suggest optimal policy instruments to address them. Using an intertemporal general equilibrium model we show that "small" market imperfections may trigger a several decades lasting dominance of an incumbent energy technology over a dynamically more efficient competitor, given that the technologies are very good substitutes. Such a "lock-in" into an inferior technology causes significantly higher welfare losses than market failure alone, notably under ambitious mitigation targets. More than other innovative industries, energy markets are prone to these lock-ins because electricity from different technologies is an almost perfect substitute. To guide government intervention, we compare welfare-maximizing technology policies in addition to carbon pricing with regard to their efficiency, effectivity, and robustness. Technology quotas and feed-in-tariffs turn out to be only insignificantly less efficient than first-best subsidies and seem to be more robust against small perturbations. Terms of use: Documents inJEL-Code: O380, Q400, Q540, Q550.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning or lock-in: Optimal technology policies to support mitigation

Kalkuhl

Edenhofer

Lessmann

2012

Resource and Energy Economics

168

141

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“…Our contention is that, already in place and well maintained, incineration in Göteborg stands for a techno-institutional order that tends to get in the way of innovation and prevents alternative infrastructural solutions from emerging. In Unruh's (2000Unruh's ( , 2002 terms, incineration is a lock-in that wedges the waste management in Göteborg to the next lowest step of the European Waste Hierarchy and slows the evolution of Göteborg and its region toward increased urban sustainability. This paper builds on earlier research on lock-in and shows the theoretical and practical relevance of understanding urban infrastructure lock-in (or lockingin if one refers to the process that leads to a lock-in) for the planning and gov- Infrastructures,and Sustainable Urban Development 2 ernance of cities towards sustainability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrastructures, lock-in, and sustainable urban development: the case of waste incineration in the Göteborg Metropolitan Area

Corvellec

Campos

Zapata

2013

Journal of Cleaner Production

113

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“…But also in Germany, coal and lignite are the major domestic energy resource and also the dominating input to electricity generation. Prospects for escaping a "carbon lockin" and the related environmental and climate impacts are unfavorable at present (Unruh 2000;Unruh 2002;Perkins 2003;Unruh and Carrillo-Hermosilla 2006). In this context, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) promises to enable the low-emissions coal power station.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%