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on Regulation |
| By: | Stephen P. Holland; Jonathan E. Hughes; Christopher R. Knittel; Nathan C. Parker |
| Abstract: | Renewable fuel standards, low carbon fuel standards, and ethanol subsidies are popular policies to incentivize ethanol production and reduce emissions from transportation. Compared to carbon trading, these policies lead to large shifts in agricultural activity and unexpected social costs. We simulate the 2022 Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and find that energy crop production increases by 39 million acres. Land- use costs from erosion and habitat loss are between $277 and $693 million. A low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and ethanol subsidies have similar effects while costs under an equivalent cap and trade (CAT) system are essentially zero. In addition, the alternatives to CAT magnify errors in assigning emissions rates to fuels and can over or under-incentivize innovation. These results highlight the potential negative efficiency effects of the RFS, LCFS and subsidies, effects that would be less severe under a CAT policy. |
| JEL: | H4 Q2 Q4 Q5 |
| Date: | 2013–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19636&r=reg |
| By: | Kilani, Moez; Proost, Stef; van der Loo, Saskia |
| Abstract: | This paper explores reforms of pricing of private and public transport in Paris. Paris has used a policy of very low public transport prices and no road pricing. The Paris transport network is represented as a stylized concentric city with the choice between car, rapid rail, metro and busses as well as two income classes and different transport motives. The model is used to test what are the efficiency gains of introducing road pricing and of increasing public transit prices in the peak. Are both reforms re-enforcing each other or are they largely substitutes? We find that a zonal pricing scheme for the center of Paris combined with higher public transport fares in the peak perform best. The benefits of an overall capacity extension of public transport supply are much lower than the benefits of pricing reforms and could very well not pass the cost benefit test. |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ner:leuven:urn:hdl:123456789/418969&r=reg |
| By: | Koski, Heli |
| Abstract: | This study aims at investigating the order of magnitude of financial burden of the universal service obligation for the universal service provider, Itella, in the Finnish postal sector. It evaluates the difference between universal service provider’s profitability with the universal service obligation and without it. The data suggest that the provision of universal letter services in compliance with the law causes a notable financial burden for Itella. The profitability of the universal service provider is clearly lower than that of other firms active in the Finnish postal and courier activities sector. During the years 2005–2012, the annual loss due to the universal letter service obligation was about 76 million euros, or 5–8 percent of the turnover of the universal service provider. |
| Keywords: | universal service obligation, profitability, net cost, postal services |
| JEL: | D22 L50 L87 |
| Date: | 2013–11–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:report:19&r=reg |
| By: | JudyAnn Bigby |
| Keywords: | Critical Access, Hospital Payment Policies, Integrated Systems, Health |
| JEL: | I |
| Date: | 2013–11–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mpr:mprres:7935&r=reg |
| By: | Rantala, Olavi |
| Abstract: | Postal service volumes have diminished and the profitability of postal and courier activities has weakened in Finland in recent years. The study evaluates the development of the service volumes, profitability and employment of postal and courier activities until 2020. The distribution volumes of letters and newspapers will continue to decline in the future because of the increasing internet use in communication. This will increase the unit cost of production in postal service activities because the universal service obligation tends to increase the transportation costs of letters in relation to the distribution volumes. The profitability of postal services is not expected to improve until 2020 because the increasing unit costs can hardly be passed on to the producer price of postal services in the future to a greater extent than today. Moreover, the diminishing postal service volumes will lead to decreasing employment in postal and courier activities. |
| Keywords: | Postal services, universal service obligation, profitability |
| JEL: | C53 L87 |
| Date: | 2013–11–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:report:18&r=reg |