XML FeedsComparing Price and Non-price Approaches to Urban Water Conservation
By CostBenefit on Jun 30, 2008 | In Water, U.S., Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit, Environmental Economics / Ecological Economics, Costs and Benefits, Free Report at Time of Entry | Send feedback »
Link: http://www.reg-markets.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=1469
Abstract: Urban water conservation is typically achieved through prescriptive regulations, including the rationing of water for particular uses and requirements for the installation of particular technologies. A significant shift has occurred in pollution control regulations toward market-based policies in recent decades. We offer an analysis of the relative merits of market-based and prescriptive approaches to water conservation, where prices have rarely been used to allocate scarce supplies. The analysis emphasizes the emerging theoretical and empirical evidence that using prices to manage water demand is more cost-effective than implementing non-price conservation programs, similar to results for pollution control in earlier decades. Price-based approaches also have advantages in terms of monitoring and enforcement. In terms of predictability and equity, neither policy instrument has an inherent advantage over the other. As in any policy context, political considerations are important.
by Sheila M. Olmstead, and Robert N. Stavins
"Reg-Markets Center"; the AEI Center for Regulatory and Market Studies; www.reg-markets.org
http://www.reg-markets.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=1469
Working Paper 08-18; June 2008
"Reg-Markets Center" is officially the AEI Center for Regulatory and Market Studies. It was founded by Bob Hahn in 2008 as the successor to the AEI-Brookings Joint Center. A primary aim of the Reg-Markets Center is to gain a deeper understanding of how markets, laws and regulation contribute to economic well-being.
No feedback yet
Leave a comment
| « Performance and life time test on a 5 kW SOFC system for distributed cogeneration | Justices Slash Damages for Exxon Oil Spill » |
