Equity Implications of Net-Zero Emissions: A Multi-Model Analysis of Energy Expenditures Across Income Classes Under Economy-Wide Deep Decarbonization Policies

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Main Authors: Bistlinea, John, Onda, Chikara, Browning, Morgan, Emmerling, Johannes, Iyer, Gokul, Mahajan, Megan, McFarland, Jim, McJeon, Haewon, Orvis, Robbie, Fonseca, Francisco Ralston, Roney, Christopher, Sandoval, Noah, Sarmiento, Luis, Weyant, John, Woollacott, Jared, Yuan, Mei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Bistlinea, John
Onda, Chikara
Browning, Morgan
Emmerling, Johannes
Iyer, Gokul
Mahajan, Megan
McFarland, Jim
McJeon, Haewon
Orvis, Robbie
Fonseca, Francisco Ralston
Roney, Christopher
Sandoval, Noah
Sarmiento, Luis
Weyant, John
Woollacott, Jared
Yuan, Mei
author_facet Bistlinea, John
Onda, Chikara
Browning, Morgan
Emmerling, Johannes
Iyer, Gokul
Mahajan, Megan
McFarland, Jim
McJeon, Haewon
Orvis, Robbie
Fonseca, Francisco Ralston
Roney, Christopher
Sandoval, Noah
Sarmiento, Luis
Weyant, John
Woollacott, Jared
Yuan, Mei
contents With companies, states, and countries targeting net-zero emissions around midcentury, there are questions about how these targets alter household welfare and finances, including distributional effects across income groups. This paper examines the distributional dimensions of technology transitions and net-zero policies with a focus on welfare impacts across household incomes. The analysis uses a model intercomparison with a range of energy-economy models using harmonized policy scenarios reaching economy-wide, net-zero CO2 emissions across the United States in 2050. We employ a novel linking approach that connects output from detailed energy system models with survey microdata on energy expenditures across income classes to provide distributional analysis of net-zero policies. Although there are differences in model structure and input assumptions, we find broad agreement in qualitative trends in policy incidence and energy burdens across income groups. Models generally agree that direct energy expenditures for many households will likely decline over time with reference and net-zero policies. However, there is variation in the extent of changes relative to current levels, energy burdens relative to reference levels, and electricity expenditures. Policy design, primarily how climate policy revenues are used, has first-order impacts on distributional outcomes. Net-zero policy costs, in both absolute and relative terms, are unevenly distributed across households, and relative increases in energy expenditures are higher for lowest-income households. However, we also find that recycled revenues from climate policies have countervailing effects when rebated on a per-capita basis, offsetting higher energy burdens and potentially even leading to net progressive outcomes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_18748
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Equity Implications of Net-Zero Emissions: A Multi-Model Analysis of Energy Expenditures Across Income Classes Under Economy-Wide Deep Decarbonization Policies
Bistlinea, John
Onda, Chikara
Browning, Morgan
Emmerling, Johannes
Iyer, Gokul
Mahajan, Megan
McFarland, Jim
McJeon, Haewon
Orvis, Robbie
Fonseca, Francisco Ralston
Roney, Christopher
Sandoval, Noah
Sarmiento, Luis
Weyant, John
Woollacott, Jared
Yuan, Mei
Physics and Society
General Economics
Economics
With companies, states, and countries targeting net-zero emissions around midcentury, there are questions about how these targets alter household welfare and finances, including distributional effects across income groups. This paper examines the distributional dimensions of technology transitions and net-zero policies with a focus on welfare impacts across household incomes. The analysis uses a model intercomparison with a range of energy-economy models using harmonized policy scenarios reaching economy-wide, net-zero CO2 emissions across the United States in 2050. We employ a novel linking approach that connects output from detailed energy system models with survey microdata on energy expenditures across income classes to provide distributional analysis of net-zero policies. Although there are differences in model structure and input assumptions, we find broad agreement in qualitative trends in policy incidence and energy burdens across income groups. Models generally agree that direct energy expenditures for many households will likely decline over time with reference and net-zero policies. However, there is variation in the extent of changes relative to current levels, energy burdens relative to reference levels, and electricity expenditures. Policy design, primarily how climate policy revenues are used, has first-order impacts on distributional outcomes. Net-zero policy costs, in both absolute and relative terms, are unevenly distributed across households, and relative increases in energy expenditures are higher for lowest-income households. However, we also find that recycled revenues from climate policies have countervailing effects when rebated on a per-capita basis, offsetting higher energy burdens and potentially even leading to net progressive outcomes.
title Equity Implications of Net-Zero Emissions: A Multi-Model Analysis of Energy Expenditures Across Income Classes Under Economy-Wide Deep Decarbonization Policies
topic Physics and Society
General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.18748