Renewable Energy
Intro [link]Wind Slides [link]
Solar Slides [link]
Key Points
- Renewable energy basics
- Taxes vs subsidies
- Rationale for subsidies
- Subsidizing inputs vs outputs
- Demand subsidies and the impact on the grid
Required reading and response questions
Lecture 1
No required readings
Lecture 2
Read Aldy, Gerarden and Sweeney (2021)
Response questions
- Conceptually, why might it matter if we subsidize energy investment rather than production?
- What is the authors’ “empirical strategy” for estimating the effect of this distinction on clean energy production?
Lecture 3
Read the following three blog posts on solar demand and electricity pricing:
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/what-put-california-at-the-top-of-residential-solar/
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2020/02/03/putting-solar-in-all-the-wrong-places/
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2021/01/25/can-net-metering-reform-fix-the-rooftop-solar-cost-shift/
Optional additional posts
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/the-risks-of-going-solar/
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/billing-tweaks-dont-make-net-metering-good-policy/
- https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/what-can-distributed-generation-do-for-the-grid/
Response questions:
- What is the relationship between electricity prices and solar PV demand?
- What is “net metering”? Do you think it is a good idea?
Additional material
- Video from DOE on the solar “duck curve”