Energy Policy

Europe's Power Play: A Single Energy Market – How Desirable, How Feasible?

The European Union's efforts to create a joined up energy policy, including the links and contradictions between market liberalisation, energy security and combating climate change.

US Energy and Climate Change Policies

David Robinson is writing a book on the subject of US energy and climate change policies. The book provides an analytical framework for understanding the development of these policies, as well as their implications. Basically, it argues that energy (security) and climate change have provided a powerful argument to support government intervention: namely “market failures”, both real and imaginary. Government direction on key decisions, such as the choice of technology for new electricity generation plant, undermines the basic logic of market liberalisation, which was to shift risks and decision making to the competitive market. The challenge is now to avoid costly “policy failures” which are significantly greater than the market failures they seek to redress. The book analyses policies and policy proposals at municipal, state, regional and federal levels in the US. It identifies actual and likely winners and losers, opportunities for investors and how these policies affect international energy markets and negotiations over climate change. It also assesses what role can and should be played by markets and market mechanisms in this new policy-driven paradigm.

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