The relationship between renewable energy and retail electricity prices: Panel evidence from OECD countries
The centrality of electricity to everyday life is indisputable, and the price thereof can have significant implications. Literature is inconclusive over the effect of the renewable energy share in the energy mix on retail electricity price as country-specific regulatory policy has a significant impact on retail electricity prices. The purpose of this paper is to […]
The impact of micro hydroelectricity on household welfare indicators
The use of small scale off-grid renewable energy for rural electrification is now seen as part of the sustainable energy solutions. The expectations from such small scale investment is that it can meet basic energy needs of a household and subsequently improve some aspects of the household welfare. However, these stated benefits remain largely hypothetical […]
Are South African consumers arm-chair environmentalists? Implications for renewable energy
In terms of global warming, coal is the worst offender, as it is a dirty energy source. There are various damaging environmental impacts associated with coal during its mining, transportation, combustion and disposal. Our focus is on the impact that is associated with combustion. Air pollution from coal-fired power stations includes carbon dioxide emissions, which […]
An Economic Assessment of Bioethanol Production from Sugar Cane: The Case of South Africa
South Africa’s high level of dependence on imported crude oil exposes the economy to global events that impact on crude oil supply and prices. Given the country’s vulnerability to global crude oil price shocks these events have the potential to undermine South Africa’s economic growth and development. The renewed efforts to develop a biofuel industry […]
Measuring the indirect costs associated with the establishment of a wind farm: An application of the Contingent Valuation Model
Although a green energy source, the location of electrical generating windmills may cause a disamenity effect (negative externality). The establishment of a wind farm is known as a locally undesirable land use (LULU) and leads to the not-in-my-backyard syndrome (NIMBY). In an application of the contingent valuation method, a willingness-to-accept framework was used to estimate […]
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