1. High concentrations of sulfur emitted by coal fired electricity plants are toxic for humans. They also form sulfuric acid that falls in rain and damages crops, forests, and lakes. Since 1995, the US has operated a sulfur oxide tradable permit market that reduced sulfur emissions to less than half their 1980 level. What is it about the coal fired electricity producers and the marginal damage of their output that probably made the tradable permit market more socially efficient than a regulation requiring the same percentage reduction in emissions every year at every coal fired electricity plant? (Note that setting up a permit market is much more expensive than imposing such a regulation.) Explain your answer. a. b. Draw a graph of demand, supply and social marginal cost of US coal fired electricity in a one year period just before the pandemic. Do your best to make your demand and supply curves reasonably approximate demand and supply of this good during that period. Draw the graph so that a sulfur oxide permit market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax as a way of reducing sulfur emissions. Justify the shapes of the curves in your graph and justify the claim that with the curves in your graph, a permit market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax.

Principles of Economics 2e
2nd Edition
ISBN:9781947172364
Author:Steven A. Greenlaw; David Shapiro
Publisher:Steven A. Greenlaw; David Shapiro
Chapter12: Environmental Protection And Negative Externalities
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 43P: A city currently emits 15 million gallons (MG) of raw sewage into a lake that is beside the city....
icon
Related questions
Question
1. High concentrations of sulfur emitted by coal fired electricity plants are toxic for humans. They also
form sulfuric acid that falls in rain and damages crops, forests, and lakes. Since 1995, the US has operated
a sulfur oxide tradable permit market that reduced sulfur emissions to less than half their 1980 level.
a. What is it about the coal fired electricity producers and the marginal damage of their output that
probably made the tradable permit market more socially efficient than a regulation requiring the same
percentage reduction in emissions every year at every coal fired electricity plant? (Note that setting up a
permit market is much more expensive than imposing such a regulation.) Explain your answer.
b. Draw a graph of demand, supply and social marginal cost of US coal fired electricity in a one year
period just before the pandemic. Do your best to make your demand and supply curves reasonably
approximate demand and supply of this good during that period. Draw the graph so that a sulfur oxide
permit market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax as a way of reducing sulfur emissions. Justify
the shapes of the curves in your graph and justify the claim that with the curves in your graph, a permit
market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax.
Transcribed Image Text:1. High concentrations of sulfur emitted by coal fired electricity plants are toxic for humans. They also form sulfuric acid that falls in rain and damages crops, forests, and lakes. Since 1995, the US has operated a sulfur oxide tradable permit market that reduced sulfur emissions to less than half their 1980 level. a. What is it about the coal fired electricity producers and the marginal damage of their output that probably made the tradable permit market more socially efficient than a regulation requiring the same percentage reduction in emissions every year at every coal fired electricity plant? (Note that setting up a permit market is much more expensive than imposing such a regulation.) Explain your answer. b. Draw a graph of demand, supply and social marginal cost of US coal fired electricity in a one year period just before the pandemic. Do your best to make your demand and supply curves reasonably approximate demand and supply of this good during that period. Draw the graph so that a sulfur oxide permit market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax as a way of reducing sulfur emissions. Justify the shapes of the curves in your graph and justify the claim that with the curves in your graph, a permit market is likely to be more socially efficient than a tax.
Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
The demand For Public Goods
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, economics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
  • SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Principles of Economics 2e
Principles of Economics 2e
Economics
ISBN:
9781947172364
Author:
Steven A. Greenlaw; David Shapiro
Publisher:
OpenStax
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Economics
ISBN:
9781305156050
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Principles of Economics, 7th Edition (MindTap Cou…
Principles of Economics, 7th Edition (MindTap Cou…
Economics
ISBN:
9781285165875
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781305585126
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Essentials of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Essentials of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781337091992
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Principles of Microeconomics (MindTap Course List)
Principles of Microeconomics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781305971493
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning