Energy task reform with excemptions for the energy-intensive export sector

Abstract

The present paper applies a two-sector two-factor model to analyze a variety of energy tax reforms that discriminate in favor of the energy-intensive export sector. As a result, all scenarios with exemptions reduce energy less than the non-discriminating textbook version. In one scenario that exemplifies typical attributes of the tax reform in Sweden, even an increase in total energy use is theoretically possible. This is due to a structural adjustment resulting from a substitution of the energy-intensive for the labor-intensive commodity. Moreover, simulation results show that the factor substitution effect in the energy-intensive sector is crucial to the reduction of energy.