Economic Analyses of Three Energy Policy Problems

The essays included in this dissertation analyze three policy issues that have been frequently discussed in recent years. Chapter One analyzes the effects and likelihood of a particular type of manipulation with which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has become increasingly concerned and illustrates a potential screen for such manipulation. Chapter Two analyzes the effect a federal climate policy might have given the many state climate policies that are already in place. Finally, Chapter Three examines whether it is economically justified to encourage investment in energy storage (instead of flexible natural gas generation) to compensate for the increasing variability in wind generation.