10th Energy Economics Policy Seminar
Economics Experiments and Consumer Behavior
Date: 15 May 2014
Venue: Authority for Consumers & Markets, Muzentoren - Room 4.20, The Hague On Thursday 15 May 2014, the 10th seminar on Energy Economics Policy took place. A Dutch report on the meeting is available here. This seminar series is organized by CPB, ACM and TILEC/Tilburg University, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and BAEE. The aim of the seminars is to create a discussion platform for Dutch energy economists and to bridge the gap between policy makers and academics. It intends to improve the economic foundation of the Dutch and European energy policy, and ensure that economic research is better aligned with the specific needs of the energy debate. The topic for the tenth seminar is "Economic Experiments and Consumer Behavior”. In future energy systems consumers are expected to play an important role. The success of new technologies (smart meters, distributed generation, electric cars) depends on consumers adopting best practices, accepting new contract forms (real-time pricing) and adjusting behavior and habits. A good understanding of consumer behavior is therefore important for firms that develop new business models or hedge risk, and for regulators and ministries evaluating different energy policies. For a better understanding of consumer behavior, economists increasingly rely on economic experiments, next to theory models and empirical methods. With experiments, often more precise estimates can be obtained and psychological & economic determinants of behavior can be identified (direct monetary benefits, framing of choices, group dynamics and norms, and different behavioral biases). This seminar addressed three topics related to economics experiments: Method
Results
He is one of the most cited young economists and has published in top journals like Science and the American Economic Review. Hunt holds a PhD in public policy from Harvard University, and BS and MS in engineering from Stanford University. Before coming to NYU, he was the Energy and Society Fellow at MIT. He also worked as consultant with Cambridge Energy Research Associates and as a consultant to the World Bank. He is scientific director of ideas42 a think thank that applies insights from psychology and economics to policy. After the lecture, two experts kicked off the debate. Herman Vollebergh is senior researcher at PBL, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and is affiliated with Tilburg University and CES-IFO. He specializes in environmental economics and works inter alia on energy efficiency, environmental taxation and technological change. Co Westerweel is an advisor to the minister for Housing and Civil Service of the Netherlands. He is a staff member of the Directorate Housing and Building of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Program
Registration
Registration is closed Remark To enable free discussions, the Chatham-House rule applies to this Seminar: “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed” Organization Machiel Mulder (ACM/ University of Groningen / BAEE) Bert Willems (TILEC - Tilburg University / BAEE) Gijsbert Zwart (CPB / Tilburg University) |
QUICK LINKS
LOCATION Room 4.20 Muzentoren Wijnhaven 16 2511 GA Den Haag |
