Feed-in Tariffs–The Economic Case

There are a number of myths surrounding Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) and how they work because FITs fly in the face of conventional neoliberal economic policy. In conventional neoliberalism, the market sets the price. In FITs, price is set administratively and the market determines the volume. FITs are a market mechanism that can create rapid growth without subsidies and other incentives. Setting prices administratively is nothing new. Electricity prices have been set administratively–and still are–in most countries for a century or more. The links below touch on this and related issues.

Basic Concepts for Designing Renewable Electricity Support Aiming at a Full-Scale Transition by 2050

By

Aviel Verbruggen and Volkmar Lauber

Feed-in systems . . . generally perform better than certificate markets imposing uniform approaches on a very diverse reality. . .