How do energy & environmental policy goals and instruments affect electricity demand? A framework for the analysis

Several measures in the environment and energy realms are currently being implemented in the EU and its Member States. Three of these instruments, with an impact on the electricity market, are demand side management activities, promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources and measures aimed at the mitigation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of these energy efficiency and environmental goals and instruments on electricity demand and costs to electricity consumers when electricity markets are either national or international and when those policies are implemented by a national or an international institution. The paper shows that the effectiveness and impact of those measures largely depends on the demand response in the electricity market. An additional conclusion is that, when either the electricity markets or the support policies are national, distortions may occur, i.e. the reductions in electricity demand in one country may be subsidised by consumers or taxpayers in another country.