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Three Policy Puzzles with Sustainable Energy Technologies – A Discussion

Corresponding Author : A. K. Enamul Haque (akehaque@ewubd.edu)

Authors : A. K. Enamul Haque (akehaque@ewubd.edu)

Keywords : Policy Puzzles, Sustainable Energy

Abstract :

Ethical considerations in the market has mostly been ignored in positive economic analysis. The basic argument is that market is a mechanism to facilitate ‘voluntary exchange’ and so under full information and no coercion or imperfection in the market the market equilibrium reflects a ‘win-win’ solution to the process of bargain. This theoretical underpinning has been upheld in most of the economic literature. However, economists have been also debating that despite being a win-win solution, markets often lead to accumulation of wealth or deprivation of wealth and hence markets need regulatory oversights. In this paper, I present three policy puzzles for us. The cases presented here, shows how positive economic considerations may sometimes result in ethical dilemma for economists. The questions for consideration are: a) Is promoting sustainable energy technology correct across the board? Or do we need to look into the distributional impacts of public policies? b) Is sustainable energy technology at all sustainable? Or does it depend on the technology or on the usage? c) Can pricing solve the problem of over-use of a resource?

Published on December 30th, 2021 in Vol 32, No 2, 2021 (Special Issue on Bangladesh Development Perspectives : Issues of Economic Justic, Social Sciences