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Energy Products (energy + products)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Chemistry	40%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	40%

Selected Abstracts

Energy tax harmonization in the European Union: a proposal based on the internalization of environmental external costs

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2002
Susanna Dorigoni
Energy tax harmonization represents a fundamental target within the European Union. In fact fiscal harmonization is a crucial step towards the creation of a single market. In this article the possibility of achieving such an objective is discussed. The paper consists of two sections. In the first the European taxation on energy products is analysed. This analysis is useful in showing the differences that exist between the European countries that account for the difficulties met so far in the process of harmonization. In this respect we comment on the recent proposal of the Directive of the European Union, which lays down the obligation of minimum levels of taxation in all European member states. In the second section, after simulating the effects related to the adoption of a common environmental taxation (a first best solution based on the internalization of environmental external costs), we propose, as a second best solution, an excise tax harmonization model taking into consideration the specificity of each country and being, as far as possible, coherent with the environmental objective. This model proposes: the introduction of a minimum level of taxation on all products equal to the external cost due to the greenhouse effect (a common carbon tax); the possibility, given to the member states, of deviating from such minimum levels, in accordance with their specific requirements, internalizing in the price of the different products, by means of taxes additional to that CO2 minimum, the external costs associated with other pollutant agents (the same in all countries); the opportunity, in case it should be necessary to exceed the entire external cost, for the member states to apply increases that are in accordance with the environmental objective. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source]

Imposed stress and variant selection: the role of symmetry and initial texture

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2008
P. S. Bate
The paper discusses the role of stress on displacive phase transformations where plasticity is associated with variant selection, together with its implications for the resulting texture. In cases where the parent phase has a texture, the presence of stress generally leads to modification and strengthening of the texture in the product phase. However, if no preferred orientation is present initially, it is shown that the resulting product will be essentially free from texture irrespective of the applied stress. By analysis of the energy product of transformations under stress where the shape-change strain transforms as a second-order tensor, crystallographically indistinguishable orientations can give different energy products, while very different orientations can give the same energy product. [source]

Price adjustment in Italy: evidence from micro producer and consumer prices

MANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 2-3 2010
Silvia Fabiani
This paper investigates the behaviour of consumer and producer prices in Italy using micro data. The frequency of price changes is computed in order to obtain a quantitative measure of the unconditional degree of price rigidity at both the consumption and the production stage. On average, producer prices tend to remain unchanged for around 6 months, whereas consumer prices exhibit a longer duration, of 10 months. A comparison of the price behaviour of similar items confirms that prices are more flexible at the production stage. Prices, however, are not adjusted uniformly across sectors. The duration of producer prices is less for food and non-energy intermediate products and greater for non-food consumer and investment goods. At the consumption stage, price spells are longer for non-energy industrial goods and services, much shorter for energy products. In exploring the possible reasons for the differences, we observe that a higher share of labour in total costs is associated with lower frequency of price adjustment. Moreover, the structure and functioning of the retail sector in Italy may slow price adjustment at the consumption stage, together with other specific economic factors that affect mainly consumer price behaviour, such as menu costs and attractive pricing policies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Before demand-side management is discarded, let's see what pieces should be kept

OPEC ENERGY REVIEW, Issue 1 2000
Clark W. Gellings
Over the last 15 years, demand-side management (DSM) in developed countries has been transformed from a start-up activity to a full-blown industry, and then down-sized to a modest activity. While DSM remains a part of some utilities' strategies to meet current and future customer needs, its image in developed countries has been tarnished and its future is in doubt. More than ever now, retail energy customers are demanding from the marketplace a broad range of energy products and services that satisfy their most important needs. The electric utility industry has evolved into an energy and energy services industry. Its strategies, of retaining customers, enhancing revenue and controlling costs through various programmes and initiatives, while meeting customer needs, do not necessarily include DSM; but, nor is DSM in conflict with them. It is now, therefore, time to move on from DSM in the developed world. However, in developing countries, where the growth in electric energy production and delivery systems has not kept pace with population, DSM remains a viable option. [source]

The integration of green chemistry into future biorefineries

BIOFUELS, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOREFINING, Issue 1 2009
James H. Clark
Abstract The use of biorefineries for the production of chemicals as well as materials and energy products is key to ensuring a sustainable future for the chemical and allied industries. Through the integration of green chemistry into biorefineries, and the use of low environmental impact technologies, we can establish future supply chains for genuinely green and sustainable chemical products. The first step in these future biorefineries should be the benign extraction of surface chemicals; here the use of greener solvents, such as supercritical carbon dioxide and bioethanol, should be considered. The residues will often be rich in lignocellulosics and the effective separation of the cellulose is a major challenge which may, in the future, be assisted by greener solvents, such as ionic liquids. Lignin is nature's major source of aromatics; we need new ways to produce small aromatic building blocks from lignin in order to satisfy the enormous and diverse industrial demand for aromatics. Fermentation can be used to convert biomass into a wide range of bioplatform chemicals in addition to ethanol. Their green chemical conversion to higher value chemicals is as important as their efficient production; here clean technologies such as catalysis , notably biocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis , the use of benign solvents, and energy efficient reactors are essential. Thermochemical processes for the conversion of biomass, such as the production of pyrolysis oil, will also play an important role in future biorefineries and here again green chemistry methods should be used to go to higher value downstream chemicals. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source]