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  4. The Economics Of Gasoline Regulation: Price Impacts And Consumer Costs Of Environmental Air Quality Programs

The Economics Of Gasoline Regulation: Price Impacts And Consumer Costs Of Environmental Air Quality Programs

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mhg66thesisPDF.pdf (1.67 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/29157
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Applied Economics and Management MS Theses
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Gadsden, Michael
Abstract

This research examines economic impacts of two gasoline regulations designed to combat tropospheric ozone pollution. I construct several fixed effects econometric models to assess impacts of reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline on retail gasoline prices and consumer costs. I estimate that reformulated gasoline has had a positive and statistically significant impact on real fuel prices of approximately 3.4 to 6.0 cents per gallon. I estimate that federal low volatility gasoline has had an insignificant price impact of 0.0 to 0.8 cents per gallon, but find that state-level controls more stringent than federal standards may have increased prices by over 8.0 cents per gallon. I also find that both reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline price effects likely vary substantially between cities. I present a framework for examining changes in welfare and estimate that over 15 years the reformulated gasoline program has cost consumers between $15.1 billion and $39.0 billion.

Date Issued
2011-08-31
Keywords
Clean Air Act
•
Gasoline
•
Ozone
Committee Chair
Bento, Antonio Miguel R.
Committee Member
Boisvert, Richard N
Degree Discipline
Agricultural Economics
Degree Name
M.S., Agricultural Economics
Degree Level
Master of Science
Type
dissertation or thesis

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