The article discusses the origins of the U-shaped average cost curve, which is one of the most widely used tools in microeconomic analysis. Its widespread use leads many to consider it as a basic tool, obscuring the fact that the graph of the U-shaped average cost curve is part of a complex...

This PhD thesis focuses on the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on investment decisions in the European power sector. We provide the policy background on the EU ETS and contemporary policy and economic developments. We discuss the main types of compliance buyers’...

China uses more than 60 percent of coal in its energy mix. This heavy reliance has strong environmental consequences notably with SO2 and CO2 emissions for which China is the world first emitter. This already has tremendous implications on a local, regional and global scale. Therefore, there is...

In the immediate aftermath of the March 2011 TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the German federal government decided to temporarily halt the operation of the country’s eight oldest energy-producing nuclear reactors. This was accompanied by a cabinet proposal to phase out...

The article develops R.H.Coase's insight that the level of transaction costs in the market determines the amount of externalities, thus providing arguments against government intervention. Contrary to Coase, however, we argue that the level of transaction costs cannot be considered as given, and...

The fertility of Adam Smith’s work stems from a paradoxical structure where the pursuit of economic self-interest and wealth accumulation serve wider social objectives. The incentive for this wealth accumulation comes from a desire for social recognition or "sympathy" – the need to recognise...

This paper provides evidence for the assertion that there is deep structural coherence between the work of Adam Smith and modern general equilibrium theory, most notably Gérard Debreu's Theory of Value. In particular, we show that Adam Smith formulated a number of highly original and to some...