Skip to main content
Log in

An Experimental Study of Electronic Bulletin Board Trading for Emission Permits

  • Published:
Journal of Regulatory Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reports a laboratory experiment that studies several features of a tradable emission permit program recently implemented in the Los Angeles area. The experiment focuses on the new Electronic Bulletin Board trading institution, in which firms publicly post proposed terms of trade. Potential trading partners can review this information online, and transactions are executed following bilateral negotiation. The experiment includes trading restrictions implemented in the regulations due to the geography of Los Angeles. We find that the bulletin board market performs well and that prices reflect market conditions as accurately as in the continuous double auction trading institution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cason, Timothy N. 1993. “Seller Incentive Properties of EPA's Emission trading Auction.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 25: 177–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cason, Timothy N. 1995. “An Experimental Investigation of the Seller Incentives in EPA's Emission Trading Auction.” American Economic Review 85: 905–922.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cason, Timothy N., and Charles R. Plott. 1996. “EPA's New Emissions Trading Mechanism: A Laboratory Evaluation.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 30: 133–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cason, Timothy N. 1998. “Trading Institutions and Emission Allowances.” In The Handbook of Experimental Economic Results, edited by Charles R. Plott and Vernon L. Smith. Amsterdam: Elsevier Press: forthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlin, Edward H. 1948. “An Experimental Imperfect Market.” Journal of Political Economy 56: 95–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronshaw, Mark, and Jamie Brown-Kruse. 1998. “An Experimental Analysis of Emission Permits with Banking.” In Research in Experimental Economics, vol. 7, edited by Charles Holt and R. Mark Isaac. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press: forthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, Douglas, and Charles Holt. 1993. Experimental Economics. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Register, Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR) Part 73 1996. “Acid Rain Program, SO2 Allowance Auction and Electronic Allowance Transfer; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.” 28995–28998 (June 6).

  • Foster, Vivien, and Robert Hahn. 1995. “Designing more Efficient Markets: Lessons From Los Angeles Smog Control.” Journal Of Law and Economics 38: 19–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franciosi, Robert, R. Mark Isaac, David Pingry, and Stanley Reynolds. 1993. “An Experimental Investigation of the Hahn-Noll Revenue Neutral Auction for Emissions Licenses.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 24: 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, Daniel. 1993. “The Double Auction Market Institution: A Survey.” In The Double Auction Market: Institutions, Theories, and Evidence, edited by Daniel Friedman and John Rust. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gangadharan, Lata. 1997. “Transactions Costs in Tradable Emissions Markets: An Empirical Study of the Regional Clean Air Incentives Market in Los Angeles.” The University of Melbourne, Department of Economics, Research Paper Number 591.

  • Godby, Rob, Stuart Mestelman, R. Andrew Muller, and J. Douglas Welland. 1997. “Emissions Trading with Shares and Coupons when Control over Discharges is Uncertain.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 32: 359–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, James, and Charles R. Plott. 1982. “Rate Filing Policies for Inland Water Transportation.” Bell Journal of Economics: 1–19.

  • Isaac, R. Mark, James M. Walker, and Arlington W. Williams. 1994. “Group Size and the Voluntary Provision of Public Goods: Experimental Evidence Utilizing Large Groups.” Journal of Public Economics 54: 1–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, Suzi, and David Mare. 1996. “Efficient Regulation Through Tradeable Permit Markets: The United States Lead Phasedown.” University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Working Paper 96-06.

  • Muller, R. Andrew, and Stuart Mestelman. 1994. “Emission Trading with Shares and Coupons: A Laboratory Experiment.” The Energy Journal 15: 185–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, R. Andrew, and Stuart Mestelman. 1998. “What Have We Learned from Emissions Trading Experiments?.” Managerial and Decision Economics. forthcoming.

  • PERC Reports. 1997. “Greener Pastures.” Bozeman, MT: Political Economy Research Center. Volume 15(1): 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plott, Charles R. 1991. “A Computerized Laboratory Market System and Research Support Systems for the Multiple Unit Double Auction.” Social Science Working Paper 783, California Institute of Technology.

  • Smith, Vernon L. 1962. “An Experimental Study of Competitive Market Behavior.” Journal of Political Economy 70: 111–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, Vernon L. 1976. “Experimental Economics: Induced Value Theory.” American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings 66: 274–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, Vernon L. 1982. “Microeconomic Systems as an Experimental Science.” American Economic Review 72: 923–955.

    Google Scholar 

  • South Coast Air Quality Management District. 1993. RECLAIM: Development Report and Rules, Technical report.

  • Stavins, Robert N. 1995. “Transactions Costs and Tradeable Permits.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 29: 133–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, Arlington W., and Vernon L. Smith. 1984. “Cyclical Double-Auction Markets with and without Speculators.” Journal of Business 57: 1–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cason, T.N., Gangadharan, L. An Experimental Study of Electronic Bulletin Board Trading for Emission Permits. Journal of Regulatory Economics 14, 55–73 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008075721806

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008075721806

Keywords

Navigation