Pollution control innovations and the Clean Air Act of 1990

Bibliographic Data

ID11680598
AuthorsDavid Popp (0000-0003-4000-8819, Syracuse University, corresponding author)
Year2003
Volume22
Issue4
Pages641-660
Publication date2003-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Policy Analysis and Management (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0276-8739 • E-ISSN: 1520-6688
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/pam.10159
OpenAlexW2160922751
LanguageEN
Citations received46
References cited11

One advantage often cited for market‐based environmental policies is that they are more likely to promote technological innovation than are command and control regulations. This paper uses patent data to study innovation in flue gas desulfurization units (“scrubbers”) across these policy regimes. Plant level data indicate that the effect of these patents on pollution control changed after passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act, which instituted a market for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) permits. Previous regulations requiring plants constructed before 1990 to install scrubbers created incentives for innovation that lowered the costs of operating scrubbers, but did little to improve the environmental effectiveness of the technology. In comparison, innovations occurring since 1990 do serve to improve the removal efficiency of scrubbers. © 2003 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

Air pollution · Business · Clean Air Act · Clean technology · Control (management · Economics · Environmental economics · Environmental policy · Flue-gas desulfurization · Incentive · Management · Political science · Pollution prevention · Public economics · Scrubber · Waste management · Climate Change Policy and Economics · Energy, Environment, Economic Growth · Engineering · Public Procurement and Policy · Pollution

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