Question

5. Correcting for negative externalities - Regulation versus tradable permits

Suppose the government wants to reduce the total pollution emitted by three local firms. Currently, each firm is creating 4 units of pollution in the area, for a total of 12 pollution units. If the government wants to reduce total pollution in the area to 6 units, it can choose between the following two methods:

Available Methods to Reduce Pollution

1. The government sets pollution standards using regulation.

2. The government allocates tradable pollution permits.

Each firm faces different costs, so reducing pollution is more difficult for some firms than others. The following table shows the cost each firm faces to eliminate each unit of pollution. For each firm, assume that the cost of reducing pollution to zero (that is, eliminating all 4 units of pollution) is prohibitively expensive.

Firm	First Unit of Pollution (Doliars)	Second Unit of Pollution (Dollars)	Third Unit of Pollution (Dollars)
Firm X	80	130	210
Firm Y	75	90	130
Firm Z	550	700	1,075

Method 1: Regulation

The first government employee suggests limiting pollution through regulation. To meet the pollution goal, the government requires each firm to reduce its pollution by 2 units.

Complete the following table with the total cost to each firm of reducing its pollution by 2 units.

           Total Cost of Eliminating Two Units of Pollution (Dollars)

Firm

Firm X

Firm Y

Firm Z

Method 2: Tradable Permits

Meanwhile, the other employee proposes using a different strategy to achieve the government's goal of reducing pollution in the area from 12 units to 6 units. This employee suggests that the government issue two pollution permits to each firm. For each permit a firm has in its possession, it can emit 1 unit of pollution. Firms are free to trade pollution permits with one another (that is, buy and sell them) as long as both firms can agree on a price. For example, if firm X agrees to sell a permit to firm Y at an agreed-upon price, then firm Y would end up with three permits and would need to reduce its pollution by only 1 unit while firm X would end up with only one permit and would have to reduce its pollution by 3 units. Assume the negotiation and exchange of permits are costless.

Because firm Z has high pollution-reduction costs, it thinks it might be better off buying a permit from firm Y and a permit from firm X so that it doesn't have to reduce its own pollution emissions. At which of the following prices are both firm Y and firm X willing to sell one of their permits to firm Z? Check all that apply.

$ 128

$ 135

$ 181

$ 410

$ 424

Suppose the government has set the trading price of a permit at $ 303 per permit.

Complete the following table with the action each firm will take at this permit price, the amount of pollution each firm will eliminate, and the amount it costs each firm to reduce pollution to the necessary level. If a firm is willing to buy two permits, assume that it buys one permit from each of the other firms. (Hint: Do not include the prices paid for permits in the cost of reducing pollution.)

Determine the total cost of eliminating six units of pollution using both methods, and enter the amounts in the following table. (Hint: You might need to get information from previous tasks to complete this table.)

In this case, you can conclude that eliminating pollution is _______ costly to society when the government regulates each firm to eliminate a certain amount of pollution than when it allocates pollution permits that can be bought and sold.

Answer 1

Solution:-

Regulation:-

Firm X: - 80 + 130 = 210

Firm Y: - 75 + 90 = 165

Firm Z: - 550 + 700 = 1250

Tradable Permits:-

Cost of eliminating 3rd unit of pollution by X and Y is $ 210 and $ 130, so if Firm Z offers price greater than $ 210 then both Firm X and Y will sell their permit. So, prices at which X and Y will sell their permits are:

1) $ 410

2) $ 424

At price of $ 303, both Firm X and Y will sell their permits because its cost of eliminating 3rd unit of pollution is less than the set ­price.

Firm	Initial Pollution Permits Allocation	Action	Final Amount of pollution eliminated	Cost of pollution reduction
Firm X	2	Sell one permit	3 units	80 + 130 + 210 = 420
Firm Y	2	Sell one permits	3 unit	75 + 90 + 130 = 295
Firm Z	2	Buy two permits	0 unit	0

Regulation Versus Tradable Permits:

Proposed Method	Total cost of eliminating six units of pollution
Regulation	210 + 165 + 1250 = 1625
Tradable Permits	420 + 295 + 0 = 715

Less costly when the government regulates each firm to eliminate a certain amount of pollution.

Answer 2

everything is right except the last part. it is more costly when the gov regulates each firm than allocating pollution permits.