Knowledge of price responsiveness of energy is important for designing effective price-based controls to curb the GHG emissions in Canada. The translog and logit models are developed in this study to analyze the demand for four types of energy inputs: coal, electricity, natural gas and refined petroleum products in Ontario's pulp and paper industry. The results suggest that the industry is inelastic to price change of energy consumed. Tests indicate that the translog model behaves slightly better than the logit model. The translog model was then applied to study the feasibility of imposing a carbon tax on energy inputs on Ontario's pulp and paper industry, which indicated that this sector does not seem to response to changes in energy inputs prices. Therefore, a carbon tax does not seem to be a good policy option for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in this sector.

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The demand for fossil fuels by Ontario's conventional steam power generation sector is examined. It is hypothesised that the enactment of a carbon fee policy will induce a change in the relative prices of the three fuels used in this sector (coal, natural gas and heavy fuel oil). This would lead to substantial interfuel substitution and greenhouse gas abatement. The demand share equations for the three fuels are derived from the translog functional form and set in a simulation model to estimate the value of a carbon fee necessary, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. Results suggest that a fuel specific carbon fee policy would be successful in achieving the desired emissions reduction at a negligible net cost to society.

No description available.