Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-mwx4w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T00:03:43.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A New Look at the Economic Evaluation of Wind Energy as anAlternative to Electric and Natural Gas-Powered Irrigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2015

Dmitry Lima
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Gregory Colson
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Berna Karali
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Bridget Guerrero
Affiliation:
Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Lubbock, Texas
Stephen Amosson
Affiliation:
Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Amarillo, Texas
Michael Wetzstein
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Abstract

An extension of the Guerrero et al. (2010) net present value (NPV) analysisusing real options analysis (ROA) is offered to improve machineryreplacement decisions. Specifically, the feasibilities of replacing naturalgas irrigation systems with either electric or hybrid (electric/wind)systems are evaluated. Results indicate NPV and ROA criteria can yieldopposite decisions depending on the stochastic nature of the parameters,reversibility of the investment, and flexibility of investment timing. Forpolicy, NPV results indicate that replacing natural gas with a hybrid is onthe cusp of being optimal. However, ROA indicates this NPV implication maynot hold.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Black, F., and Scholes., M.The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities.” The Journal of Political Economy 81(1973):637-54.10.1086/260062Google Scholar
Carey, J.M., and Zilberman., D.A Model of Investment under Uncertainty: Modern Irrigation Technology and Emerging Markets in Water.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 84(2002): 171-83.10.1111/1467-8276.00251Google Scholar
Dixit, A., and Pindyck., R. Investment under Uncertainty. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994.Google Scholar
Dykes, K., and Neufville., R. Real Options for a Wind Farm in Wapakoneta, Ohio: Incorporating Uncertainty into Economic Feasibility Studies for Community Wind. World Wind Energy Conference, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, June 2008. Internet site: http://ardent.mit.edu/real_options/Real_opts_papers/Dykes_%20WWEC%202008_Final_Oct08.pdf (Accessed May 2012).Google Scholar
EIA. Natural Gas. Natural Gas Weekly Update, U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2012. Internet site: http://205.254.135.7/naturalgas/weekly/ (Accessed May 2012).Google Scholar
Elmer, N., Thurow, A., Johnson, J., and Rosson., C.An Ex Ante Assessment of Investments in Texas Grapefruit under Uncertainty.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 33(2001): 391401.Google Scholar
Gonzalez, A., Karali, B., and Wetzstein., M.A Public Policy Aid for Bioenergy Investment: Case Study of Failed Plants.” Energy Policy 51(2012):465-73.10.1016/j.enpol.2012.08.048Google Scholar
Guerrero, B., Amosson, S., Marek, T., and Johnson., J.Economic Evaluation of Wind Energy as an Alternative to Natural Gas Powered Irrigation.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 42(2010):277-87.S107407080000345XGoogle Scholar
Lee, S., and Shih., L.Renewable Energy Policy Evaluation using Real Option Model–The Case of Taiwan.” Energy Economics 32, Suppl 1(2010):S6778.10.1016/j.eneco.2010.04.010Google Scholar
Lima, D. Economic Valuation of Wind Energy through a Real Options Approach. M.S. Thesis, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, 2012.Google Scholar
Luna, A., Assuad, C., and Dyner., I.Wind Energy in Colombia: An Approach from the Real Options.” Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Proceedings of the 21st International Conference of the System Dynamics Society in New York City, July 2003.Google Scholar
McClintock, A.Investment in Irrigation Technology: Water Use Change, Public Policy and Uncertainty,” Technical Report No. 01/10, Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, Victoria, Australia, 2010.Google Scholar
McDonald, R., and Siegel., D.The Value of Waiting to Invest.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 101(1986):707–27.10.2307/1884175Google Scholar
Merton, R.Theory of Rational Option Pricing.” The Bell Journal of Economics and Management Science 4(1973): 141-83.10.2307/3003143Google Scholar
Mezey, E.W., and Conrad., J.M.Real Options in Resource Economics.” Annual Review of Resource Economics 2(2010):3352.10.1146/annurev-resource-040709-135122Google Scholar
Michailidis, A., and Mattas., K.Using Real Options Theory to Irrigation Dam Investment Analysis: An Application of Binomial Option Pricing Mode.” Water Resources Management 21(2007):1717-33.Google Scholar
Munoz, J., Contreras, J., Caamano, J., and Correia., P.Risk Assessment of Wind Power Generation Project Investments Based on Real Options.” IEEE Bucharest Power Technical Conference, Bucharest, Romania, 2009.Google Scholar
Myers, S.Determinants of Corporate Borrowing.” Journal of Financial Economics 5(1977): 147-75.10.1016/0304-405X(77)90015-0Google Scholar
Richards, T.J., and Green., G.P.Economic Hysteresis in Variety Selection.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 35(2003): 114.S1074070800005897Google Scholar
Seo, S., Segarra, E., Mitchell, P.D., and Leatham., D.J.Irrigation Technology Adoption and its Implication for Water Conservation in the Texas High Plains: A Real Options Approach.” Agricultural Economics 38(2008):4755.Google Scholar
Tareen, I.Y., Wetzstein, M.E., and Duffield., J.A.Biodisel as a Substitute for Petroleum Diesel in a Stochastic Environment.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 32(2000):373–81.Google Scholar
Venetsanos, K., Angelopoulou, P., and Tsoutsos., T.Renewable Energy Sources Project Appraisal under Uncertainty, the Case of Wind Energy Exploitation within a Changing Energy Market Environment.” Energy Policy 30(2002):293307.10.1016/S0301-4215(01)00096-9Google Scholar
Wetzstein, M.E. Microeconomic Theory: Concepts and Connections. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Routledge Publisher, 2013.Google Scholar