Publications

Optimal Policies for Managing Oil Revenue Stabilization Funds: An Illustration Using Saudi Arabia

Science Direct

We develop an analytical approach that offers insights into how governments can better manage an oil-revenue stabilization fund. The model maximizes the expected intertemporal utility of households and consists of decisions that are a function of the fund level and…

Nader AlKathiri, Tarek Atalla, Frederic Murphy, Axel Pierru

A Comparison of Alternative Programs for Climate Policies

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino

This research paper compares the relative welfare impact of different options for allocating the financing burden of climate change mitigation policies. Focusing on efficient ways to finance policies aimed at climate change mitigation, not only at direct carbon reduction, could…

Atalla, Tarek

Bigerna, Simona

Bollino, Carlo Andrea

Effect of Preferential Trade Agreements on China’s Energy Trade From Chinese and Exporters’ Perspectives

Emerald Insight

China is a major energy import powerhouse, its trade deals have significant impact on international energy trade and global energy markets. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of energy in China’s preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and…

Philipp Galkin, Carlo Andrea Bollino, Tarek Atalla

An Estimation of the Drivers Behind OPEC’s Quota Decisions

Philipp Galkin, Tarek Atalla, Zhongyuan Ren

This paper identifies key determinants that appear to shape OPEC’s quota strategy and implementation. Using econometric estimations, it examines the factors that seem to most influence members’ adherence to their production commitments in the short term and what drives the…

Galkin, Philipp

Atalla, Tarek

ZR

Ren, Zhongyuan

Energy demand elasticities and weather worldwide

Economia Politica

The purpose of this paper is to empirically estimate a model of aggregate residential and commercial energy demand elasticities, taking into account capital stock and climatic effects. We model a theoretically founded non-linear energy demand system, the generalized almost ideal,…

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino

Gasoline demand, pricing policy, and social welfare in Saudi Arabia: A quantitative analysis

Energy Policy

Domestic energy prices in Saudi Arabia are set below international market prices. This, coupled with rapid economic and population growth, is believed to have contributed to the rapid growth in domestic energy demand and, recently, affected the government budget in…

Tarek Atalla, Anwar Gasim, Lester C. Hunt

A global degree days database for energy-related applications

Energy

Weather can have a profound effect on energy consumption particularly with respect to hot and cold temperatures, driving residential and commercial energy demand. The cooling and heating degree day methodology has been often been regarded as a reliable means to…

Tarek Atalla, Silvio Gualdi, Alessandro Lanza

Analyzing renewable energy and climate conditions effects on societal welfare worldwide

The Energy Journal

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino, Rolando Fuentes

Residential Energy demand elasticities and weather worldwide

The Energy Journal

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino

Comparing renewable energy policies in E.U.15, U.S. and China: A Bayesian DSGE model

Energy Journal

The promotion of renewable energy sources (RES) by governments is one way of helping countries to meet their energy needs while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, we examine the role of energy policy in RES promotion, based on…

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna

Prices versus policy: An analysis of the drivers of the primary fossil fuel mix

Energy Policy

Energy policymakers often attempt to shape their countries’ energy mix, rather than leave it purely to market forces. By calibrating and simulating a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model, this paper analyzes the primary fossil fuel mix in the USA…

Tarek Atalla, Lester C. Hunt, Baltasar Manzano

Analyzing the effects of renewable energy and climate conditions on consumer welfare

Energy Journal

This paper aims to measure the impact of the gradual adoption of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) on the welfare of consumers. To this end, we construct a theoretically founded measure of the true cost of living (TCL) and the equivalence…

Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino, Rolando Fuentes

Determinants of energy productivity in 39 countries: An empirical investigation

Energy Economics

This paper uses three types of analysis to investigate the drivers of energy productivity changes occurring in 39 countries during 1995–2009. We find that increases in sectoral energy productivity were the primary driver behind economy-wide energy productivity improvements. Structural economic…

Tarek Atalla, Patrick Bean

Does disagreement among oil price forecasters reflect volatility? Evidence from the ECB surveys

International Journal of Forecasting

We examine quarterly oil price forecasts from the Survey of Professional Forecasters conducted by the European Central Bank. We present three empirical findings, all of which are robust to the number of respondents considered. First, the dispersion of forecasts is…

Tarek Atalla, Fred Joutz, Axel Pierru

Modelling residential electricity demand in the GCC countries

Energy Economics

This paper aims at understanding the drivers of residential electricity demand in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries by applying the structural time series model. In addition to the economic variables of GDP and real electricity prices, the model accounts for…

Tarek Atalla, Lester C. Hunt

Quantifying the impact of coal on global economic growth and energy productivity in the early 21st century

Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment

Two intriguing circumstances have characterized the behavior of energy markets in the first years of 21st Century: a sharp increase in oil prices without a clear impact on real economic activity and a relative stagnation of energy productivity after 30…

Tarek Atalla, Jorge Blazquez

Future Business Models for Power Markets: What can We Learn from the ‘Sharing Economy’?

Oxford Energy Forum

Rolando Fuentes, Tarek Atalla, Simona Bigerna, Carlo Andrea Bollino

A simple approach to valuing a multinational firm’s tax shields

Applied Financial Economics

We consider a multinational firm that seeks to maximize its total amount of interest tax shield while following a constant debt ratio policy on a global level. The firm’s total interest tax shield can then be considered as a piecewise-linear…

Axel Pierru, Tarek Atalla

The role of CO2 capture and storage in Saudi Arabia’s energy future

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

This paper aims to investigate for the first time the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) in shaping the future energy policy for Saudi Arabia. It begins with a broad analysis of the strategic context for CCS.…

Berenice Garcia Tellez, Tarek Atalla