What Matters for Electrification? Evidence from 70 Years of US Home Heating Choices

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Davis, Lucas W.
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Berkeley
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01292
• 发表日期: 2025-05
• 页码: 668-684
• 关键词: energy; EFFICIENCY; consumption; ECONOMICS; prices; equity

摘要

The percentage of U.S. homes heated with electricity has increased steadily from 1% in 1950 to 40% in 2020. Energy prices, geography, climate, housing characteristics, and income are shown to explain 90% of the increase, with energy prices by far the most important factor. The paper then estimates the cost of an electrification mandate for new homes. Households in warm states tend to prefer electricity anyway, so would be made worse off by less than $350 annually on average. Households in cold states, however, tend to prefer natural gas so would be made worse off by more than $1,000 annually.