Publications

Topics
Country
Region
PUBLISHEDJuly 19 2024
AUTHOR(S)
Energy Subsidy Reform in Action | Firm-Level Effects of Energy Price Increases: Evidence and Insights from Recent Research

 

Energy is an essential production input for firms. Governments around the world have been subsidizing the production and consumption of energy for decades. By reforming energy subsidies, governments can reduce some of the distortions affecting how firms mix production inputs to generate output. Although there is extensive academic literature and policy debate about the impacts of energy subsidies and their reform focusing on households, much more limited research and evidence had been available on firm-level effects. From 2010 onward, there has been a growing amount of research examining the various ways in which firms are affected by energy price changes. These recent papers explore how and the extent to which energy price changes affect firms of different sizes, capacities, and setups across various sectors. This paper reviews recent research on the firm-level impacts of energy price increases, documents emerging themes and insights, and offers recommendations for dimensions that can be considered in future work.

Learn more about ESMAP's Energy Subsidy Reform Facility.

Citation

Amann, Juergen; Gencer, Defne; Heine, Dirk. 2024. Firm-Level Effects of Energy Price Increases: Evidence and Insights from Recent Research. Energy Subsidy Reform in Action Series. ESMAP Technical Report. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/41914 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.

Users also downloaded
Auctions now dominate renewable power procurement, delivering low prices but often shifting risks and macroeconomic burdens to developing countries; the report (IRENA and ESMAP’s SRMI) proposes…
January 1 2026
 EXPLORE THE DATA: Multi-Tier Framework for Energy Access Access to energy is central to addressing critical development challenges. Energy deeply influences human development, serving as a…
December 31 2025
The study analyzes a 40-year, 142-country dataset using the national energy cost share to describe historical patterns, estimate cost share sensitivity to output and energy prices, and assess the…
December 22 2025
In FY2025, ESMAP expanded electricity to 21 million people, provided clean cooking to 1.1 million, and enabled 5,552 MW of renewables, bringing cumulative gains since FY2021 to 58 million with…
December 18 2025