Theoretical and empirical study of field experiments that combines identification of causality and maximization of social welfare

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H01480
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Ida Takanori 京都大学, 経済学研究科, 教授 (60278794)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: フィールド実験 / 因果性 / 実証的厚生最大化 / 無作為比較対照実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

"A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Field Experiments Reconciling Identification of Causality and Maximization of Social Welfare" is a study to empirically clarify effective intervention methods for electricity conservation, encourage changes in electricity conservation behavior after the full deregulation of electricity retailing, and verify the results using field (social) experiments. In field experiments, a random comparison control method is used to identify causality. However, this method does not guarantee maximization of the effect of the intervention and cannot solve the "who should receive the intervention" problem. In this study, the empirical welfare maximization method developed by Toru Kitagawa and others is used to examine both the identification of causality and the maximization of social welfare.

Free Research Field

応用経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

スマートコミュニティ社会実証は日本初の大規模RCTですが、今後はエネルギー環境経済学分野のみならず、教育・医療・福祉経済学等の分野でも大いに活用が期待され、どうすればRCTの運用がうまくいくのか、どのような介入が効果を持つのか、学術的知見の共有をはかりました。さらに、学術的な面でインセンティブを用いた節電の効果的な介入方法を検証し、RCTとEWMを組み合わせた方法論の確立を目指し、社会的な面でエビデンスに基づくデマンド・レスポンスの政策形成に寄与しました。