The contagious effect of China’s energy policy on stock markets: The case of the solar photovoltaic industry

• Published in: Renewable energy 2021-02, Vol.164, p.74-86
• Main Authors: Yu-Ling Hsiao, Cody, Ai, Dan, Wei, Xinyang, Sheng, Ni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: China; Contagion test; Feed-in tariffs; Solar photovoltaic power; Solar subsidies
• ISSN: 0960-1481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2020.08.161

Contagion tests through mean and volatility channels are developed based on an exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic model to investigate the effects of China’s 2009–2020 solar power policies on the economic performance of different sectors. By examining the fluctuations in the daily stock prices of nine major economic sectors in China, we show the transmission mechanisms of policy shocks and find evidence that China’s major solar energy policies, including feed-in tariffs, solar subsidies, and market-based instruments, have significant effects on most of the studied sectors in China through both mean and volatility contagion channels. Among the three types of policies, feed-in tariffs and solar subsidies are found to be the most effective instruments in improving sector performance, while market-based instruments have the least effect. The risk premium effect is weak, but the asymmetric effect is strong, suggesting that market volatility responds considerably less to positive news than to negative news for the majority of sectors investigated. •The highlights of this paper include.•The impacts of China’s 2009–2020 solar industry policies on its sector performance.•Policy contagion is developed to identify how policy shocks affect economic sectors.•Feed-in tariffs and solar subsidies are found to be effective instrument.•Significant asymmetric effect is observed in major economic sectors.