Addressing Green Energy’s 'Resource Curse'

37 Pages Posted: 21 Mar 2022 Last revised: 4 Oct 2022

See all articles by Roger E. Meiners

Roger E. Meiners

University of Texas at Arlington

Andrew P. Morriss

Bush School of Government & Public Service / School of Law; PERC - Property and Environment Research Center

Date Written: February 12, 2022

Abstract

Policy changes that encourage non-fossil fuel energy means increased reliance on batteries and other technologies that must develop rapidly. This article focuses on batteries, noting that key inputs come from corrupt countries, so little of the benefits of exports flow to citizens, and many key finished mineral products come from China. The United States thereby becomes more reliant on autocratic regimes. Using cobalt as an example, this article looks at the nature of its production, the inability of the United States to shoulder its share of the environmental burden of mineral extraction and refining, and looks to previous examples of countries “cursed” with valuable resources desired by wealthy countries. Hints as to how the “resource curse” problem may be addressed arise from the mineral extraction history of the United States many decades past.

Keywords: resource curse, green energy, conflict minerals

JEL Classification: Q01, Q2, Q37, Q42, Q56

Suggested Citation

Meiners, Roger E. and Morriss, Andrew P., Addressing Green Energy’s 'Resource Curse' (February 12, 2022). Texas A&M University School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 22-31, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4058763 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4058763

Roger E. Meiners

University of Texas at Arlington ( email )

415 S West St Apt no 205
Arlington, TX 76013
United States

Andrew P. Morriss (Contact Author)

Bush School of Government & Public Service / School of Law ( email )

4220 TAMU / Room 2141
2129 Allen Building
College Station, TX 77843-4220
United States

PERC - Property and Environment Research Center

2048 Analysis Drive
Suite A
Bozeman, MT 59718
United States

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