Evaluating Voluntary Measures with Spillovers: The Case of Coal Combustion Products Partnership

Abstract

Traditionally, voluntary measures have been evaluated using the same framework regardless of their structure. The framework assumes that the measure provides partners with a treatment (information, research support, etc) that will not be transferred to nonpartners. In this framework, a voluntary measure is said to be worthwhile if there are significant differences between the behavior of partners and non-partners, correcting for the potential endogeneity of becoming a partner. However, voluntary measures take many different forms; some which are expected to have information transfers (spillovers) to non-partners. The Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) is a voluntary program to increase the re-use of coal combustion products (CCP) using a structure that is likely to provide spillovers to non-partners. This paper evaluates C2P2 and tests whether program spillovers are affecting non-partners’ behavior. Results suggest that the traditional interpretation would find this program unsuccessful, however when spillovers are considered, evidence points to a successful program.