RES-ECON 499CA AND 499DA: Economics of Renewable Energy Transition

Transitioning our energy system to one that is supplied primarily by clean and renewable energy sources is arguably one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. Modern society depends on reliable and affordable energy supply and energy markets affect all economic sectors including corporations and households. The success of the energy transition will depend on the development and deployment of new technology, as well as market mechanisms and policies to support this transition. This course will explore economic aspects of the renewable energy transition, including the costs and benefits of electricity from solar and wind, the environmental impact of energy consumption, and policies to support market growth and technology adoption. We will also cover topics related to equity in energy markets and how the renewable energy transition can contribute to social welfare and equity. Course content will also include topics related to research development, writing, and presentation. Students will develop research proposals in the Fall and complete their Honors Theses in the Spring.

RES-ECON 499C AND 499D: Sustainability in Today’s Economy (2012-2019)

Sustainability and social responsibility are criteria that are increasingly being applied in decision-making by corporations and government agencies.  This two-semester Honors Thesis Seminar familiarizes students with issues related to sustainability and social  responsibility and their impact on communities, business organizations, and governments. This course is open to all majors and emphasizes multidisciplinary perspectives to sustainability issues.

RESCON 471: Cost-Benefit Analysis

This course introduces students to the economic foundations of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and equips students with the tools necessary to conduct these analyses. Cost-benefit analysis is widely used to evaluate a diverse array of public programs including environmental and other types of regulations, resource management alternatives, and a range of public spending programs. The tools covered in this course, such as discounting, predicting and monetizing project impacts, and accounting for risk and uncertainty, are broadly applicable to decision making in the private sector and in everyday life. This course is part of the General Education (GenEd) Integrative Experience (IE) requirement for Resource Economics majors.

RESECON 721: Advanced Environmental and Resource Economics

This is an advanced graduate course covering theory and empirical applications. I co-teach this course with other faculty in environmental economics.