TEACHING

• PPHA 49904: Energy and Environmental Markets This course is intended for students enrolled in the one-year MS in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP) degree program. The course studies the markets and institutions that govern how much energy is produced, what kinds of energy are produced, how and when that energy is delivered to consumers, and the amount of environmental harm that results from that energy’s production and consumption. Successful students will be able to: (1) understand how different institutional structures --- especially liberalized markets versus central planning --- allocate scarce resources; (2) understand and be able to apply principles for normative evaluation of economic outcomes; (3) think critically about incentives and how energy producers and consumers might respond to incentives in practice; and (4) articulate the tradeoffs of public policy interventions such as energy market regulation, environmental regulation, and the creation of environmental markets. We will achieve these goals through the study of economic models of energy and environmental problems. Assignments include computational problems using data from real-world energy markets, in-class quizzes, a final exam, and the Electricity Strategy Game, in which students participate in a simulated wholesale electricity market. Last taught: Fall 2026

• PBPL 20000 / PPHA 58101: Economics for Public Policy PBPL 20000 and PPHA 58101 are policy-oriented introductory courses in microeconomics. PBPL 20000 is intended for students in the College who are considering the major in Public Policy Studies, and PPHA 58101 is tailored to students in Harris's Evening Master's Program. The core goals of both courses are the same. Successful students will be able to: (1) understand how institutional structures and organizations (e.g., markets, households, firms, or governments) allocate scarce resources and the goods and services produced from those resources; (2) understand and be able to apply principles for normative evaluation of economic outcomes; (3) think critically about incentives and how individuals, households, and firms might respond to incentives in practice; and (4) articulate the tradeoffs of public policy interventions into markets or other economic decisions. The course achieves these goals through the study of economic models and discussion of how these models can inform applied economic and public policy problems. Last taught: Fall 2025

• PPHA 44330 / ECON 36730: Energy and Environmental Economics I This PhD-level course emphasizes the economics of natural resource production and problems associated with externalities and common property, with a focus on the energy sector. Most of the course content is theoretical in nature, but we spend considerable time studying applications that have an empirical component. The course has several complementary objectives: (1) provide a solid foundation in concepts like Hotelling's Rule, commons problems, and Pigouvian taxation that are a prerequisite for understanding modern environmental and resource economics; (2) build comprehension of frontier research that grapples with these concepts; (3) develop proficiency with theoretical, computational, and empirical tools that will be valuable for future self-directed research; and (4) gain experience in reading, presenting, and discussing modern research in energy and environmental economics. Last taught: Fall 2025

• PPHA 36941 / PBPL 28425: Strategic Behavior and Regulation of Firms Firm behavior is a critical aspect of any market-oriented economy. What strategies can firms employ to improve their bottom-lines, how do these strategies affect consumers, and when should regulators intervene? This course (with masters and undergraduate sections) addresses these questions using recent regulatory case studies, economic modeling, and a hands-on business strategy game. Last taught: Fall 2018