Energy economists research global energy supply and use, including climate change, indigenous rights, politics, and sustainability. They work for governments, private companies, research institutions, and academic organizations, studying traditional and alternative energy sources, energy movement, demand, and environmental impacts. They provide advice and recommendations for policies and cost-benefit analysis for energy investments.
An energy economist conducts research on topics related to energy supply and use around the world. This is a highly interdisciplinary field that includes not only global supply economics, but also issues such as climate change, indigenous rights, politics and sustainability. National governments make use of these economists to help them formulate policies and work with allies. These economics professionals also work for private companies, research institutions and academic organizations with an interest in energy and economics.
The areas of research in this field are quite wide. One energy economist might focus on traditional energy sources such as coal and petroleum products, while others study alternative sources such as wind and solar energy. They can observe the movement of energy within a nation and also internationally, and also study demand. This may include looking at sustainability and efficiency initiatives aimed at reducing consumption of the world’s energy supply.
Some are interested in environmental topics. They examine not just energy, but how energy production, transport, and use impact the environment. This can range from studying the pollution caused by coal power plants to looking at what happens to watersheds and fishermen when hydroelectric dams are installed. From an economic perspective, it may be important for an energy economist to cost environmental impacts to determine whether production is financially sustainable or needs to be adjusted to limit environmental costs.
Government agencies need an energy economist’s input for certain types of policy decisions. These consultants can provide advice and recommendations for environmental and energy policies aimed at future economic stability and environmental sustainability. They can also provide a cost-benefit analysis of different policy proposals and courses of action that a government could take to meet energy needs. This may include discussions of the social and environmental impacts of energy generation and use, to provide a complete picture of a government’s options.
Utilities, environmental organizations and other entities may need the services of an energy economist for their activities. An economist can help a company determine which energy investments to pursue and how aggressively to pursue them. Economists can also help organizations with concerns about environmental impacts by examining economic costs and making arguments for and against different types of development and energy use. This analysis can be useful for everything from mounting a protest against a planned development to guiding a company through changing its energy policy to be more environmentally responsible.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
