Professor Hughes's research focuses on energy markets, especially as applied to the transportation sector. In particular, his work investigates how consumers and firms respond to the incentives embedded in policy choices. Professor Hughes' contributions fall into three main areas: climate change and renewable energy policy; driver behavior and urban traffic congestion; and freight transportation and goods movement.
keywords
Transportation and energy economics, Industrial organization and environmental economics
ECON 3545 - Environmental Economics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020
Highlights causes of excessive environmental pollution and tools for controlling it through economic analysis, values of preservation and distribution of costs and benefits from environmental protection programs. Economics (ECON) majors may be approved to enroll with advisor & instructor approval and count towards the major GPA. Majors must consult with assigned ECON advisor to determine eligibility to be enrolled. Degree credit not granted for this course and ECON 4545.
ECON 4545 - Environmental Economics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Fall 2021
Examines the effects of economic growth on the environment; application of economic theory of external diseconomies, cost-benefit analysis, program budgeting, and welfare economics to problems of the physical environment. Degree credit not granted for this course and ECON 3545.
ECON 4555 - Transportation Economics and Policy
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2019 / Fall 2024
This is a course in transportation economics and policy for undergraduates. Students will combine large real-world data sets with economic theory and advanced artificial intelligence tools to analyze transportation markets and policies. The course combines topics from environmental economics and industrial organization including: aggregate demand for transportation; disaggregate demand and mode choice; externality theory; intercity passenger and freight transportation; and policies such as price regulation, fuel taxes and congestion pricing. Instruction will emphasize the current literature and examples from recent policies.
ECON 8209 - Economics Research Methods Workshop 1
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2024
Assists students starting their doctoral thesis by discussing methodology and evaluation of economic research. Presents and discusses student research proposals.
ECON 8545 - Environmental Economics 2
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2022
Provides advanced study of current research in environmental economics and explores opportunities for new research. Instruction in empirical research including experimental design, numerical analysis, econometric and statistical approaches. Theoretical analysis of economic problems including optimization, cost/benefit analysis and economic modeling of current environmental policies. The course can be taken independently or in conjunction with 8535 to make a two-semester sequence in environmental economics.
ENVS 6301 - Environmental and Energy Economics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023
Introduces non-economists to the study of energy markets, environmental externalities, economic regulation and public policy. This applied course uses examples from electricity generation, renewable energy, manufacturing, transportation and other energy intensive industries. A variety of policy instruments will be studies, including: technology standards, subsidies, environmental mandates, rate-based policies, emissions taxes and cap-and-trade systems.
