Blake Shaffer
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
School of Public Policy
University of Calgary
Biography
Hello! Welcome to my site.
I work on electricity markets, climate policy and energy transitions. I tend to use empirical methods to evaluate policy effectiveness and better understand consumer and firm behaviour. My goal is to bring rigorous evidence to help policy makers craft better policy.
Prior to returning to academia, I had a 15 year career in energy trading, specializing in electricity, natural gas and emissions markets. I received my PhD in economics from the University of Calgary, Master of Philosophy in economics from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Queen’s University. I recently held visiting scholar and Fulbright postdoctoral scholar positions at the Toulouse School of Economics and Stanford University.
My recent research has been published in Nature, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Public Policy, Energy Economics, and the Energy Journal. My popular writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, CBC, and other media outlets. I am frequently asked to provide policy advisor services for governments at various levels on energy and environmental policy matters.
The American Economic Association encourages its members to openly provide a disclosure statement. Mine can be found here.
Download my CV.
Interests
- Electricity markets
- Climate policy
- Energy transitions
Education
-
PhD in Economics, 2018
University of Calgary
-
MPhil in Economics, 2003
Cambridge University
-
BSc (Honours) in Environmental Science, 2000
Queen's University
Journal articles
(2020).
Stretching the Duck: How rising temperatures will change the level and shape of future electricity consumption.
Energy Journal.
(2020).
Paying for performance: The role of policy in energy storage deployment.
Energy Economics.
(2020).
Misunderstanding Nonlinear Prices: Evidence from a Natural Experiment on Residential Electricity Demand.
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.
(2020).
Canadian electricity markets during the COVID-19 pandemic: An initial assessment.
Canadian Public Policy.
(2019).
Location matters: Daylight saving time and electricity demand.
Canadian Journal of Economics.
(2004).
Preliminary Results of the London Congestion Charging Scheme.
Public Works, Management and Policy.
Journal articles (outside energy and economics)
Peer-reviewed policy papers and reports
(2021).
A multiple account benefit-cost analysis of coal mining in Alberta.
School of Public Policy Research Paper.
(2021).
The role of hydrogen in Canada's transition to net-zero emissions.
School of Public Policy Research Paper.
(2021).
The role of hydrogen in decarbonizing Alberta's electricity system.
School of Public Policy Research Paper.
(2021).
Technical pathways to aligning Canadian electricity systems with net zero goals.
Canadian Institute for Climate Choices.
(2020).
The Price of Power: Comparative Electricity Costs across Provinces.
C.D. Howe Institute Research Paper.
(2019).
The Role of Storage in Alberta’s Electricity Market: Summary of a School of Public Policy Roundtable Event.
School of Public Policy Summary Paper.
(2017).
All’s Well that Ends Well: Addressing End-of-Life Liabilities for Oil and Gas Wells.
C.D. Howe Institute Research Paper.
(2016).
The Challenge of Integrating Renewable Generation in the Alberta Electricity Market.
School of Public Policy Summary Paper.
(2016).
The Political Economy of Free Allocations in Revenue Recycling: Six Position Papers on the Options for Recycling Carbon Pricing Revenue.
Ecofiscal Commission.
(2016).
Lifting the hood on Alberta’s royalty review.
School of Public Policy Briefing Paper.
Policy notes
- Dead Weight Loss, UC Berkeley Energy Institute Blog, Oct 26, 2021 (with Maximilian Auffhammer)
- The Climate Policy Certainty Gap and How to Fill It, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Jun 4, 2021 (with Dale Beugin)
- Valuing Alberta’s Renewable Electricity Program, School of Public Policy, Energy & Environmental Policy Trends, Mar 18, 2021 (with Sara Hastings-Simon)
- Three Fixes for Canadian Energy Policy to Avoid Texas’ Energy Troubles, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Feb 19, 2021 (with Joshua Rhodes)
- Cheap renewables have arrived, School of Public Policy, Energy & Environmental Policy Trends, Nov 22, 2020 (with Nick Schumacher, Victoria Goodday and Jen Winter)
- Other Options for Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing in Ontario, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Nov 3, 2020 (with Grant Bishop and Mariam Ragab)
- As Electricity Demand Sinks, Ontario Power Costs Rise 24 Percent With More to Come, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Apr 21, 2020 (with Grant Bishop)
- Power demand in the time of COVID-19, School of Public Policy, Energy & Environmental Policy Trends, Apr 16, 2020 (with Andrew Leach and Nic Rivers)
- Using forward contracts to deliver reliable and affordable power, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Oct 18, 2019
- Will electric vehicle subsidies spur widespread adoption?, School of Public Policy, Energy & Environmental Policy Trends, May 23, 2019
- You get what you pay for: Considering cost and value in renewables procurement, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Dec 18, 2018
- To Change or not to Change? The Daylight Savings Debate Won’t Die, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Mar 6, 2018
- Alberta’s Renewable Auction Sets a New Low for Prices, but Tweaks Are Needed in the Future, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Dec 14, 2017
- What’s the Real Deal with Keystone XL?, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Nov 21, 2017
- Smooth transitions: Shifting from cap-and-trade to a carbon tax, Ecofiscal Commission blog, Nov 15, 2017 (with Dale Beugin and Trevor Tombe)
- On Site C: Dam(ned) if You Do, Dam(ned) if You Don’t, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Nov 3, 2017
- An Ontario surprise: a good idea about electricity pricing, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Sep 10, 2017
- Does Daylight Saving Time Reduce Energy Consumption? (Part 1), C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Mar 7, 2017 (with Nic Rivers)
- Does Daylight Saving Time Reduce Energy Consumption? (Part 2), C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Mar 8, 2017 (with Nic Rivers)
- Reconciling Pipelines with Canada’s Climate Goals, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Dec 8, 2016 (with Trevor Tombe)
- What Does a Capacity Market Mean for Alberta?, C.D. Howe Intelligence Memo, Nov 24, 2016
Popular media
- If you got an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, you made the right decision, according to economics, Globe and Mail, May 12, 2021 (with Stephen Gordon, Andrew Leach, Christine Neill, Tammy Schirle and Trevor Tombe)
- Comment le Canada peut fournir une énergie propre et fiable grâce aux macroréseaux électriques, The Conversation Canada, March 4, 2021 (with Brett Dolter, Kent Fellows and Nic Rivers)
- Why Canada should invest in ‘macrogrids’ for greener more reliable electricity, The Conversation Canada, Feb 24, 2021 (with Brett Dolter, Kent Fellows and Nic Rivers)
- Lessons for Alberta from the Texas power blackout, CBC, Feb 24, 2021 (with Joshua Rhodes)
- Bridging the electricity gap between Alberta and B.C. makes perfect climate sense, CBC, Dec 22, 2020 (with Mark Jaccard)
- Alberta’s shift away from coal power is a climate action success story, CBC, Oct 15, 2020 (with Andrew Leach)
- On the wrong track: Alberta loses $2.1B on crude-by-rail contracts, CBC, Sep 1, 2020
- Alberta’s government is using coronavirus as a shield for laying off education workers, Globe and Mail, Apr 5, 2020 (with Trevor Tombe)
- Beyond pipelines: The nation-building project that could electrify Canada, Globe and Mail, Mar 17, 2020 (with Sara Hastings-Simon)
- Alberta’s carbon-pricing policy is imperfect – but in one significant way, it’s actually better than Ottawa’s, Globe and Mail, Oct 29, 2019
- Les Canadiens ont les voitures les plus grosses et les plus énergivores au monde, The Conversation Canada, May 13, 2019
- When it comes to vehicles, Canada tops the charts for poor fuel economy, The Conversation Canada, May 9, 2019
- Redwater decision is progress, but environmental liabilities run deep, Globe and Mail, Feb 4, 2019 (with Simon Dyer and Chris Ragan)
- Canada’s new large-emitter pricing system might defeat the carbon tax’s own purpose, Maclean’s, Nov 5, 2018
- Will LNG Canada increase greenhouse gas emissions?, Maclean’s, Oct 3, 2018
- On Policy Durability, The Hill Times, Aug 13, 2018 (ungated)
- Why John Horgan deserves credit for going ahead with Site C, Maclean’s, Dec 11, 2017
- Why the B.C. Liberals and NDP are both wrong about bridge tolls, Maclean’s, Apr 10, 2017
- Saskatchewan swallows the fiscal pill Alberta refuses, Maclean’s, Mar 23, 2017 (with Trevor Tombe)
- Paying for pipelines: How consumers can end up footing some of the bill, CBC, Feb 9, 2017
- Making sense of Alberta’s new energy efficiency program, Maclean’s, Jan 31, 2017 (with Sara Hastings-Simon and Trevor Tombe)
- Alberta Electricity: There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear, Calgary Herald, Nov 28, 2016
- Carbon tax: The real debate is about how the revenue is used, Globe and Mail, Oct 15, 2016
- Making sense of a $15 minimum wage in Alberta, Maclean’s, Jun 30, 2016 (with Trevor Tombe)
- Alberta’s climate plan requires serious debate, Globe and Mail, May 27, 2016
- Making sense of provincial debt downgrades, Maclean’s, Dec 22, 2015 (with Trevor Tombe)
Teaching
This academic year I am teaching:
- ECON 429: Advanced Economics of Electricity Markets (Undergraduate), Winter 2022
- PPOL 623: MPP Capstone course (Masters), Fall 2021/Winter 2022 with Dr. Lisa Young
Past courses taught include:
- SEDV 623: Strategic Environmental Planning for Energy Organizations (Masters), Winter 2021
- PPOL 611 - Energy Transitions and Policy (Masters), Winter 2020, Fall 2020
- ECON 329 - Economics of Electricity Markets (Undergraduate), Fall 2019, Winter 2021
- ECON 373 - Game Theory (Undergraduate), Spring 2018