Dr. Frank Wolak

Biography

Frank Wolak is the Holbrook Working Professor of Commodity Price Studies in the Department of Economics at Stanford University. His fields of specialization include Energy, Environmental Economics, Regulatory Economics, and Econometric Theory. Wolak's recent research focuses on designing market regulatory mechanisms to support the transition to a low carbon energy sector. He has worked extensively on market design and regulatory oversight in various infrastructure industries, including electricity, freight rail, natural gas, postal delivery, telecommunications, and water delivery, assessing the impacts of policies on consumer and producer welfare. Wolak served as the Chair of the Market Surveillance Committee for the California Independent System Operator from January 1, 1998, to March 31, 2011, and has been a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He currently directs the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies. From January 2012 to December 2013, he was a member of the Emissions Market Advisory Committee, advising on the design and monitoring of California's cap-and-trade market for Greenhouse Gas Emissions allowances. Wolak is also the author of the book 'Future Electricity Retailing' co-authored with Ian Hardman.

Research Interests