Jonathan Hughes
Graduate Student Researcher
jehughes@ucdavis.edu
Office Phone: (530) 754-4408

Summary

Jonathan's interests include transportation, energy and the environment. Specifically, he is interested in the role of market-based policies in addressing environmental externalities such as global climate change that result from society's use of energy. He has a background in mechanical engineering (BSE, Duke University, 2000) and materials science (MSE, Cornell University, 2003) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Transportation Technology and Policy program.

Research Interests

Evaluation of Market-Based Policies for the Control of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The goal is to determine how policy may affect the development of alternative fuels based transportation systems. In the case of addressing the challenge of global climate, a large number of policies have been proposed including: emissions standards, carbon taxes, vehicle technology mandates, feebates, fuel economy standards, marketable emission licenses and fuel composition standards. This project will evaluate specific policy proposals and will analyze the potential impacts on the development of new transportation technologies.

Social Welfare Effects of Greenhouse Gas Regulation in Transportation

This project will assess the quantitative impacts of economic policies such as a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), CO₂ emission trading systems, carbon taxes and emission standards on social welfare as measured by social surplus. Specifically, the goal is to determine how policies that regulate vehicles, fuels or vehicles and fuels together will affect the welfare of vehicle makers, fuel producers and consumers.

Changing Demand in Gasoline Markets

Given recent interest in decreasing U.S. gasoline consumption and transportation related greenhouse gas emissions, there is a renewed interest in price-based policies such as gasoline or carbon taxes. A key factor in developing these types of policies is understanding the responsiveness of consumers to changes in gasoline price. This research investigates whether gasoline price elasticites have changed over the past 30 years. An initial study of short-run behavior suggests that, consumers today as less responsive to changes in gasoline price than during the 1970's and 1980's.

Publications

"Greenhouse Gas Reductions under Low Carbon Fuel Standards?" joint with Stephen P. Holland (UNC) and Christopher Knittel (UC Davis, Economics, ITS, and NBER). Forthcoming in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.

Hughes, J.E., C.R. Knittel and D. Sperling, “Evidence of a Shift in the Short-Run Price Elasticity of Gasoline Demand,” Energy Journal, 29(1), January 2008.

Hughes, J.E., Marketable Emission Permits and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, World Resource Review, 17, 196-219, 2005.

Work in Progress

Market power in rail transport of ethanol

Gasoline prices, traffic flow and driving speed

Presentations

Hughes, J.E. “Short-Run Gasoline Demand Elasticity: Evidence of Structural Change in the U.S. Market for Gasoline,” Presented to: the 86^th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, in Washington, DC, January 21-25, 2007.

Hughes, J.E., Evidence of a Shift in the Short-Run Price Elasticity of Gasoline Demand, Presented to: The University of California Energy Institute (UCEI), in Berkeley, CA, October 6, 2006.

Hughes, J.E., Marketable Emission Permits and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Presented to: the 16th Global Warming International Conference (GWIC), in New York, NY, April 19-21, 2005.

Hughes, J.E., California Leadership in Sustainable Transportation, Presented to: International Forum on Urban Mobility and Advanced Transportation, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, September 16, 2004.

Hughes, J.E., Hydrogen Pathways: Future prospects for hydrogen vehicles, fueling stations
and hydrogen production facilities, Presented to: Ninth Fire Risk and Hazard Research Application
Symposium, Annapolis, MD, June 24, 2004.

Hughes, J.E., Fuel Cell Vehicles and the Hydrogen Highway, Presented to: Government Technology Conference, GTC-West, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 2004.

Press