Fiona Burlig is an Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, Deputy Faculty Director of EPIC-India, and technical advisor to the Odisha Data, Policy, and Innovation Centre (DPIC). She is an applied microeconomist with research interests in and at the intersection of energy, environmental, and resource economics and development economics. Her recent and ongoing research includes estimating the impact of rural electrification on economic development; studying the relationship between energy, groundwater, and crop choice; and measuring the economic consequences of long-range monsoon forecasts for farmers. Prior to joining Harris, she was a postdoc in the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. She holds a PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in economics, political science, and German from Williams College.

 

 

Areas of Focus: Climate Change
Definition
Climate Change
Climate change is an urgent global challenge. EPIC research is helping to assess its impacts, quantify its costs, and identify an efficient set of policies to reduce emissions and adapt...
Environment
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Energy Markets
Definition
Energy Markets
Well-functioning markets are essential for providing access to reliable, affordable energy. EPIC research is uncovering the policies, prices and information needed to help energy markets work efficiently.
Energy Efficiency
Definition
Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency is lauded as a promising way to reduce emissions and lower energy costs. Yet, a robust body of research demonstrates that not all efficiency investments deliver. EPIC...
Electric Power
Definition
Electric Power
As the electric power system faces new pressures and opportunities, EPIC research is working to identify the mix of policies needed to accelerate the global transition to clean, reliable, affordable...
Climate Economics
Definition
Climate Economics
Climate change will affect every sector of the economy, both locally and globally. EPIC research is quantifying these effects to help guide policymakers, businesses, and individuals working to mitigate and...
Making Energy Efficiency Work
Definition
Making Energy Efficiency Work
Funding should be allocated to the energy efficiency programs that are most cost-effective based on independent and rigorous real-world evaluations.
Transportation
Definition
Transportation
Mobility is central to economic activity. Yet, a lack of fuel diversity and continued demand growth have made the transportation industry a major contributor to global pollution and carbon emissions....
Conservation Economics
Definition
Conservation Economics
Human society profoundly shapes – and is shaped by – the natural world. EPIC research is helping to identify the costs and benefits of preserving natural ecosystems.