Louis Preonas

Louis Preonas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on energy economics, environmental economics, and development economics, with a particular emphasis on market distortions in U.S. energy markets and the economic impacts of electricity access in developing countries. He holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and has held roles including a postdoc at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute.

Education includes a Ph.D. (2018), M.S. (2013) in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of Michigan (2007). His research combines econometric analysis with fieldwork, notably in India and Costa Rica.

Key research areas include: analyzing coal transportation market power and its implications for carbon tax effectiveness, evaluating rural electrification programs in India, and studying groundwater use and crop choices in California agriculture. His work also explores electricity market design, marine protected areas, and experimental methodologies using panel data.

Scientific contributions include the Outstanding GSI Award for teaching excellence. His research has been featured in outlets like the Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Political Economy, and Environmental and Resource Economics.

Teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses on econometrics, climate policy, and environmental development economics. He collaborates with institutions like the Energy Institute at Haas and the Environment for Development Initiative.