Gordon A. Hughes, PhD

Gordon A. Hughes, PhD is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he was previously Professor of Political Economy and Head of the School of Economics until 1991. From 1991 to 2001, he served as a Senior Adviser on energy and environmental policy at the World Bank. Upon returning to the UK, he worked as a Director of NERA Economic Consulting in London and at his own consulting firm based in Scotland. His work has focused on the economic and financial analysis of energy markets and utilities; the privatization, restructuring, and regulation of infrastructure operators; and economic aspects of property valuation. From 2011 to 2017, he chaired the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, the Scottish water regulator. He has written extensively on the economics of renewable energy and electricity markets, and currently chairs several companies providing broadband services in rural areas and energy management services.

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Biography

Gordon A. Hughes, PhD is a trained economist with nearly 50 years of experience in environmental infrastructure, infrastructure economics, and policy across academia and international institutions. His recent work examines the costs, reliability, and operational performance of wind power, drawing on empirical data from electricity systems in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Hughes was Professor of Political Economy and Head of the School of Economics at the University of Edinburgh, where he continues to teach part-time. His interest in statistical modelling and risk analysis led him to focus on the design and implementation of policies for infrastructure, energy markets, and environmental protection. His recent work examines the costs, reliability, and operational performance of wind power, drawing on empirical data from electricity systems in the United Kingdom and internationally.

In the late 1980s, Hughes advised governments in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This work led to a role as a senior advisor at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., where he worked on infrastructure investment and economic development projects in both developed and developing countries. After his time in Washington, he returned to the UK as a consultant, working on regulation and policy for infrastructure, energy, and the environment, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. He also held public appointments with the Infrastructure Planning Commission for England and Wales and served as Chair of the water regulator in Scotland.

Hughes holds degrees from the University of Cambridge.

Interview Topics

True costs of renewable energy
Cost-benefit of climate policies
Energy economics and public utilities
EU Energy Markets
Natural Resources

"Designing good policies is difficult, especially if you take account of the different priorities and circumstances of people and institutions. Modesty and circumspection should be the basis for policy rather than hype and moral certainty. We live in a culture in which appearance and salesmanship dominate. Modest achievements are hard to sell but economic and social progress is founded on many small steps rather than grand leaps of faith."

areas of expertise

Electricity Markets

Energy Economics

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