About
Chris Holt is an energy and environmental economist with expertise in auctions and market design, antitrust and competition, and regulatory policy. He has worked extensively on improving the design of wholesale electricity markets, including advising system operators on how to ensure resource adequacy and reliability under uncertain short- and long-term supply and demand conditions.
Dr. Holt has published academic work in leading economic journals, and authored comments and policy reports on a range of energy and environmental topics including the design of emissions trading programs, emissions accounting, and benefit-cost analysis.
Prior to joining NERA, Dr. Holt was a research fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law, where he worked to improve government decision making through the advocacy of economic-based policy. He also served as a pre-doctoral fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund, where he built a research agenda to investigate how wholesale electricity market design can facility the transition to a decarbonized energy system. His doctoral research investigated the interaction between market structure and environmental policy in the Texas wholesale electricity market. Dr. Holt also has several years of experience as an antitrust litigation case manager and economic consultant across a range of industries including energy, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.
Education
- PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland
- MA in Applied Economics, University of Cincinnati
- BSc in Telecommunications, Ohio University