Andrew Leach, PhD, MA, LLM, BSc

Professor, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
Professor, Faculty of Law
Co-Director, Institute of Public Economics, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
English | Français

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
Email
aleach@ualberta.ca
Phone
(780) 492-8489
Address
7-28 Tory (H.M.) Building
11211 Saskatchewan Drive NW
Edmonton AB
T6G 2H4

Professor, Faculty of Law
Email
aleach@ualberta.ca
Address
407 Law Centre
8820 - 111 St NW
Edmonton AB
T6G 2H5

Co-Director, Institute of Public Economics, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
Email
aleach@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

energy policy environmental policy climate change policy environmental economics energy economics oil sands carbon capture and storage constitutional law Alberta's economy


About

Andrew Leach is an energy and environmental economist who holds a joint appointment with the University of Alberta’s Faculties of Arts and Law. With more than two decades of experience as a researcher, Leach is also a co-director of the Institute for Public Economics at the U of A. Prior to these appointments, Leach was a professor in the Alberta School of Business.

Leach holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Guelph, a doctoral degree in economics from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in constitutional law from the U of A. Before joining the U of A, he was a teaching fellow at Queen’s University in the economics department, then an assistant professor at HEC Montréal’s Institute of Applied Economics and later a visiting scholar at the Strategic Policy Branch of Environment Canada. He also served as academic director of the Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment (CABREE) at the U of A’s School of Business between 2014 and 2022.

By drawing on his expertise in constitutional law, environmental science and environmental economics, Leach has advised various levels of government on climate change and oil and gas industry policies. Since 2011, he has appeared as an expert witness before the Senate and the House of Commons, and in 2015, he served as chair of the Government of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Panel. Over the years, Leach has served as an economics and policy consultant for Environment Canada, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), the Auditor General of Alberta, Alberta Environment, Alberta Finance and Enterprise, and Alberta Energy. Leach is also a contributing writer to a variety of news publications, with over 200 articles published by major media outlets such as CBC News, The Globe and Mail, and Maclean’s.

Outside of his academic endeavours, Leach volunteers his time as a board member of the REACH Edmonton Council for Safer Communities. He also enjoys cycling and serves on the board of Edmonton Juventus Cycling Club.


Research

Research Interests

  • Environmental Economics
  • Resource Economics
  • Energy Economics
  • Environmental Law
  • Climate Change Policy

Journal Articles

  • Olszynski, M., Leach, A., & Yewchuk, D. (2023). Not Fit for Purpose: Oil Sands Mines and Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program. The School of Public Policy Publications, 16(1).

  • Durán-Castillo, G. E., Weis, T., Fleck, B. A., & Leach, A. (2023). Revenue-Optimized Photovoltaic Orientation in a Northern Competitive Electricity Market with Carbon Offsets. Energy Reports, 10, 3133–3145.

  • Bankes, N., & Leach, A. (2023). Preparing for a Mid-Life Crisis: Section 92A at 40. Alberta Law Review, 60(4), 853–882.

  • Hastings-Simon, S., Leach, A., Shaffer, B., & Weis, T. (2022). Alberta’s Renewable Electricity Program: Design, Results, and Lessons Learned. Energy Policy, 171.

  • Leach, A. (2022). Canada’s Oil Sands in a Carbon-Constrained World. Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 28(3), 285–304.

  • Noel, W., Weis, T. M., Yu, Q., Fleck, B. A., & Leach, A. (2022). Mapping the Evolution of Canada’s Wind Energy Fleet. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 167.

  • Leach, A. (2021). The No More Pipelines Act? Alberta Law Review, 59(1), 7–40.

  • Leach, A. (2021). Environmental Policy is Economic Policy: Climate Change Policy and the General Trade and Commerce Power. Ottawa Law Review 52(2), 97–156.

  • Leach, A., Rivers, N., & Shaer, B. (2020). Canadian Electricity Markets During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Initial Assessment. Canadian Public Policy, 46(S2), S145–S159.

  • Leach, A., & Adams, E. M. (2020). Seeing Double: Peace, Order, and Good Government, and the Impact of Federal Greenhouse Emissions Legislation on Provincial Jurisdiction. Constitutional Forum, 29(1), 1–20.

  • Bošković, B., & Leach, A. (2020). Leave It In the Ground? Oil Sands Development Under Carbon Pricing. Canadian Journal of Economics, 53(2), 526–562.


Case Commentaries

  • Bankes, N., Leach, A., & Olszynski, M. (2021). Supreme Court of Canada Re-writes the National Concern Test and Upholds Federal Greenhouse Gas Legislation. A Comment on the References re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, 2021 SCC 11. Energy Regulation Quarterly, 9(2), 27–57.

  • Olszynski, M., Bankes, N., & Leach, A. (2020). Case Comment: Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, 2020 ABCA 74. Journal of Environmental Law and Practice, 33(2), 159–184.


Books

  • Leach, A. (2023). Between Doom and Denial: Facing Facts About Climate Change. Sutherland House.


Reports

  • Leach, A. (2021). “Expert Witness Reports on the Rigel Oil Sands Project." Fort McKay First Nation.

  • Leach, A., Adams, A., Cairns, S., Coady, L., & Lambert, G. (2015). “Climate Leadership Panel, Report to the Minister.” Alberta Environment and Climate Change.

  • Leach, A. (2015). “Royalty Review Scoping Document.” Alberta Energy.


Teaching

Teaching Interests

  • Intermediate microeconomics / competition and strategic behaviour
  • Energy Markets
  • Environmental Economics
  • Environmental Law and Policy

Courses

ECON 366 - Energy Economics

The economics of producing and consuming energy: pricing, role in economic growth; energy sources and markets; the role of government; regulation and other energy policy issues. Prerequisites: ECON 109 and ECON 281.


LAW 559 - Environmental Law and Policy

Canadian laws and policies designed to control air, land, and water pollution, including licensing systems, the use of quasi-criminal sanctions, environmental impact assessment processes, constitutional issues, and the usefulness of the common law. Other topics may include alternative legal approaches, such as economic incentives, wildlife protection, environmental rights, parks, the public trust doctrine or environmental mediation.


LAW 599 - Seminars on Specialized Legal Topics

These seminars will cover specialized topics of emerging importance in the law at a senior level. The particular topic covered would vary dependent on the availability of Faculty with necessary teaching competence, student interest, and the needs of the legal profession. Sections may be offered at an increased rate of fee assessment; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations sections of the Calendar.


Browse more courses taught by Andrew Leach

Scholarly Activities

Research - Data and Coding Projects Page

Coding and Data Projects Page

Research - Google Scholar

Google Scholar Page

Other - Opinion writing

Opinion Archive

Other - Personal Blog

Rescuing the Frog

Research - Weekly Energy Charts

Weekly energy charts published in collaboration with University of Alberta students.

Weekly charts

Featured Publications

Mark Droessler, Andrew Leach

Energy Policy. 2024 March; 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.113982


I can't believe it's not butter. What we can (and can't) learn about emissions quotas from supply management and the grain trade

Andrew Leach

UBC Law Review. 2023 July; 56 (2):TBD


Nigel Bankes and Andrew Leach

Alberta Law Review. 2023 July; 60 (4):TBD


Benjamin Thibault, Tim Weis, and Andrew Leach

Mark S. Winfield (ed.) Sustainable Energy Transitions in Canada; Challenges and Opportunities. 2023 January;


Andrew Leach

Canadian Foreign Policy Journal. 2022 December; 10.1080/11926422.2022.2120508


Sara Hastings-Simon, Andrew Leach, Blake Shaffer and Tim Weis

Energy Policy. 2022 November; 171 (113266):1-12 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113266


William Noel, Tim Weis, Qiulin Yu, Andrew Leach, Brian Fleck

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2022 October; Volume 167 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112690


Leach, Andrew

Alberta Law Review. 2021 October; 59 (1):7-40


Bankes, Nigel, Andrew Leach and Martin Z. Olzynski

Energy Regulation Quarterly. 2021 September; 9 (2):27-57


Leach, Andrew

Ottawa Law Review. 2021 January; 52 (2):97-156


Leach, Andrew and Nic Rivers and Blake Shaffer

Canadian Public Policy. 2020 June; 46 (S2):S145-S159 10.3138/cpp.2020-060


Martin Z. Olzynski, Nigel Bankes, and Andrew Leach

Journal of Environmental Law and Practice. 2020 June; 33 (2):159-184


Leach, Andrew and Branko Boskovic

Canadian Journal of Economics. 2020 April; 53 (2):526-562 10.1111/caje.12436


Andrew Leach and Eric M. Adams

Constitutional Forum. 2020 February; 29 (1) 10.21991/cf29392


Heyes, Anthony, Andrew Leach and Charles F. Mason

Review of Environmental Economics and Policy. 2018 July; 12 (2):242-263 10.1093/reep/rey006


Leach, Andrew and Trevor Tombe

SPP Communiqué. 2016 July; 8 (11):1-14


Chakravorty, Ujjayant, Andrew Leach, and Michel Moreaux

Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. 2012 January; 36(10)


Leach, Andrew

Canadian Tax Journal. 2012 January; 60(4)


Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti and Andrew J Leach

Scandinavian Journal of Economics. 2011 February; 113 (4):904-936


Leach, Andrew, Charles F. Mason and Klaas van't Veld

Resource and Energy Economics. 2011 January; 33 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2010.11.002


Laurent-Lucchetti, Jeremy and Andrew Leach

Scandinavian Journal of Economics. 2011 January; 113(4)


Leach, Andrew, Joseph Doucet and Trevor Nickel

Energy Policy. 2011 January; 39(7)


Chakravorty, Ujjayant, Andrew Leach and Michel Moreaux

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 2011 January; 61 (3)


Chakravorty, Ujjayant, Shelby Gerking and Andrew Leach; Gilbert E. Metcalf (editor)

U.S. Energy Tax Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2010 January;


Leach, Andrew

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 2009 January; 57(2)


Bahn, Olivier and Andrew Leach

Computational Management Science. 2008 January; 5(3)


Leach, Andrew

Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. 2007 January; 31


Clark, C. Robert and Andrew Leach

Canadian Public Policy. 2007 January; 33(1)


Andrew, Leach

Computers and Operations Research. 2006 January; 33


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