Andrew Leach, PhD, MA, LLM, BSc

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

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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 Alberta 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, including serving as chair of the Government of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Panel in 2015. Leach has appeared multiple times as an expert witness before Standing Committees of the Senate and the House of Commons. Leach has served as an economics and policy consultant for Environment and Climate Change Canada and other federal government departments, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), the Auditors General of Alberta and Canada, 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 board chair for the REACH Edmonton Council for Safer Communities. He also enjoys cycling and serves on the board of Edmonton Juventus Cycling Club.

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Research

Research Interests

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

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Teaching

Teaching Interests

• Energy Markets and Economics
• Environmental Economics
• Environmental Law and Policy
• Utilities Law

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. Prerequisite: ECON 281.

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LAW 544 - Utilities Law

The general objective of this course is introduce students to the regulation of local energy utilities (electricity and consumable gas) and long-distance transmission (electricity, oil, and gas) infrastructure. The course material will cover the basics of each industry segment, relevant regulatory processes including standard utility tariff applications, and key issues facing utilities and regulators.

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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.

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Browse more courses taught by Andrew Leach

On January 5th, 2012, the American Economics Association adopted new guidelines for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interests by economists.  I am very supportive of this initiative. Please find my disclosure on my blog site here: Conflict of Interest Disclosure.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

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Coding and Data Projects Page

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Google Scholar Page

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Energy charts, often published in collaboration with University of Alberta students.

Occasional energy charts

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Opinion Archive

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Rescuing the Frog

Mark Droessler, Andrew Leach

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

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Andrew Leach

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

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Nigel Bankes and Andrew Leach

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

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Benjamin Thibault, Tim Weis, and Andrew Leach

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

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Andrew Leach

Canadian Foreign Policy Journal. 2022 December; 10.1080/11926422.2022.2120508

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

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

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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

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Leach, Andrew

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

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Bankes, Nigel, Andrew Leach and Martin Z. Olzynski

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

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Leach, Andrew

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

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Leach, Andrew and Nic Rivers and Blake Shaffer

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

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Martin Z. Olzynski, Nigel Bankes, and Andrew Leach

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

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Leach, Andrew and Branko Boskovic

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

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Andrew Leach and Eric M. Adams

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

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Heyes, Anthony, Andrew Leach and Charles F. Mason

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

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Leach, Andrew and Trevor Tombe

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

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Chakravorty, Ujjayant, Andrew Leach, and Michel Moreaux

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

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Leach, Andrew

Canadian Tax Journal. 2012 January; 60(4)

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Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti and Andrew J Leach

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

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

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

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Laurent-Lucchetti, Jeremy and Andrew Leach

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

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Leach, Andrew, Joseph Doucet and Trevor Nickel

Energy Policy. 2011 January; 39(7)

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Chakravorty, Ujjayant, Andrew Leach and Michel Moreaux

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

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

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

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Leach, Andrew

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

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Bahn, Olivier and Andrew Leach

Computational Management Science. 2008 January; 5(3)

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Leach, Andrew

Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. 2007 January; 31

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Clark, C. Robert and Andrew Leach

Canadian Public Policy. 2007 January; 33(1)

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Andrew, Leach

Computers and Operations Research. 2006 January; 33

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