Andrew Leach, PhD, MA, LLM, BSc
Contact
Professor, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
- aleach@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-8489
- Address
-
7-28 Tory (H.M.) Building
11211 Saskatchewan Drive NWEdmonton ABT6G 2H4
Professor, Faculty of Law
- aleach@ualberta.ca
- Address
-
407 Law Centre
8820 - 111 St NWEdmonton ABT6G 2H5
Co-Director, Institute of Public Economics, Faculty of Arts - Economics Dept
- 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.
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 chartsFeatured 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)
State Tax Policy and Oil Production: The Role of the Severance Tax and Credits for Drilling Expenses
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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