Bio
I am an environmental economist and Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Group (ENRE) at Yale University.

The goal for my research is to find policies that improve environmental outcomes, are cost-effective, and are politically feasible. My interests span from climate to conservation, and my methods include causal inference, applied economic theory, and surveys.

My current work is on utility-scale renewable electricity subsidies. I begin with the fundamental question: Do these subsidies increase clean electricity generation as intended? I combine an economic model and causal inference estimates to put a number on the subsidy's effect. Finally, I ask whether geographically differentiated subsidy levels (a politically motivated policy design feature of US subsidies) improve the cost-effectiveness of emissions abatement. 

Education
Ph.D.  Yale School of the Environment (expected 2027)
Advisors: Matthew Kotchen (chair), Kenneth Gillingham, Arik Levinson
B.S. Environmental Economics, UC Berkeley, 2017

Previous  Employment
US Treasury Office of Economic Policy, 2023 - 2024
Resources for the Future, 2018 - 2021

matthew.ashenfarb@yale.edu | CV  |  Google Scholar | LinkedIn