Skip to main content
News and EventsCareers
HomeEconomyEconomists
Economists

David Rapson

Economic Policy Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Curriculum vitae

david rapsonDavid Rapson is an economic policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He is also a Chancellor’s Leadership Professor in the Economics Department at the University of California, Davis. Rapson is an expert on energy markets and climate policy, with a recent focus on electric vehicles and transportation decarbonization.

He earned degrees from Dartmouth College (AB), Queen’s University (MA) and Boston University (PhD).

Publications
  • “Economics of Electric Vehicles,” with E. Muehlegger, Review of Environmental Economics & Policy, forthcoming.
  • “Correcting Estimates of Electric Vehicle Emissions Abatement: Implications for Climate Policy,” with E. Muehlegger, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economics, vol. 10, no. 1, 2023, pp. 263–82.
  • “Subsidizing Low- and Middle-Income Adoption of Electric Vehicles: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from California,” with E. Muehlegger, Journal of Public Economics, vol. 216, 2022, 104752.
  • “Low Energy: Estimating Electric Vehicle Electricity Use,” with F. Burlig, J. Bushnell and C. Wolfram, AEA: Papers & Proceedings, vol. 111, 2021, pp. 430–5.
  • “Estimating the Elasticity to Real Time Pricing: Evidence from the Spanish Electricity Market,” with N. Fabra and M. Reguant, AEA: Papers & Proceedings, vol. 111, 2021, pp. 425–9.
  • “Machine Learning from Schools about Energy Efficiency,” with F. Burlig, C. Knittel, M. Reguant and C. Wolfram, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economics, vol. 7, no. 6, 2020, pp. 1181–217.
  • “Attribute Substitution in Household Vehicle Portfolios,” with J. Archsmith, K. Gillingham and C. Knittel, RAND Journal of Economics, vol. 51, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1162–96.
  • “Utilities Included? Split Incentives in Commercial Electricity Contracts,” with Katrina Jessoe and Maya Papineau, Energy Journal, vol. 41, no. 5, 2020, pp. 271–303.
  • “Does Absolution Promote Sin? A Conservationist's Dilemma,” with M. Harding, Environmental and Resource Economics, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-018-0301-5.
  • “Flawed Analysis of U.S. Auto Fuel Economy Standards,” with A. Bento, K. Gillingham, M. Jacobsen, C. Knittel, B. Leard, J. Linn, V. McConnell, J. Sallee, A. van Benthem and K. Whitefoot, Science, vol. 362, 2018, pp. 1119–21.
  • “Regression Discontinuity in Time: Considerations for Empirical Applications,” with C. Hausman, Annual Review of Resource Economics, vol. 10, 2018, pp. 533–52.
  • “The Rebound Effect and Energy Efficiency Policy,” with K. Gillingham and G. Wagner, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, vol. 10, no. 1, 2016, pp. 68–88.
  • “Commercial and Industrial Demand Response Under Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing,” with K. Jessoe, Journal of Industrial Economics, vol. 63, no. 3, 2015, pp. 397–421.
  • “From Cradle to Junkyard: Assessing the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Electric Vehicles,” with J. Archsmith and A. Kendall, Research in Transportation Economics, vol. 52, 2015, pp. 72–90.
  • “Knowledge is (Less) Power: Experimental Evidence from Residential Energy Use,” with K. Jessoe, American Economic Review, vol. 104, no. 4, 2014, pp. 1417–38.
  • “Towards Understanding the Role of Price in Residential Energy Choices: Evidence from a Natural Experiment,” with K. Jessoe and J. B. Smith, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, vol. 107(A), 2014, pp. 191–208.
  • “Durable Goods and Long-Run Electricity Demand: Evidence from Air Conditioner Purchase Behavior,” with K. Jessoe and J. B. Smith, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, vol. 68, no. 1, 2014, pp. 141–60.
  • “The Rebound Effect is Overplayed,” with K. Gillingham, M. Kotchen and G. Wagner, Nature, vol. 493, 2013, pp. 475–6.
  • “Internet and the Efficiency of Decentralized Markets: Evidence from Automobiles,” with P. Schiraldi, Economics Letters, vol. 121, no. 2, 2013, pp. 232–5.
  • “Split Incentives in Household Energy Consumption,” with K. Gillingham and M. Harding, Energy Journal, vol. 33, no. 2, 2012, pp. 37–62.
  • “Does it pay, at the margin, to work and save? Measuring the effective marginal taxes on Americans’ labor supply and savings,” with L. Kotlikoff, Tax Policy and the Economy, MIT Press, NBER vol. 21, 2007.
Book Chapters
  • “Future Paths of Electric Vehicle Adoption in the United States: Predictable Determinants, Obstacles and Opportunities,” with J. Archsmith and E. Muehlegger, in M. Kotchen, T. Deryugina and J. Stock, eds., Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, NBER vol. 3, 2021.
  • “Utilization and Customer Behavior: Smart Choices for the Smart Grid,” with K. Jessoe and J. B. Smith, in C-C Liu, S. McArthur and S-J Lee, eds., Smart Grid Handbook, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2016.
  • “Would the Fair Tax raise or lower marginal and average tax rates?” with L. Kotlikoff, in J. Diamond and G. Zodrow, eds., Fundamental Tax Reform: Issues, Choices, and Implications, MIT Press, 2008.
Working Papers
  • “The Electric Ceiling: Limits and Costs of Full Electrification,” with James Bushnell, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Working Paper no. 2220, October 2022.
  • “Energy Prices and Electric Vehicle Adoption,” with J. Bushnell and E. Muehlegger.
  • “The End of Neutrality? LCFS, Technology Neutrality, and Stimulating the EV Market,” with J. Bushnell, E. Muehlegger and J. Witcover.