Researcher Profile

Raymond J. Kopp

Senior Fellow and Co-Director, RFF Center for Energy and Climate Economics

202.328.5059 [email protected]

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Topics of Interest

• Climate Change
• Environmental Economics Topics
• International
• Benefit-Cost Analysis
• Cap and Trade
• Carbon Tax
• Climate Adaptation
• Europe
• Latin America

Raymond Kopp holds PhD and MA degrees in economics and an undergraduate degree in finance. He has been a member of the RFF research staff since 1977 and has held a variety of management positions within the institution. 
 
Kopp's interest in environmental policy began in the late 1970s, when he developed techniques to measure the effect of pollution control regulations on the economic efficiency of steam electric power generation. He then led the first examination of the cost of major U.S. environmental regulations in a full, general equilibrium, dynamic context by using an approach that is now widely accepted as state-of-the-art in cost-benefit analysis.
 
During his career Kopp has specialized in the analysis of environmental and natural resource issues with a focus on Federal regulatory activity. He is an expert in techniques of assigning value to environmental and natural resources that do not have market prices, which is fundamental to cost-benefit analysis and the assessment of damages to natural resources.
 
Kopp's current research interests focus on the design of domestic and international polices to combat climate change.

Education

PhD in economics, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1978
MA in economics, University of Akron, 1973
BS in finance, University of Akron, 1970

Recent Work

• Issue Brief

  Analysis of the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act

  Sep 8, 2015 | Marc Hafstead, Raymond J. Kopp | 4 pp.

  The American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act would levy a fee on US greenhouse gas emissions, largely on carbon dioxide. Modeling results illustrate the magnitude of the emissions reductions over a 15-year time frame (2016 to 2030).

  Climate Change Energy and Electricity
• Resources Article

  Inside RFF: A Look at What’s Happening

  May 13, 2015 | Karen L. Palmer, Raymond J. Kopp, William A. Pizer, Joseph E. Aldy, Molly K. Macauley, Alan J. Krupnick, Zhongmin Wang, Kailin Kroetz, Benjamin Leard | 4 pp.
• Report

  Attaining Sustainable Development of Oil and Gas in North America: US Policy Briefs

  Jun 17, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Madeline Gottlieb, Raymond J. Kopp

  RFF researchers provide context and commentary on over 40 regulatory elements and other policies related to oil and gas extraction, transport, and use in the United States.

  Energy and Electricity Environmental Economics Topics
• Report

  Attaining Sustainable Development of Oil and Gas in North America: A Review of the Environmental Regulatory Landscape

  Jun 11, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Raymond J. Kopp

  Researchers from RFF, Canada, and Mexico review more than 60 regulations critical to the potential tri-national coordination of oil and gas markets. (The report informed the Goldman Sachs North American Energy Summit.)

  Energy and Electricity Environmental Economics Topics
• Resources Article

  Commentary: Toward a North American Energy Strategy

  Apr 11, 2014 | Raymond J. Kopp, Alan J. Krupnick
  Energy and Electricity International Environmental Economics Topics