Biography

Frank Wolak is a Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He received his undergraduate degree from Rice University and his S.M. in applied mathematics and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. His fields of research are industrial organization and energy and environmental economics. He specializes in the study of privatization, competition and regulation (both economic and environmental) in network industries such as electricity, telecommunications, water supply, natural gas and postal delivery services. He has studied internationally and within the U.S. on the design and performance of competitive electricity markets, and the re-structuring and privatization process in network industries. His research is helping to inform the restructuring of the U.S. power grid to accommodate increased use of renewable energy. Professor Wolak has served as a consultant to the California and U.S. Departments of Justice on market power issues in the telecommunications, electricity and natural gas markets. He is the Chairman of the Market Surveillance Committee for the Independent System Operator of the California Electricity Supply Industry. In this capacity, he has testified several times at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and at various Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on issues relating to market monitoring and market power in electricity markets and prepared numerous reports to the FERC of electricity market design issues.