The Energy Academy Europe has appointed prof. dr. Machiel Mulder as endowed professor at the Department Economics, Econometrics and Finance of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the University of Groningen (RUG) as of June 1st 2013. Professor Mulder has been a visiting researcher with the FEB since 2011. He is considered a specialist in energy- and environmental economics and regulation of network industries.
The endowed chair addresses the question of how well energy markets are working and what (regulatory) measures governments can implement to bring about improvements. This involves the entire energy chain, from wholesale markets, transmission and distribution to retail markets. With this new chair the Faculty of Economics and Business supports one of the key topics of the RUG, namely that of energy. The chair is supported by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).
Education background
Machiel Mulder studied General Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Groningen, and graduated laude in 1985. While studying for his master’s he was already working at the Faculty as student teaching assistant. He obtained his doctorate in 1994 at the Erasmus University Rotterdam with his thesis “Sector exploration and financial analysis, a simulation model for the horticulture under glass”.
Research energy economy
Professor Mulder has extensive experience in the field of energy and environmental economics at both research organisations and governmental organisations. He worked for the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI) where he conducted his PhD research. Professor Mulder was closely involved in formulating Dutch energy and environmental policy as Head of the Department of Energy and programme leader of Network Industries at the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). In his position of deputy chief economist at the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) he had co-responsibility for the economic foundation of regulating the energy markets. He is currently working as specialist Regulation Economics at the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). He is also chairman of the Benelux Association for Energy Economics (BAEE). He will combine these activities for one day a week with his position as professor of Regulation of Energy Markets at the Faculty of Economics and Business.
