Advancing the discussion: understanding gasoline and diesel markets

We at the Texas Public Policy Foundation help educate legislators, legislative staff, and the general public by publishing numerous policy papers on a wide variety of important topics. These publications advance ideals in defense of liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise—helping to make Texas the bastion of hope for the nation and world.

While many organizations write papers and distribute them to spread the message, our goal is to go further by writing papers and then disseminating our findings through op-eds, blog posts, etc. that reach state officials.  

In this sense, we are very much a “do tank” instead of what most consider the Foundation’s type as a “think tank.”

After being a fellow at the Foundation in Summer 2011 and learning more about the difference they make in people’s lives, I chose to work here after completing my doctorate in economics at Texas Tech University in 2013 instead of taking the more traditional route in academia.

Though my life’s journey to help others is currently best suited at the Foundation, I’ve continued to write academic papers. I have two papers that I’ve revised and resubmitted to highly respected academic journals, and a couple other papers in progress.

While most of my academic publications relate to energy economics, particularly petroleum markets and their economic effects, recently my work has focused on fiscal policy topics. The most recent was a Foundation report that was blind peer-reviewed by an independent third party on the economic effects of eliminating Texas’ business margin tax.

My latest academic publication is “Which Petroleum Prices Best Explain Retail Fuel Price Changes?” at the Midwestern Business and Economic Review. Here is an overview:

“This paper examines which petroleum prices best explain changes in gasoline and diesel prices during three distinct periods of fuel price volatility during the 2003 to 2010 period. The results indicate that spot retail fuel prices are best explained by their futures prices over most periods, indicating that these futures markets provide valuable information about future spot fuel prices no matter the level of fuel price volatility.”

By working diligently to write quality papers to educate others and acting on those ideals, the Foundation will continue helping Texans in future decades to break the chains of poverty and open the doors of prosperity.