Bridging the gap between energy economics researchers and policy makers
Visiting Georgia Tech for a year-long sabbatical, the professor of energy economics at New Mexico State University (NMSU) has hit the ground running on a variety of research projects.
Prof. Jamal Mamkhezri is on a mission to bridge the gap between energy policy makers and scholars. The climate crisis has made it ever more pressing to communicate findings effectively which is why the visiting scholar from New Mexico State University (NMSU) is looking to do more “real-world” research, with grants from utility companies in addition to sources like the Department of Energy.
“One of the things I have learned after publishing many peer-reviewed papers is that not everyone reads them,” says Mamkhezri, Visiting Research Faculty at EPICenter on a one-year sabbatical appointment.
“When I’m here at Georgia Tech, one of the goals that Dr. Laura Taylor and I have is to bridge the gap between policymakers and scholars. I see these communication gaps as opportunities for researchers like us to share our work more clearly,” he adds.
The environmental economist has authored more than 30 papers in the field and is an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business in the College of Business at NMSU, where he also holds the Chevron Endowed Professorship. He is a popular professor, winning extensive recognition for his research and teaching skills.
Evaluating the move to hydrogen
Among the more than 15 research projects under Mamkhezri’s purview is one through a Department of Energy (DOE) grant, related to the switch to hydrogen as part of the clean energy transition. One of the challenges with a move to hydrogen is that it’s not found in isolation in nature but only available as a compound. In addition, hydrogen can’t flow through existing gas pipelines or dispensing mechanisms and will need separate infrastructure.
Mamkhezri’s work on the DOE project, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Wyoming, relates to the use of formic acid as a vehicle for hydrogen.
Mamkhezri’s role as an environmental economist fills out the larger picture. He explores taxpayers’ preference for hydrogen as a public good, in light of the fact that it would involve constructing new infrastructure like hydrogen pipelines. “If we do make what the engineers recommend, would people actually pay for it?” he asks, “Ultimately taxpayers will likely have to pay some sort of money in the form of income or state tax.”
Such evaluations are important in trying to present facts to the public and have them see the whole picture. While public officials might promise that the hydrogen economy will increase jobs, “We know that one policy cannot create jobs. You might lose jobs elsewhere, so it’s a tradeoff,” Mamkhezri says. A macroeconomic view is necessary in such cases. There’s the added nuance that hydrogen need not form the sole foundation for the entire green economy, it is only one component. Mamkhezri is careful to present the many uncertainties about the technology in such analyses so as to base the polls on more accurate ground truths for better results.
The research is set against the context of the DOE’s “Hydrogen Shot,” a 2021 initiative which seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade.
The effects of infrastructure on farmland
With Laura Taylor, Mamkhezri is evaluating the effect of infrastructure—solar and wind farms, nuclear plants, commercial stores—on farmland value in the southeast. The research factors in the heterogeneity of the infrastructure on land value. The findings will likely prove valuable in siting of various infrastructure projects, including solar farms which cover farmland and can adversely affect crop yield.
Mamkhezri is also supervising a project that evaluates the impact of data centers on wholesale electricity prices in the US. Data centers have been growing at an impressive clip and pose many “negative externalities” like water usage, humming noise, and increased land footprint.
A native Iranian Kurd, Mamkhezri is a winner of three gold medals in the martial arts although he admits not having much time for the sport these days. He received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico and moved to NMSU to pursue further research and teach. Mamkhezri has a flock of chickens and turkeys back in Las Cruces, and in Iran, he nursed eagles and hawks back to health and released them back into the Kurdistan wilderness.
Mamkhezri thanks Taylor for encouraging him to apply for the energy faculty fellow position that turned into a year-long engagement. “Other than the traffic, it’s been fantastic,” he laughs.
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Published on: October 1, 2025
Story Written by: Poornima Apte
Priya Devarajan || Research Communications Program Manager