Welcome

The Center for Energy Studies (CES) is mandated to provide energy information and analysis that responds to the needs of the legislature, public agencies, and business and civic groups. The Center maintains some unique energy data bases and is the official repository of energy information from the state and The Energy Council. Staff respond regularly to requests from a wide variety of individuals and institutions for specialized energy data and information.

CES comprises the following units:

• Radiation Safety Office
• Minerals Processing Research Division
• Oil Spill Research and Development Division
• Energy Information and Data Division
• Policy Analysis Division
• Research and Development Division

Other units affiliated with CES:

• College of the Coast and Environment
• Coastal Marine Institute
• Louisiana Geological Survey
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News

Nehiba Analyzes Costs, Benefits of Increasing La. Gas Tax

Louisiana has the longest-standing gasoline tax in the nation, logging more than 375 months since it was last changed. Calls to increase the seventh-lowest gasoline tax in the nation to improve road infrastructure appear annually but fail to gain traction. While the state’s citizens enjoy the low $0.20 per gallon tax rate, its benefits are likely offset by the costs of inferior roads, which lead to additional fuel consumption, vehicle damage, congestion, and in some cases, accidents.

In a new white paper, CES Assistant Professor Cody Nehiba offers a nontechnical guide to the economic benefits and costs of increasing Louisiana’s gasoline tax. He considers practical implementation options regarding the tax’s equity, revenue usage, and more. 

Read more.

Upton Provides Dynamic Score Analysis on House Bill 57

Associate Professor Gregory B. Upton, Jr., prepared a response to a February 10, 2021, request from Louisiana State Representative Jean-Paul Coussan, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, regarding an independent analysis of the impact of House Bill 57 of the 2021 Regular Session. The response includes a dynamic scoring analysis of the economic impact as a result of the proposed severance tax exemption. The analysis includes taxes, licenses, and fees (TLF) collected by state government, but not local governments. Analysis is based on the pre-filed version of HB57, filed on March 4, 2021. 

View or download request letter.
View or download the response.

 

Podcast:  What Can the U.S. Shale Oil and Gas Boom Teach Economists about Labor Markets?

CES Associate Professor Gregory B. Upton, Jr., prepared a podcast for the International Association for Energy Economics on March 25, 2021. In the podcast, he discusses how, over the past decade, the advent of oil and natural gas production from shale geological formations fundamentally changed not only global energy markets but also the communities that reside above these formations. His podcast examines how economists might gain insights from this natural experiment about labor markets and business cycles more broadly.

Listen to the podcast.