Miners vs. Conservationists: the Battle over Initiative 186.
There is an ongoing political battle happening in Montana between conservationists and the mining industry.…
Author Brock Smith
Brock Smith
Brock Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics at Montana State University. He received a PhD from UC-Davis in 2013 and spent three years as a Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Analysis of Resource Rich Economies. He mainly studies effects of oil and natural gas shocks in both an international and domestic US setting.
Coal Bounced Back in 2017. Will it Continue?
About a year ago President Trump signed a major executive order primarily designed to rescue…
What’s Behind the Recent Oil Price Surge?
For my first post on ageconmt.com over a year ago, I opined on which factors…
Managing Bozeman’s Population Growth
Having lived in Bozeman for a little over a year, one of the most frequent…
The Montana Climate Assessment
A few months ago I discussed the possible long-run impact of climate change on Montana…
The Health Impact of Wildfires
As all Montana residents are well aware, the summer of 2017 has been a brutal…
What Will Climate Change Mean for Montana?
Last week the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported on the severe drought that has slammed Northeast…
How should Montana manage the Coal Tax Trust Fund?
In 1975 Montana established the Coal Tax Trust Fund, which ever since has received 50%…
Is Coal’s Decline Terminal?
In March President Trump signed a sweeping executive order undoing many Obama-era environmental policies, most…
The past, present and future of oil prices
The 21st century has been a wild ride for the oil and gas market. After…