Laura Lamontagne, PhD

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Laura Lamontagne Specializes in the Economics of Renewable Energy

Title:
Associate Professor of Economics

College:
Business

Degree:
PhD in Economics, University of Clemson

Research Interests:
Energy economics, environmental economics, applied microeconomics and empirical industrial organization

Framingham State Economics Professor Laura Lamontagne, PhD, sees reason for optimism in the United States’ transition to renewable energy, but also says there is much more work to be done.

“We have made a lot of strides in renewable energy development, but the fact remains that it still isn’t competitive to traditional fossil fuels,” she says. “Despite all the progress from solar and wind farms, it is still an intermittent source of energy in the grand scheme of things.”

Lamontagne began studying the economics of renewable energy during her undergraduate years at UMass Amherst, where her honors thesis focused on the impact of climate change on the New England ski industry. She would go on to earn her PhD at Clemson

University with a thesis that focused on renewable portfolio standards and the U.S. energy landscape.

It was at Clemson that Lamontagne discovered her passion for teaching.

“In graduate school, I was selected as a TA (teaching assistant) for a larger section of Principles of Economics,” she says. “After that successful experience, I had the chance to be a standalone instructor and really enjoyed it.”

She has been teaching in the Economics Department at Framingham State University since 2015 and enjoys the diversity of the student body.

“There are a lot of different types of students, with different interests, different learning styles, and that really keeps me on my toes,” Lamontagne says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Her students are also part of an expanding majority of the country that recognizes the severity of climate change and are willing to adjust their own lives, such as driving electric cars and converting their homes to run on cleaner and more efficient energy. Not surprisingly, the main impediment to greater progress is politics, where there are massive disagreements about things such as focusing on mitigation or adaptation, says Lamontagne.

“There needs to be some aligning of national goals around renewable energy and fossil fuel reduction before you can begin

to see major progress,” she says. “The federal support needs to be there, not only through expanded renewable energy subsidies, but also cutting back subsidies for traditional fossil fuels. I’m hopeful things will continue moving in a positive direction, but also recognize that a lot is riding on our elections.”

“There are a lot of different types
of students, with different interests, different learning styles, and that really keeps me on my toes.
It’s a lot of fun.”