Robert J. Michaels is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and the Daniel P. Hann Distinguished Scholar in Law and Economics, California State University, Fullerton. His past positions include Staff Economist at the Institute for Defense Analyses and various consultancies.

Dr. Michaels writes extensively on deregulation and competition in the electricity and natural gas industries. He has advised state commissions, electric utilities, power marketers, natural gas producers, pipelines, public interest groups, and governments on regulatory and antitrust matters. He has participated in electricity restructurings in California and other states, served as expert witness in utility mergers, and testified before state regulatory agencies, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the U.S. House Commerce Committee. His biweekly column “Power Moves” appears in New Power Executive and Energy Risk Desk. His writings on competition, market power, deregulation, and a range of restructuring issues have appeared in industry, academic, and legal publications. He has chaired and spoken at numerous conferences on emerging competition and trends in power and transmission markets.

Michaels holds an A.B. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D from the University of California, Los Angeles, both in economics.