Contact Information
Department of Economics
Northwestern University
2211 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Phone: 224-435-7019
twilner@u.northwestern.edu
My personal (and most up-to-date) website can be found here.
Education
Ph.D., Economics, Northwestern University, 2024 (expected)
M.A., Economics, Northwestern University, 2021
M.A., Economics, Universidad de Chile, 2017
B.Sc.Eng., Industrial Engineering, Universidad de Chile, 2015
Primary Fields of Specialization
Environmental Economics, Industrial Organization
Secondary Fields of Specialization
Energy Economics
Curriculum Vitae
Job Market Paper
“Natural gas to complement solar intermittency: Long-run consequences of policy interventions”
Download Job Market Paper (PDF)
Natural gas has become a pivotal technology in the energy transition, as it can complement renewable generation at a lower emission rate compared to alternative fossil fuels. In countries with scarce natural gas reserves, firms might exhibit insufficient import levels relative to governmental preferences. In this paper, we study several policies designed to incentivize larger natural gas orders and examine their impact on long-term renewable entry. Our research is conducted in Chile, a notable player in the adoption of solar energy, which implemented a novel policy to encourage the procurement of natural gas. We find that, even though the policy displaces coal usage, it simultaneously increases natural gas imports to such an extent that it counterbalances its positive effects on emissions, with a net pollution cost of $20 million per year. The removal of this policy would not only result in a short-term reduction in emissions but also stimulate increased solar energy adoption in the long run by 10%. Among the policies we examined, the implementation of a carbon price emerges as one of the best choices, as it elevates natural gas imports, lowers emissions in the short run by $191 million annually, and maximizes solar energy entry in the long term by 54%.
Working Papers
“Beyond the impossible: Steering consumers away from beef”
Draft coming soon.
The effect of meat consumption on the environment is well-documented, yet little is known about the effect of policies targeting environmentally harmful food choices. I build a structural model of the demand for meat which allows me to study consumer responses to three different policies: a 50% reduction of beef products on retail shelves, an environmental tax reflecting the environmental costs of food products, and advertisements for plant-based products that increase consumers’ valuation of them. I also analyze the supply side to estimate how prices would change in equilibrium under these counterfactual scenarios. I find that imposing restrictions on beef products alone does not achieve a significant reduction in emissions. The consumer welfare loss is larger than the environmental gains, and its benefits can be easily matched with a small tax instead. Conversely, the tax and an increment on plant-based products’ valuations prove to be more effective in reducing emissions. However, the burden of the tax policy is born disproportionately by underprivileged consumers. The environmental benefits of the tax come mainly from consumers switching to poultry and pork products. Therefore, a policy that subsidizes these types of meat products while taxing beef might achieve more progressive results.
Teaching
Teaching Assistant, Northwestern University, 2019–2022
Industrial Organization (graduate), Energy Economics (undergrad), Applied Econometrics (undergrad)
Teaching Assistant, Universidad de Chile, 2013–2016
Econometrics (graduate), Statistics (undergrad), Finance II (undergrad), Marketing (undergrad)
Students’ comments on teaching
- “I’ve had Tomas as a TA twice now, and I think he’s by far the best economics TA I’ve had. He’s great at answering questions, and his section materials are very helpful.”
- “TOMAS IS UNREAL. Such a helpful TA!! Really good at explaining, will be a great teacher if he ever wants to.”
- “He is awesome – super helpful in the way he teaches and is keeping students engaged when asking for answers. He is also very focused on the students’ understandings.”
References
Prof. Mar Reguant (Committee Chair)
Prof. Gaston Illanes
Prof. Robert Porter
Prof. Vivek Bhattacharya