Sheridan Titman
Sheridan Titman is a professor of finance at The University of Texas at Austin and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is serving as president of the American Finance Association in 2012. He is also the Executive Director of the Energy Management and Innovation Center (EMIC) at The University of Texas at Austin.
"My series, Energy Insights, will primarily focus on energy and this will be, more or less, a learning blog. The blog will offer some of my own views, as well as the views of some of the participants from the Energy Management and Innovation Center at McCombs. I will also raise questions in the hopes of receiving answers, insights and opinions from our participants. Since my own expertise is in finance, much of the initial focus will be on issues that relate to hedging, financing, derivative markets, and the financial evaluation of alternative energy sources. As my knowledge of these issues expand, I would also like to explore issues that relate more broadly to innovation and the role of public financing in this sector."
Learn more about Sheridan's research.
Read about Sheridan on Wikipedia.
Posts by Sheridan Titman
Posts about Sheridan Titman
When solar panel manufacturer Solyndra went bust in 2011, the government’s efforts to promote development of alternative energy technologies seemed to hit a dead end. Despite receiving a $535 million federal loan guarantee two years earlier, the company abruptly filed for bankruptcy and laid off all of its employees, sparking a highly politicized debate over how (or whether) to invest public money in nascent renewable technologies that may or may not pay off in the long run.
With the average price of gasoline once again approaching $4 a gallon, the conversation about alternative energy sources is becoming increasingly animated and complex. Consumers and politicians alike recognize a need to reduce the country’s dependence on conventional fuels in the long term, yet there is much disagreement about how this goal should be accomplished. To what extent should the government be involved in spurring innovation of wind and solar energy technologies? How can we overhaul our existing power grid? How do we pay for it?
McCombs Finance Professor Sheridan Titman says the consequences of President Obama’s decision to shelve the oil pipeline might not be as severe as many have claimed — but it does highlight complexities in America’s energy policy.
Members of the University of Texas at Austin faculty shared their thoughts on President Obama's State of the Union address.
Texas is the top producer and consumer of natural gas in the U.S., and with its expansive shale reserves and growing gas infrastructure, the state is at the forefront of the natural gas revolution. And because natural gas is cleaner and cheaper than other fossil fuels, it is expected to play an increasingly important role in electricity generation, residential and commercial products, and transportation. On a small scale, the transportation sector has already begun to embrace natural gas as a fuel source. Dr. Fred Beach, a University of Texas energy research fellow, outlined several potential future uses for natural gas at a recent conference hosted by the McCombs School of Business. He also identified barriers to widespread adoption. “The biggest challenge [for natural gas] is clearly in transportation,” Beach said. “The vehicles don’t exist for the most part, and the infrastructure doesn’t exist. But if you think of how much petroleum we use in this country, that is perhaps the biggest potential for growth.”
Growing controversy over the environmental ramifications of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has dampened enthusiasm over that method of extracting natural gas from shale. A new study will take a comprehensive look at the environmental issues and regulatory climate related to fracking in an effort to “separate fact from fiction.”
The challenges associated with the Gulf oil spill brought together some top academic minds for discussion and analysis recently at The University of Texas at Austin. The public forum, "Oil in Troubled Waters," explored potential liabilities and consequences for companies involved, as well as environmental concerns.
