Ben Hobbs

Benjamin F. Hobbs

Theodore M. and Kay W. Schad Professor in Environmental Management

  Dept. Environmental Health and Engineering
  Joint Appointment in Dept. Applied Mathematics & Statistics
  Leadership Council Member, ROSEI (Johns Hopkins Ralph O' Connor Sustainable Energy Institute)
  Global Director, EPICS (The Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-Free Society Center)

bhobbs at jhu.edu

CV


Education
  Ph.D. 1983, Cornell University, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  M.S. 1978, State University of New York, Syracuse
  B.S. 1976, South Dakota State University
  1972-1974, Prescott College


Research Areas
- Stochastic electric power planning models
- Multiobjective and risk analysis
- Mathematical programming models of imperfect energy markets
- Environmental and energy systems analysis and economics
- Ecosystem management


Professional Activities & Honors
  Editorial Boards: Competition & Regulation in Network Industries; Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy; The Electricity Journal; EnergyEnergy Economics; EURO Journal on Decision Processes; IEEE Transactions on Power Systems; J. Energy Markets; J. Energy Engineering (ASCE)
  Fellow: IEEE and INFORMS
  Committee: CAISO Market Surveillance Committee(Chair), Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee
  - Scientific Advisor, Policy Studies Division, Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederlands
  - Visiting Scholar, Florence School of Regulation, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, 2023
  - Guest Professor, School of Electrical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 2013
  - Overseas Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge, 2009-10
  - Associate Researcher, University of Cambridge, Electricity Policy Research Group

Best Paper Awards: ASCE Water Resources Planning & Management Div. (1990); INFORMS Decision Analysis Society (2004); INFORMS Energy, Natural Resources & Environnment Section (2004, 2007)

Dr. Hobbs has been in the Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering since 1995. He also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and directs the JHU Environment, Energy, Sustainability & Health Institute. Previously, he was at Brookhaven and Oak Ridge National Laboratories and a member of the Systems Engineering and Civil Engineering faculty at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Hobbs has held visiting appointments at the Helsinki University of Technology, University of Washington, the Netherlands Energy Research Center, and the Electricity Policy Research Group at Cambridge University. Previously, he has been a Professor of Systems Engineering & Civil Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, Wigner Fellow at Oak Ridge National laboratory, and an Economics Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Students



Yijiao_Wang

Yijiao Wang

Ph.D. Student of Dept. Environmental Health and Engineering (Fall 2019-present)

Education
  M.Eng. Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, 2018
  B.B.A. Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016


Research Areas
- Probabilistic Solar Forecasting
- Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)
- Grid-scale Renewable Integration

Experiences
- Research Intern, Breakthrough Energy, 2021.05-2021.08
- Predoctoral Appointee, Energy System Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 2018.11-2019.07
- Research Aide, Energy System Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 2018.07-2018.10

Fun Fact
The other half of me is a post-impressionism artist.

ywang303 at jhu.edu

CV   LinkedIn



Stephanie_Wilcox

Stephanie Wilcox

Ph.D. Student of Dept. Environmental Health and Engineering (Fall 2020-present)

Education
  B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University

Research Areas
My research interests lie in the intersection of energy system planning and policymaking. During my PhD dissertation, I collaborated with the U.S. EPA and the PBL Netherlands to understand the financial and emissions impacts of current policies. At the EPA, I extended the COMET model, a linear programming model, to evaluate natural gas sector investment hedging strategies under energy and building sector decarbonization policies in New York City. Through my collaboration with PBL Netherlands, I developed a model to identify regional renewable energy contributions to the Dutch Regionale Energy Strategies program that align with spatial, technical, and economic priorities.

Experiences
  - Engineer I, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physic Laboratory - 2020
  - Fulbright Student Research Award, Dalian University of Technology, China - 2019
  - Intern, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physic Laboratory - Summer 2018

Fun Fact
I love to ski and hike.

swilcox9 at jhu.edu

LinkedIn



Ziting_Huang

Ziting Huang

Ph.D. Student of Dept. Environmental Health and Engineering (Fall 2021-present)

Education
  Master of Environmental Management in Energy, Duke University, 2018
  B.S. in Energy Economics, Renmin University of China, 2016

Research Areas
- Energy system modeling
- Energy markets and economics
- Inverse model application in greenhouse gas tracing

Experiences
  Ziting is a PhD student co-advised by Dr Hobbs in the environment decisions group and Dr Miller in the greenhouse gas lab. Currently, her research is focused on sustainable energy system planning, power market operation, and associated environmental impacts on GHG emissions. Before her PhD study, she worked on energy planning projects for African countries at the World Bank.

Fun Fact
I am a fan of BSO, Kennedy Center, and Wolf Trap.

zhuang51 at jhu.edu

LinkedIn



Yago_del_barrio

Yago Del Barrio

Ph.D. Student of Dept. Environmental Health and Engineering (Fall 2024-present)

Education
  M.A in Energy Policy, Markets and Regulation, Sciences Po Paris, 2022-2024
  M.Sc. in Energy Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 2021-2023
  B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 2017-2021

Research Areas
- Energy Systems Modeling
- Electricity Markets
- Behind-the-Meter Battery Storage Systems

Experiences
  Yago is a PhD student, co-advised by Dr. Hobbs and Dr. Mehrtash, specializing in the impact of behind-the-meter (BTM) batteries on the grid, energy systems modeling, and electricity markets. Before his PhD, he interned at Iberdrola's dispatch center, where he developed optimization software for battery systems. He also contributed to capacity expansion model development at the Renewable Integration and Secure Energy (RISE) unit of IEA.

Fun Fact

ydelbar1 at jhu.edu

LinkedIn