Dates:
May 19-21, 2025
Location:
Four Points Sheraton in Bellingham
714 Lakeway Dr.
Bellingham, WA 98229
Click here for the 2025 Draft Program.
We all have our favorites–energy! labor markets! agriculture! transportation!– but look for panels on AI, EVs, tariffs, and two if not three on U.S. – Canada economic relations. We’ll have a panel for student presentations, and of course the Outlook for the U.S., provinces (B.C. and Alberta) and states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana).
We’re well past the deadline for abstract submissions, but if you’ve got something your burning to present on, we can probably shoehorn you in. Please keep your abstracts to under 400 words and provide contact information for every proposed presenter, and send it in via the PNREC website (www.pnrec.org).
All presenters are expected to register and pay the registration fee for the conference.
If you want to submit a poster, please contact us through the same channel as for abstracts.
Check out our latest keynote speaker, Emilie Jackson.
Chair: Hart Hodges, PNREC President, Western Washington University
Speakers:
Craig Weichel, Consulate General of Canada, Seattle, Consul General
Tony Stillo, Director of Canada Economics, Oxford Economics
Chair: Massoud Jourabchi, Greenway Research
Speakers:
Massoud Jourabchi, Greenway Research
"State of Electric Utilities in the PNW"
Steve Simmons, Northwest Power and Conservation Council
"Forecasting Long-Range Energy Demand in the Pacific Northwest"
Dr. Mark Weimar, Argonne National Lab
"Does Matching Pumped Storage Hydropower with Offshore Wind in Southern Oregon Make Economic Sense?"
Chair: Felicia Mutheardy, City of Edmonton
Speakers:
Kathiravan Thangavetu, Independent Researcher
"Economic Impact of Compliance Burden Faced by Small and Medium Businesses in Northwest USA and the Role of AI in Reducing It"
Cole Smith, Amneet Pawar, and Hayden Hobbick, Central Washington University
"1st Security Bank of Washington Case Study"
Brittany Tarufelli, PNNL
"A Comprehensive Impact Evaluation Framework for EERE’s Small Business and Startup Investment"
Wilfried Kabre, PNNL
"The Value of Innovation: Assessing the Impact and Multiplier Effect of Financial Awards on Advanced Materials and Manufacturing"
Chair: Gail Krumenauer, Oregon Employment Department
Speakers:
Scott Bailey, Independent
"A Historical Look at Economic Outcomes by Race and Ethnicity in the US Pacific Northwest"
Dr. Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Washington State Employment Security Department
"Employment in Clean Energy"
Richard Acquah-Sarpong, Oregon State University
"Widening Gaps: Regional Inequality in Credit Defaults under Tiered Minimum Wage Policies"
Chair: Tom Potiowsky
Speakers:
Billy Leung, REMI
Lewis Lem, Port of Portland
Lizbeth Martin-Mahar, Chief Economist, King County
Emilie Jackson, Michigan State University
The Impacts of Privatization: Evidence from the Hospital Sector
Chair: Massoud Jourabchi
Speakers:
Mike Brady, Washington State University
"Rules versus Discretion in the Management of Multi-purpose Dams"
Dr. Mark Weimar, Pacific Northwest National Lab - retired
"Economic and Social Aspects of a Run of the River Powerhouse on the Nuyakuk River"
Brittany Tarufelli, Pacific Northwest National Lab
"EverGreen 2045: An Energy Mix to Decarbonize Washington State"
Chair: Scott Bailey
Speakers:
Dr. Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Washington State Employment Security Department
"Labor Market Overview"
André Bernard and Josée Bégin, Statistics Canada
"Changes in the labor market in Canada (virtual)"
Anna Johnson, Oregon Employment Department
"Oregon's Job Vacancy Survey of Private Employers"
Chair: Evan Rogers
Speakers:
Abigail King, PNNL, Idaho National Lab
"Quantifying the Scale and Potential Benefits of Modernizing Irrigation Water Conveyance Infrastructure in the Western U.S."
Kenneth Annan, Oregon State University
"The Economic Impacts of Wildfires on Agricultural Land Markets"
Kenneth Stuen, University of Idaho
"The Importance of Vintners’ Quality"
Jeff Lucksteed and Magda Kondaridze, WSU and Gonzaga University
"Production Subsidies and Agricultural Trade"
Chair: Jenny Liu
Speakers:
Dr. Jenny Liu, Portland State University
"Developing a Transportation Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) Framework for Oregon: Integrating Economic, Environmental and Equity Considerations"
William Jaeger, Oregon State University
"Discounting Future Environmental Values for Benefit-Cost Analysis with Population Change: An Application to Dam Removal"
Cortney Cortez, The Balmoral Group
"Benefits and Costs in Coastal Community Resilience"
Chair: Matt Roelofs, Dept. of Economics, WWU
Speakers:
Sylvain Leduc, FRBSF
"Global Trade in Uncertain Times"
Chair: Dr. Deanna Kennedy, Dean, College of Business and Economics, WWU
Speakers:
Duane Bratt, Mount Royal University (Calgary, Alberta)
Laurie Trautman, WWU
Ted Alden, Council on Foreign Relations and WWU
Chair: Massoud Jourabchi
Speakers:
Robert Young, Managing Director, Economists.com
Jon Piliaris, VP of Regulation, Puget Sound Energy
Chair: Dr. Mark Weimar
Speakers:
Hans Radtke, Natural Resource Economist
"Oregon State‐Owned Hatchery Economic Analysis"
Wisnu Sugiarto, Whitman College
"Measuring Consumer Demand without 6PPD"
Evan Rodgers, Oregon Department of Transportation
"The Resilience of Diesel Use Relative to Gasoline in Post-Pandemic Oregon"
Chair: Felicia Mutheardy
Speakers:
James Mark Gbeda, Western Washington University
"Effects of Charging Infrastructure on Electric Vehicles Adoption and Transportation Emissions in the United States: A Panel Analysis"
Brad James, WSU, Green Transportation Program
"Doing the Math: The Economics of Electric School Bus Adoption"
Jepthah Oppong-Atta, Washington State University
"The effect of temperature on electric vehicle infrastructure and adoption in the US"
Chair: Tennicia Dacas
Speakers:
Darius Martin, Department of Economics, Western Washington University
"Hallmates Like Me: Social Network Formation and College Outcomes"
Hayden Hobnick, Central Washington University
"Gaze Aversion – Door Placement and Classroom Attendance"
Emily Trautman, Montana Department of Labor and Industry
"Montana Teacher Compensation Report"
Chair: Nick Beleiciks
Speakers:
Gail Krumenauer, Oregon Employment Department
"Employment in Health Care"
Anneliese Vance-Sherman, WA Employment Security Department
"LEHD Data and Employment in Health Care"
Rebecca Grady, WA Employment Security Department
"Paid Family Leave"
Chair: Hart Hodges
Speakers:
William Jaeger, Oregon State University
"Advancing Sustainable Groundwater Management with a Hydro‐Economic System Model: Investigations in the Harney Basin, Oregon"
Chris Collier, Housing Authority of Snohomish County
"Snohomish County Housing Discussion"
Chair: Chris Lawless
Speakers:
Jennifer Bettis (WWU) and Rosaline Leung (UBC)
"Economic Ties and Cross Border Relationships in Canada"
Jennifer Withington, Statistics Canada
"Canada-US Trade (virtual)"
Codrin Nedita, University of Washington at Bothell
"Trade Woes in the Pacific Northwest"
Chair: Ethan Sharygin
Speakers:
Ethan Sharygin, Portland State University
"Migration in the PNW Region"
Benjamin Gurrentz, Branch Chief, Small Area Modeling and Development Branch Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau
"Community Resilience Explorer (Virtual)"
Alyson Plumb, Team Lead, Business Formation Statistics Program Economic Indicators Division, U.S. Census Bureau
"Business Formation Patterns (Virtual)"
Robert McLeman, Wilfrid Laurier University
Climate Migration (virtual)
Chair: Scott Bailey
Speakers:
Amy Bainbridge, The Balmoral Group
"Cost-effectiveness of Natural Resource Based Adaptation Strategies"
Toni Sipic and Neven Sipic, Central Washington University and Zagreb School of Business
"University Sustainability and Student Enrollments in the PNW"
Adam Wilson, Jake Wagner, and Hanouf Alhunayshill, Transportation Research Group at Washington State University
"Port Performance in the Pacific Northwest: Insights for the Maritime Freight Economy"
Chair: James McCafferty
Speakers:
Amneet Pawar and Cole Smith, Central Washington University
"CWU Student CPI Project"
Chair: Tom Potiowsky
Speakers:
Laurie Trautman, Border Policy Research Institute, Western Washington University
Halley French, Cascadia Cross-Border Law
Edward Alden, Council on Foreign Relations and Western Washington University
Greg Boos, Cascadia Cross-Border Law
Chair: Tom Potiowsky, Portland State University
Speakers:
Dan Stickel, State of Alaska
"Alaska"
Felicia Mutheardy, City of Edmonton
"Alberta"
Chris Lawless, Mystic Vale Economics
"British Columbia"
John Nordstrom, Boise State University
"Idaho"
Emily Trautman, Montana Department of Labor and Industry
"Montana"
Carl Riccadonna, Chief Economist , State of Oregon
"Oregon"
Dave Reich, Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council
"Washington"
