Research Areas: Coal Science & Technology
Carbon Dioxide Capture, Conversion & Sequestration
Energy Economics
Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering
Stationary Power
Sustainable Energy
Initiative for Sustainable Electric Power Systems
Education Background: • Ph.D. (Engineering Systems), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000
• M.S. (Technology and Policy), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996
• B.S.E. (Computer Science and Engineering), University of Pennsylvania, 1988
About:
Webster is a professor of energy engineering. He earned a B.S.E. in computer science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in technology and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in engineering systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Webster’s research and teaching centers on the design, planning, and management of coupled energy and environmental systems with a particular focus on electric power systems. His research focus is on the development and application of methods for sequential decision under uncertainty, with a particular emphasis on applications to electric power systems planning and operations, energy systems design for flexibility and resilience, and environmental regulatory design. Webster received the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award.
Research Interests:
• Stochastic multi-stage optimization algorithms
• Electric power systems planning and operations
• Coupled energy-water-land modeling for resiliency studies
Memberships & Committees:
• Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Electric Power Systems, EMS Energy Institute, 2014-present.
• Committee Member, ICS Coordinating Committee, The Pennsylvania State U, 2014-present.
• Associate Editor, Energy Economics, 2005-2012
• U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (nominated)
Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS) • IEEE
• Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)
• American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) • Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)
• International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE)
Honors & Awards:
• U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award, January, 2010.
• Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Univ. of North Carolina, Feb. 2006.
• Most Outstanding Faculty Award, Public Policy Majors Union, May, 2003.
• Martin Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996-1997
• Monbusho Scholarship, Japanese Ministry of Education, April 1989 – October 1990
Teaching:
• EBF 472: Probability and Statistics
• EGEE 451: Energy Systems Analysis
• EBF 483: Electricity Markets
Webster, M. D., K. Fisher-Vanden, V. Kumar, R. B. Lammers, and J. Perla, (2022). Integrated hydrological, power system and economic modelling of climate impacts on electricity demand and cost, Nature Energy, v. 7, pp. 163-169, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00958-8.
S. Varghese, S. Dalvi, A. Narula, and M. D. Webster, (2021). The Impacts of Distinct Flexibility Enhancements on the Value and Dynamics of Natural Gas Power Plant Operations, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, v. 36 (6), pp. 5803-5813, https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2021.3084367.
Bukenberger, J. P. and M. D. Webster, (2020). Approximate Latent Factor Algorithm for Scenario Selection and Weighting in Transmission Expansion Planning, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, v. 35(2), pp. 1099-1108, [8846058]. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2019.2942925.
Sun, S., B. V. Ordonez, M. D. Webster, J. Liu, C. J. Kucharik, and T. Hertel, (2020). Fine-Scale Analysis of the Energy-Land-Water Nexus: Nitrate Leaching Implications of Biomass Cofiring in the Midwestern United States, Environmental Science and Technology, v. 54(4), pp. 2122-2132, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07458.
Bukenberger, J. P. and M. D. Webster, (2019). Approximate latent factor algorithm for scenario selection and weighting in transmission expansion planning, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, v. 35 (2), pp. 1099-1108.
Allen, D. T., F. J. Cardoso-Saldña, G. McGaughey, E. McDonald-Buller, and M. Webster, (2018). Uses for expanded production of natural gas liquids: chemicals or power?, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, v. 7(1), [e258], https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.258.
Morris, J. F., V. Srikrishnan, M. D. Webster, and J. M. Reilly, (2018). Hedging strategies: Electricity investment decisions under policy uncertainty, Energy Journal, v. 39(1), pp. 101-122, https://doi.org/10.5547/01956574.39.1.jmor.
Jacquillat, A., A. R. Odoni, and M. D. Webster, (2017). Dynamic control of runway configurations and of arrival and departure service rates at JFK airport under stochastic queue conditions, Transportation Science, v. 51 (1), pp. 155-176.
Santen, N. R., M. D. Webster, D. Popp, and I. Pérez-Arriaga, (2017). Inter-temporal R&D and capital investment portfolios for the electricity industry’s low carbon future, Energy Journal, v. 38 (1), pp. 1-24, https://doi.org/10.5547/01956574.38.6.nsan.
Webster, M. D., K. Fisher-Vanden, D. Popp, and N. Santen, (2017). Should we give up after solyndra? Optimal technology R&D portfolios under uncertainty, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, v. 4 (S1), pp. S123-S151, https://doi.org/10.1086/691995.
