Derek C. Wietelman

Economist

Biography

Welcome to my personal research website. I am a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Colorado Boulder, housed in the Institute of Behavioral Science. In 2026, I received my Ph.D. from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland.*

I am an applied microeconomist who specializes in environmental and resource economics. Much of my current research studies the pricing and allocation of energy and water resources during periods of scarcity, such as peak electricity demand hours or severe droughts. Currently, I am investigating how drought-induced conservation mandates interact with existing, inefficient water prices.

In addition to my work on resource quantities, I also maintain an active research agenda in the economics of environmental quality, particularly water quality. In this work, I characterize long-run trends in surface water quality and examine how policy design impacts nonpoint source pollution from both the agricultural and residential sectors. Currently, I am working to identify how variation in lead remediation efforts (e.g., service line replacements by water utilities) affects health and behavioral outcomes.

* All conclusions in the writings presented here are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of any of my employers, past or present.

Working Papers

Derek C. Wietelman, Casey J. Wichman, Daniel A. Brent (2025). Conservation and Distributional Consequences of Pricing Scarce Water During Droughts. R&R, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.

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Youngho Kim, David Newburn, Erik Lichtenberg, Derek C. Wietelman, Haoluan Wang (2025). Emissions Trading Programs for Afforestation: Interactions with Federal Agricultural Conservation Programs.

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Publications

Joshua Blonz, Karen Palmer, Casey J. Wichman, Derek C. Wietelman (2025). Smart Thermostats, Automation, and Time-Varying Prices. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Vol. 17(1), 90–125.

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Yusuke Kuwayama, Sheila M. Olmstead, Derek C. Wietelman, Jiameng Zheng (2020). Trends in Nutrient-Related Pollution as a Source of Potential Water Quality Damages: A Case Study of Texas, USA. Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 724, 137962.

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Arthur G. Fraas, Randall W. Lutter, Derek C. Wietelman (2019). The Energy Paradox in Seemingly Competitive Industries: The Use of Energy-Efficient Equipment on Heavy-Duty Tractor Trailers. Energy Policy, Vol. 129, 467–480.

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Michelle H.W. Lee, Ashley Clark, John Rupp, Derek C. Wietelman, John D. Graham (2019). Public Opinion Toward Hydraulic Fracturing: The Effect of Beyond Compliance and Voluntary Third-Party Certification. Energy Policy, Vol. 128, 306–315.

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Derek C. Wietelman, Richard T. Melstrom (2017). The Effect of Listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a Threatened Species on Rural Property Values. Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 191, 155–161.

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