Press
How data centers can better manage energy use
A new study suggests flexibility in the timing of electricity consumption could lower consumer costs.
Jun 26, 2026
Knittel earns Professor of the Year Award
June 14, 2024
Faculty
Christopher Knittel
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Christopher Knittel is the Associate Dean for Climate and Sustainability, the George P. Shultz Professor and a Professor of Applied Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Prior to MIT Sloan, Knittel taught at the University of California, Davis, and at Boston University. His research focuses on industrial organization, environmental economics, and applied econometrics.
Knittel is an associate editor of The American Economic Journal— Economic Policy, The Journal of Industrial Economics, and the Journal of Energy Markets. His research has appeared in The American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Industrial Economics, The Energy Journal, and other academic journals. He also is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Productivity, Industrial Organization, and Energy and Environmental Economics groups.
Knittel holds a BA in economics and political science from California State University, Stanislaus; an MA in economics from the University of California, Davis; and a PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Honors
Knittel wins IJIO award
December 1, 2020
Publications
"Who Bears the Burden of Climate Inaction?"
Clausing, Kimberly A., Christopher R. Knittel, and Catherine Wolfram. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Forthcoming.
"Implications of Policy-Driven Transmission Expansion on Costs, Emissions, and Reliability in the United States."
Senga, Juan Ramon L., Audun Botterud, John E. Parsons, S. Drew Story, and Christopher R. Knittel. Nature Energy Vol. 11, No. 2 (2026): 240-243. Download Preprint.
"Flexible Data Centers Reduce Power System Costs but can Increase Emissions."
Senga, Juan Ramon L., Shen Wang, and Christopher R. Knittel. iScience (2026).
"Renewables and Electricity Affordability: Untangling Correlation from Causation."
Espiritu Argosino, Fischer J. and Christopher R. Knittel, Working Paper. December 2025.
"Using Machine Learning to Target Treatment: The Case of Household Energy Use."
Knittel, Christopher R., and Samuel Stolper. The Economic Journal Vol. 135, No. 672 (2025): 2377-2401. NBER Working Paper.
"From Tank to Odometer: Winners and Losers from a Gas-to-VMT Tax Shift."
Knittel, Christopher R., Gilbert E. Metcalf, and Shereein Saraf, MIT Sloan Working Paper 7349-25. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management, June 2025. NBER Working Paper No. 33894.
Recent Insights
Press
Why climate change is costing U.S. households hundreds of dollars a year
From insurance premiums to energy bills, a new study from MIT Sloan shows how Americans are already paying the price of climate change, and climate inaction, driven by extreme weather.
Apr 7, 2026
Media Highlights
Press
The New York Times
High gas costs may linger after U.S.-Iran deal
There are two reasons that gas prices could linger on the higher end, said Christopher Knittel, associate dean for climate and sustainability. One is the large amount of infrastructure in the Middle East that has been damaged or destroyed. The second is the uncertainty about whether sailing through the Strait of Hormuz is safe. "Basic economics tells us the riskier business is, the higher profits you have to earn to want to enter into that business," Knittel said. "Oil, gasoline, and natural gas have gotten more risky. That might actually keep us from ever getting back to prewar levels for gasoline," he added.
Press
Time Magazine
How climate change is making your life more expensive
A paper by associate dean for climate and sustainability Christopher Knittel, professor Catherine Wolfram, and co-author found that climate change is already costing U.S. households between $400 and $900 a year, on average. "Even if you don't live in tornado alley, you might be seeing your insurance rates go up to cover the cost for people who are in the more danger-prone areas," said Wolfram.
Press
SaportaReport
Sustainability & Atlanta's data center boom
According to Christopher Knittel, associate dean for climate and sustainability, prioritizing large-scale renewable energy sources can decrease the financial burden on households over time. "Energy generated by large-scale solar plants, for example, comes with lower transmission, distribution, and maintenance costs for utilities, and these efficiencies can be passed on to the consumer," he said.
Press
CBS News
Massachusetts rideshare drivers become first in U.S. to unionize
Professor Christopher Knittel said that if rideshare wages increase, the money has to come from somewhere. "It can come from higher fares, smaller driver incentives, or lower platform profit margins," Knittel said.