I am a historian of environment, economics, and energy. My research and writing explore topics including economic growth, sustainability, infrastructure, and energy transitions.
I am author of the forthcoming book, The Invention of Infinite Growth (Chicago, 2025), which explains how economists have come to assume it is possible and desirable to have ever-increasing economic growth on a finite planet. My first book was Routes of Power (Harvard, 2014), which examines America’s energy transitions to coal, oil, and electricity from 1820 to 1930.
I teach history at Arizona State University and can be followed on Twitter (@EnergyHistorian).