Biography

Colin Robinson worked for eleven years as a business economist, mainly in the oil industry, before being appointed in 1968 to the Chair of Economics at the University of Surrey, where he founded the Department of Economics. Given Colin's leadership, one of the department's main research areas has always been energy economics, which was consolidated in the early 1980s when the University established the Surrey Energy Economic Centre (SEEC) with Colin as Director.

Colin is the sole or joint author of over 25 books and monographs and about 160 journal papers, including studies of the international oil, coal and gas markets, North Sea oil and gas, nuclear energy in Britain, British energy policy, privatisation, utility regulation and the British water industry. He continues to write regularly and is now Emeritus Professor of Economics.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, of the Society of Business Economists and of the Institute of Energy. He is a past member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and of the Secretary of State for Energy`s Advisory Council on Research and Development in Fuel and Power. He was named British Institute of Energy Economics `Economist of the Year’ in 1992 and in 1998 received from the International Association for Energy Economics its "Outstanding Contribution to the Profession and its Literature" award. Among invited lectures he has given is the 2008 Julian Hodge Lecture at Cardiff University.

From 1992 to 2002 he was Editorial Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, in addition to his university post. He is a member of the IEA`s Academic Advisory Council and a Trustee of the Wincott Foundation.

Publications

Since 2001

• Marshall, E. & Robinson, C. (2008) "Comment on Competition Commission Report: Stansted Quinquennial Review – Assessment of Competition at Stansted Airport", Submission to Competition Commission, July.
• Robinson, C. (2008) "Economics, Politics and Climate Change: Are the Sceptics Right? ", Julian Hodge Bank Lecture, April, University of Cardiff. (Click here for a copy of the text - with thanks to the Julian Hodge Bank.)
• Robinson, C. (2008), "Climate Change and the Market Economy", in Robinson, C (Ed) Climate Change and the Market Economy, Institute of Economic Affairs, forthcoming.
• Robinson, C. (2008) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Climate Change and the Market Economy, Institute of Economic Affairs, forthcoming.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2008) Climate Change and the Market Economy, Institute of Economic Affairs, forthcoming.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2008) Ralph Harris in His Own Words, Edward Elgar
• Robinson, C. (2007), "The Economics of Energy Security: Is Import Dependence a Problem?", Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, 8(4), December, pp. 425-451.
• Robinson, C. (2007) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Utility Regulation in Competitive Markets, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2007) Utility Regulation in Competitive Markets, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2006) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Regulating Utilities and Promoting Competition, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2006) Regulating Utilities and Promoting Competition, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. & Marshall, E. (2006) "Competitive Markets – not governments – enhance energy security", in Lewis, D. (Ed) The New Economics of Energy Security, Economic Research Council.
• Robinson, C. & Marshall, E. (2006) "Energy Insecurity", in The Wall Street Journal Europe, 12 July.
• Byatt, I., Castles, I., Goklany, I. M., Henderson, D., Lawson, N., McKitrick, R., Morris, J. Peacock, A., Robinson, C. & Skidelsky, R. (2006), "The Stern Review: A Dual Critique – Economic Aspects", World Economics, October-December, 7(4) pp. 165 – 232.
• Robinson, C. & Marshall, E. (2006) "Can a New Nuclear Programme be Justified?", Economic Affairs, 26(2), June, pp. 60-63.
• Byatt, I., Castles, I., Goklany, I. M., Henderson, D., Lawson, N., McKitrick, R., Morris, J. Peacock, A., Robinson, C. & Skidelsky, R. (2006), "Comment: Climate Change – The Stern Review: A Critique", World Economics, April-June, 7(2), pp. 145 – 151.
• Robinson, C. (2006) "How not to reorganise an industry: privatisation, liberalisation and Scottish Water", in The Water Revolution, International Policy Press
• Robinson, C. (2005), "The Collected Works of Arthur Seldon", Economic Affairs, 25(4), December, pp. 77-79.
• Robinson, C. (2005), "The Economics of Climate Change", Energy and Environment, 16(3-4), pp. 659-666.
• Robinson, C. (Ed) (2005) The Collected Works of Arthur Seldon, Liberty Fund, seven volumes
• Robinson, C. (2005) "Introduction" in The Collected Works of Arthur Seldon, Liberty Fund
• Marshall, E. & Robinson, C. (2005) "Regulating Energy: Issues and Pitfalls", in Parker, D and Crew, M, (Eds) International Handbook on Economic Regulation, Edward Elgar
• Robinson, C. (2005) "Reviving the Scottish Water Industry", The Policy Institute, Series: Economy No. 9, March.
• Robinson, C. (2005) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Governments, Competition and Utility Regulation, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2005) Governments, Competition and Utility Regulation, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2005) "The Economics of Climate Change", Memorandum to House of Lords Committee on Economic Affairs, January 2005.
• Robinson, C. (2004) "Water Privatisation: Too Much Regulation?", Economic Affairs, 24(3), September, pp. 24-31.
• Robinson, C. (2004) "Gas, Electricity and the Energy Review" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Successes and Failures in Regulating and Deregulating Utilities: Evidence from the UK, Europe and the US, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2004) Successes and Failures in Regulating and Deregulating Utilities: Evidence from the UK, Europe and the US, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2004) "Markets, Imperfections and the Dangers of Over-Regulating Energy Markets", Economic Affairs, 24(2), June, pp. 52-55.
• Robinson, C. (2004) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Successes and Failures in Regulating and Deregulating Utilities: Evidence from the UK, Europe and the US, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2004) "From Nationalisation through Deregulation to Reregulation: The Changing Business Climate" in Hirst, J. (Ed) The Challenge of Change: Fifty Years of Business Economics, Profile Books.
• Robinson, C. (2003) "Privatisation: Analysing the Benefits", in Parker, D. and Saal, D (Eds) International Handbook on Privatisation, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2003) "A Free Market Makes the Most Energy", The Financial Times, 10 January.
• Robinson, C. (2002) "A Competitive Market in Water" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Utility Regulation and Competition Policy, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2002) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Utility Regulation and Competition Policy, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2002) Utility Regulation and Competition Policy, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2002) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Competition and Regulation in Utility Markets, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2002) Competition and Regulation in Utility Markets, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (2002) "Back from the Dead? The Return of Energy Policy", Surrey Energy Economics Discussion Papers, SEEDS No 104, December.
• Robinson, C. (2001) "Vivendi Water UK/First Aqua (Southern Water) Merger Inquiry", Submission to Competition Commission, August.
• Robinson, C. (2001) "Introduction" in Robinson, C. (Ed) Regulating Utilities: New Issues, New Solutions, Edward Elgar.
• Robinson, C. (Ed.) (2001) Regulating Utilities: New Issues, New Solutions, Edward Elgar.