Essays on Electric Vehicles, Wildfires, and Regional Economic Impacts

Abstract

This dissertation presents three essays in applied microeconomics that analyze how local communities respond to regional environmental and technological change. The first essay studies the role of public charging infrastructure in promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Using county-level panel data from Washington State between 2019 and 2023, I estimate the marginal effects of new charging stations on new EV registrations and test for heterogeneity across income levels and charger types. The results show that charging infrastructure increases battery electric vehicle adoption, but the effects are concentrated in higher-income counties. Furthermore, fast chargers are shown to increase EV adoption across a wider income range than slower chargers. These results indicate that infrastructure expansion alone will not produce equitable EV adoption outcomes. The second essay analyzes the long-run economic impacts of large wildfires on regional tourism spending in Colorado. Using county-level tourism spending data from 1996 to 2019 and a staggered difference-in-differences framework, I find that the largest wildfires generate persistent declines in tourism expenditures and associated state and county tax revenues. These losses are primarily driven by reductions in commercial lodging activity. Results show that extreme wildfire events can produce sustained disruptions to local tourism-dependent economies and pose a growing threat to regional public services. The third essay examines the relationship between wildfire exposure and drinking water quality in Colorado between 2000 and 2023. Using watershed-level panel data, the analysis shows that wildfire exposure is associated with statistically significant increases in Safe Drinking Water Act violations, particularly turbidity violations. Smaller and moderately sized fires generate significant increases in violations, suggesting that even relatively modest wildfire events can disrupt drinking water systems. Back-of-the-envelope cost estimates indicate that these violations may impose substantial operational costs on water utilities. These essays highlight how infrastructure, wildfire disturbances, and environmental systems interact with economic activity and public services, with implications for energy transition policy, wildfire management, and drinking water system resilience.