Robert Young is managing director of Economists.com LLC, which offers economic and financial consulting services to the utilities industry worldwide. He received his bachelor's and master’s degree from the Southern Illinois University, Department of Economics. His early work was in utilities regulation, electricity, and telecommunication. At Economists.com, Young has worked extensively with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and consults internationally on the economics of infrastructure. He presents his ideas at international conferences, such as the Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF) conference in the Netherlands. Infrastructure convergence is one of his key interests — the possibility of having all U.S. states or all western European nations participate in an efficient large-scale power grid.