Energy Policy

Description

This course will look at American energy policy as a jumble of choices among energy resources.  Therefore we will need to understand the characteristics of fossil fuels and their alternatives as well how the policy process works. While there will some lecture and discussion to provide overviews and ensure that the class has a common knowledge framework, most of the work will involve  critical analyses of ongoing policy controversies.  The policy discussions may the US Senate's "White Paper on a Clean Energy Standard," the fight over EPA's regulation of greenhouse gases, whether  biofuels are renewable and goals and policy "realities" of the  Washington State Energy Strategy.  The final choices will depend on the interests of students and faculty and the status of the issues when the class meets.  For each policy arena, students will be challenged to investigate how science, economic and policy analysis, ideology, financial interest, geography, partisanship and other factors influence the outcome.