Course Catalog
US Energy and Climate Policy
90-808
Units: 6
Description
This seminar will provide an introduction to modern U.S. energy and climate policy. Our goal will be to understand, from a practical perspective, how economics, technology, politics, public opinion and national security all influence the development and implementation of policy.
During the past few years, we have seen a whipsaw in policy, as the Biden administration pushed through the Inflation Reduction Act on a party-line vote, and then a few years later, the Trump administration reversed many of those provisions with its One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also passed on a party-line vote. At the same time, even as there are continued challenges in addressing climate change, the country is experiencing rapid growth in electricity demand. As such, the need to understand how policy is made, what trade-offs need to be balanced, and how those decisions impact society is more important than ever.
Questions that we will address include: Why has energy and climate taken on such a critical role in the public policy agenda? How does the government make policy and what are the ways that those policies influence energy markets and availability? How has US policy changed over the years and what lessons have we learned from past initiatives? How have new technologies changed the energy landscape and our interactions with other countries?
The class will begin with an overview of the energy sector and the related government structure. We will then discuss Presidential initiatives and legislative activity, with particular attention to the most recent actions by the Biden and Trump administrations. While our primary focus will be domestic, we will look at international implications, especially as they relate to liquefied natural gas and crude oil exports, as well as UN climate agreements.
This course is a seminar class; I will provide a framework and then guide a discussion among the students. We will hear from guest speakers, including current and former senior government officials.
Learning Outcomes
To understand the various factors that go into energy and climate policy, and how the government develops and implements such policy.
Prerequisites Description
None