Energy Transitions

Catalog description

Affordable, abundant and reliable energy is fundamental to human well-being and prosperity. The development, expansion, and, most importantly, the transition of energy infrastructure are vital for maintaining secure and reliable energy systems. This course delves into the critical aspects of energy transitions, including the historic exploration and development of fossil fuel-based energy systems such as coal and oil, the proliferation and expansion of nuclear energy, and the current adoption of renewable energy and hydrogen technologies. Transition processes are examined through social, economic, political, technological, and environmental perspectives. Lessons from past energy transitions will be considered in the context of the current, profound transition away from fossil fuel-based energy to less carbon-intensive and more renewable systems. The student will explore available energy sources and emerging technological solutions to energy and environmental challenges while considering diverse viewpoints on facilitating energy transition and the practical challenges in bringing about change on a global scale. Finally, the student in this course will bring all these issues together to examine how the energy transition process is progressing on a specific technology/energy source and what we must do to create pathways to achieve transition goals.