Energy Policy and Sustainability (864N1)
15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)
Spring teaching
This module is intended to introduce you to the main concepts, theories, issues, challenges and debates within energy and climate policy, together with some of the analytical techniques used to explore this multifaceted subject.
Primary emphasis will be given to economic concepts and techniques, but the module will take a critical approach to orthodox economic theory and will incorporate ideas from behavioural economics, ecological economics and innovation studies.
The primary focus of the module is the opportunities, challenges and constraints associated with making the transition to a low carbon energy system. But this challenge cannot be understood without exploring the other dimensions of energy policy, such as energy security and market structure and regulation, together with the synergies and tensions between different policy objectives.
Key themes of the module include the physical characteristics of fossil and renewable energy resources, the process of transition and change in energy systems and the rationales for and limits to public policy intervention.
Substantive issues to be covered include:
- the relationship between
- energy and economic growth
- market and government failures in the energy sector
- energy market liberalisation and the regulation of network industries
- carbon pricing
- the innovation and diffusion of energy technologies
- resource depletion
- the transition to renewable technologies and competing perspectives on energy security.