The Science, Politics, and Economics of Energy

Winter 2009

Course Description

This course will guide students in evaluating energy technologies, proposing energy solutions, and formulating energy policy.

How energy is produced and used is a critical economic, national security, and environmental issue for the 21st century. Currently, energy production is the second largest business in the world, and reliable access to energy is a major national security concern. But the most widely used energy resources -- fossil fuels -- create greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. In addition, accessing and using these fuels presents a wide variety of political, national security and environmental issues beyond global climate change. This course will address how we can balance the scientific, political, and economic issues to create an energy plan for the future.

The course will have two components. One will be writing essays on various aspects of energy technology and energy policy. The second will be lectures and class discussions that put our energy problem in perspective. The lecture portion of the course will focus on three main areas of energy technology and policy:

  • How did our current energy usage and policies develop? How did petroleum become a major energy source? How did nuclear power develop? Why isn't more energy available now from renewable sources? What's the economic impact of energy availability and pricing? What is our current energy policy and how does that influence our foreign policy and military planning?

  • How do different energy technologies work, and what are their pros and cons? Is there a role for fossil fuels (coal, petroleum) in an age of global warming? How do fission, fusion and breeder reactors work? Can the nuclear waste issue be solved? How does solar power work and can we meet our energy needs using solar? How are biofuels created and can they replace petroleum? Is hydrogen the answer to our energy problem?

  • What policies exist to solve our energy problem? What policies have been used in the past and what lessons do they offer for the future?

The activity portion of the course will have three parts:

  • Select and follow an energy portfolio, and make the case for an energy technology. For this exercise, each class member will create a portfolio of energy stocks and select a company (preferably a start-up) to follow. The stock portfolio should be made up of stocks of energy-related companies with the portfolio total value of $1 million on the due date. In addition, the student will select one company that has a promising new technology. The writing assignment will be to make the case for the new technology chosen as if writing to a venture capital firm that's considering the company for potential investment. At the end of the course each student will present their portfolio and evaluate its performance.

  • Discuss controversies in energy policy and technology. Students will advocate either for or against various propositions related to energy (expansion of nuclear power, adoption of hydrogen as the primary means to fuel vehicles, etc.). Discussions should include a technical analysis, while taking political and economic factors into account.

  • Write a paper on an energy topic. For this exercise, each student will select an energy topic and write a 5-page paper.

  • Develop an energy policy. For this exercise, class members will put together a 5-page essay supporting their energy policy. They will take the perspective of someone running for federal office (Representative or Senator) from their home state.

Throughout the course students will receive feedback on writing and presentations.

Writing instruction: Most classes will begin with a short "Can this paragraph be saved?" exercise. Paragraphs will be chosen from a variety of sources and projected for the class to edit. The task will be to improve the paragraph as a class. This exercise will demonstrate the basic skills of writing clearly, removing excess words, and avoiding the passive voice.

Short samples of the main writing styles emphasized in the course (e.g. descriptive report, persuasive essay) will also be assigned and then discussed in the class.

All writing assignments will require a first draft. These will be commented upon and returned.

Instructor

Jay C. Buckey, Jr., M.D.
Professor of Medicine
Dartmouth Medical School
DHMC Borwell Rm. 606E
650-6012
jay.buckey@dartmouth.edu

Classes

Tuesday and Thursday: 4:00-5:50pm

Office Hours: By appointment at Thayer

Reading List

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 1-Introductory Overview
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 4 Primary Energy
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 6-Heat to Motive Power
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 5-Coal
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 10-Nuclear Power
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 14-Remedies: Making Fossil Fuel Use More Sustainable

  • Boyle, G. Renewable Energy, Chapters 2, 3. Solar Thermal Energy, Solar Photovoltaics
  • Boyle, G. Renewable Energy, Chapter 4. Bioenergy

  • Kruger, P. Alternative Energy Resources, Chapters 8,9. Hydrogen as an energy carrier, Hydrogen as a transportation fuel

  • Stagliano, V, A Policy of Discontent, Chapter 1, A Brief History of U.S. Energy Policy and its Makers.

  • Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, Chapter 5 - An Approach to Style

  • Yergin, D., The Prize, Chapter 2 "Our Plan": John D. Rockefeller and the Combination of American Oil.
  • Yergin, D., The Prize, Part III, War and Strategy

  • The Future of Nuclear Power, An Interdisciplinary MIT Study, Chapter 1, The Future of Nuclear Power, Overview and Conclusions

  • IPCC, Historical Overview of Climate Change Science

Schedule

Week 1: Tuesday, 6-Jan-09

A. Introduction to the Course
  1. The importance of energy to society and to the economy
  2. The current energy challenge
  3. Can new energy sources be found? What are the technical, political and economic challenges?
  4. Course organization and activities
B. Writing convincing essays
  1. Rhetoric: the art of speaking or writing effectively
  2. Essentials of good writing
  3. Sources and citations
  4. Writing assignments and evaluation

Reading:

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 1-Introductory Overview
  • Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, Chapter 5 - An Approach to Style

Week 1: Thursday, 8-Jan-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. The nuts and bolts of energy
  1. BTUs, kilowatts, and joules: how energy and power are measured
  2. First and second laws of thermodynamics
  3. Heat engines-Carnot efficiency
B. New energy technologies
  1. Making your energy portfolio
  2. The first writing assignment

Reading:

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 2-Primary Energy
  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 6-Heat to Motive Power

Week 2: Tuesday, 13-Jan-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. Petroleum history
  1. John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil
  2. The rise of the oil states
  3. Petroleum, geopolitics, and conflict
B. Current status of petroleum
  1. Petroleum as a fuel
  2. Petroleum production
  3. Oil shale, oil sands

Reading:

  • Yergin, D., The Prize, Chapter 2-"Our Plan": John D. Rockefeller and the Combination of American Oil.
  • Yergin, D., The Prize, Part III-War and Strategy

Week 2: Thursday, 15-Jan-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. Coal history
  1. The industrial revolution
  2. Coke for iron smelting
  3. Steam turbines and electricity
B. Current status of coal
  1. Coal for electricity
  2. Coal to make liquid fuels
  3. Coal's environmental impact

Reading:

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 5-Coal

Activity:

  • Energy portfolio due
  • First draft of technology paper due

Week 3: Tuesday, 20-Jan-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. Nuclear power history
  1. Manhattan project
  2. Atoms for peace
  3. Three-Mile Island/Chernobyl
B. Nuclear, how it works, pros and cons
  1. Fission, Fusion, Breeders (how nuclear works)
  2. Nuclear waste processing
  3. Nuclear proliferation and terrorism

Reading:

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 10-Nuclear Power
  • The Future of Nuclear Power, An Interdisciplinary MIT Study, Chapter 1-The Future of Nuclear Power, Overview and Conclusions

Week 3 (Final technology paper due): Thursday, 22-Jan-09

A and B. Public Speaking
  1. Making effective oral presentations

Assignments:

  • Final draft of technology paper due

Week 4 (Topic for energy paper due): Tuesday, 27-Jan-09

A and B. Controversy

Class members will be assigned, at random, a side in this debate prior to the class. Individuals will then advocate for their position in a debate.

Proposition: Nuclear power should form a major part of the solution to our energy problem.

  • Side 1: For
  • Side 2: Against

Assignment:

  • Topic for energy paper due

Week 4: Thursday 29-Jan-09

A and B. The economics of energy (Guest Lecture, Doug Irwin)
  1. Energy and economic growth
  2. The energy content of things
  3. Taxation, regulation and trade

Reading:

  • Handout

Week 5: Tuesday, 3-Feb-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A and B. Energy policy
  1. Tax incentives
  2. Research incentives
  3. Regulatory approaches

Reading:

  • Stagliano, V, A Policy of Discontent, Chapter 1-A Brief History of U.S. Energy Policy and its Makers.

Week 5: Thursday, 5-Feb-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. Climate change science
  1. Greenhouse gases
  2. Factors that influence climate
B. Working with climate change models
  1. Simple "Bathtub Model"
  2. More complex climate change models

Reading:

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-Historical Overview of Climate Change Science

Week 6 (First draft of energy paper due): Tuesday, 10-Feb-09

A and B. Carbon capture and sequestration technology (Guest lecture, Joe Helble)
  1. How carbon capture and sequestration works
  2. Pros and cons of carbon capture and sequestration

Reading:

  • Boyle, Everett, Ramage, Energy Systems and Sustainability, Chapter 14-Remedies: Making Fossil Fuel Use More Sustainable

Assignments:

  • First draft of energy paper due

Week 6: Thursday, 12-Feb-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A. Wind power
  1. Energy potential of wind power
  2. Pros and cons
B. Geothermal and wave power
  1. Energy potential of wind and wave power
  2. Pros and cons

Week 7 (Energy paper due): Tuesday, 17-Feb-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A and B. The hydrogen economy
  1. Hydrogen as an energy carrier
  2. Fuel cells
  3. Making hydrogen

Reading:

  • Kruger, P. Alternative Energy Resources, Chapters 8, 9-Hydrogen as an energy carrier, Hydrogen as a transportation fuel

Week 7: Thursday, 19-Feb-09

A and B. Controversy

Class members will be assigned, at random, a side in this debate prior to the class. Individuals will then advocate for their position in a debate.

Proposition: Hydrogen should replace petroleum as the major transportation fuel

  • Side 1: For
  • Side 2: Against

Week 8: Tuesday, 24-Feb-09

Pre-lecture exercise: Can this paragraph be saved?
A and B. The solar economy
  1. Solar thermal energy
  2. Solar photovoltaics

Reading:

  • Boyle, G. Renewable Energy, Chapters 2, 3-Solar Thermal Energy, Solar Photovoltaics

Week 8 (First draft of energy policy due): Thursday, 26-Feb-09

A and B. Controversy

Class members will be assigned, at random, a side in this debate prior to the class. Individuals will then advocate for their position in a debate.

Proposition: Solar power is the best option for future electrical generation

  • Side 1: For
  • Side 2: Against

Week 9 (note lecture takes place in X period this week 5:00-5:50 pm): Monday, 2-Mar-09

A. Biofuels
  1. Ethanol from biomass
  2. Methane from biomass

Reading:

  • Boyle, G. Renewable Energy, Chapter 4-Bioenergy

Week 9: Tuesday, 3-Mar-09

A and B. Controversy

Class members will be assigned, at random, a side in this debate prior to the class. Individuals will then advocate for their position in a debate.

Proposition: Biofuels can replace gasoline as our primary transportation fuel

  • Side 1: For
  • Side 2: Against

Week 10 (Energy policy paper due): Tuesday, 10-Mar-09

In this week, students will present their energy portfolios and explain why they made the choices they did and the performance of the portfolios over the duration of the course. Also, the students will present the energy policy they developed.

A and B. Energy Portfolio and Policy Presentations

Blackboard

More information about this course can be found at the Blackboard site. You can login to Blackboard using your DND username and password.