January 13, 2013
E.J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University
Energy Sustainability and Policy
34:970:620 Cross Listed with 34:833:620 Energy Policy and Planning
Cross-listed with:
Integrated Energy Challenges and Opportunities-II (IECO-II), 16:335:502
Spring 2013
Thursdays 9:50 to 12:30
Classroom: Civic Square Building (CSB), Room 113
Instructor Information
Frank A. Felder, Ph.D.
Civic Square Building, Room 249
Telephone: 848 932 2750
Email: ffelder@rci.rutgers.edu
http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/ceeep/
Office hours: Thurs 9-9:50 and 12:30-1:30 and by appointment
Course Objectives: Familiarize students with the major issues associated with sustainable
energy policy and planning and develop their abilities to conduct and assess energy
related studies and their economic, environmental and social implications. The approach
is to learn and think about energy sustainability in an interdisciplinary manner. Although
this course is intended for Bloustein planning and policy students and students in the
Nanotechnology for Clean Energy NSF IGERT and Sustainable Fuels Solutions for the
21st Century NSF IGERT, all graduate students and select undergraduate students
interested in energy sustainability are welcome.
Specific course objectives are the following:
1. Identify which energy sources are used for which applications and in what
percentages
2. List the major economic, environmental and national security implications of
different energy sources
3. Define sustainability and critique its definition
4. Explain the importance of connecting the public policy process with substantive
energy policy including discussing an example or two
5. Discuss the implications of uncertainty in energy policy
6. Describe why economists believe a carbon tax or cap-and-trade policy should be
adopted regarding global climate change
7. Critique the arguments for and against climate change
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8. Perform unit conversion calculations
9. Describe the global energy system
Course Description
Energy sustainability and policy are critical components of state, national and international
public policy and planning. Issues surrounding the reliability and security of energy
supplies directly affect national domestic and foreign policy, as well as environmental,
economic development and land use concerns. Moreover, the policies, strategies, and
programs adopted by both the public and private sectors will directly impact upon our lives
as professionals, members of a community, and our families. This graduate seminar course
will examine energy sustainability and policy through a timely, critical and practical
approach designed to give students an insight into the factors that shape energy policy.
This class will be conducted as a mixture of lectures, classroom discussion, group meetings
with the instructor, and a field trip to a nuclear power plant. Major topic areas include
energy technologies, the nature and operation of energy markets, environmental issues,
energy planning, interdisciplinary energy analysis, and the components of a holistic energy
policy.
Required Video Lectures
Students are required to view the following lectures given by internationally recognized
scholars available at http://web.mit.edu/mitei/news/video.html
1. Meeting US Energy and Climate Challenges With Rational Policy, Severin
Borenstein
2. Why Bad Things Happen to Good Technologies, John Sterman
3. Uncertainties in Climate Forecasts: Causes, Magnitudes and Policy Implications,
Stephen H. Schneider
4. Climate Change: The Economics of and Prospects for a Global Deal, Nicholas
Stern
5. Talk and Action: The Role of International Negotiations in Addressing the
Climate Challenge, Todd Stern
Required and Recommended Readings
Required and recommended readings are either available on the internet or on the
course’s Sakai website https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal
The primary text for the seminar is Sustainable Energy – without the hot air by David JC
MacKay (hereafter MacKay) available for free at:
http://www.withouthotair.com/download.html
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Academic Integrity
All members of our community must be confident that each person's work has been
responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain
advantage not given to all students is dishonest, whether or not the effort is successful. A
violation of academic honesty is a breach of trust, and will result in penalties, including
possible suspension or expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting,
or collaboration, consult the course instructor. Please see:
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/students.shtml for further information.
Schedule of Classes and Assignments
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS
NOTE: Videos are not necessarily assigned in order from the list above.
January 24
Class overview and introduction to energy policy and planning,
energy trends, technologies, and implications
KEY WORD: SUSTAINABILITY
DUE:
1. READING MacKay: Part I. Numbers, Not Adjectives,
Sections 1-2, pp. 1-28
2. READING: Haas, et al, Energy Policy, 36 (2008), 4012-4021
3. WATCH Video #1
KEY Questions Class 1:
a) What is a definition of energy sustainability?
b) What are the major categories of energy policy objectives?
c) What are the major fuels used as sources of energy?
d) What is the difference between energy and power?
e) What are the major uses of energy?
f) What are the major environmental implications of energy production and
consumption?
g) What are the major technologies that convert fuel into energy and deliver it to
users?
January 31
Energy Trends, Technologies and Implications, part 2
KEY WORD: UNITS
DUE:
4. READING MacKay: Part I. Numbers, Not Adjectives,
Sections 1-10, pp. 29-67
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5. REVIEW MIT Energy Conversion list on Sakai
6. MEMO #1: Submit 800-word memo: Is energy sustainability
a useful concept? Why or why not?
KEY Questions Class 2:
a) What are the major units of energy and power?
b) Which units are used with which sources and uses of energy?
c) Which units are used with which energy policy objectives?
d) Which units are used for individual energy use, national and worldwide?
e) Be able to perform simple unit analysis.
February 7
Energy Trends, Technologies and Implications, part 3
KEY WORD: TECHNOLOGIES
DUE:
7. READING MacKay: Part I. Numbers, Not Adjectives,
Sections 1-10, pp. 68-112
8. READING Felder and Haut, Balancing Energy Alternatives,
available on Sakai
9. MEMO #2: Submit draft energy log (spreadsheet) of your
direct use of energy for one week
KEY Questions Class 3:
a) Compare the pro’s and con’s of various energy technologies (costs, environmental
impacts, scalability, technological maturity, uses, etc.)
b) Compare energy trends across selected countries.
February 14
Energy Analysis, part 1
KEY WORD: SYSTEMS
DUE:
10. READING MacKay: Part II. Making a Difference, Sections
19-24, pp. 68-176
11. WATCH Video #2
12. MEMO #3: Select an energy technology related to your
research if possible and describe in 800 words some actual or
possible unintended consequences of that technology
KEY Questions Class 4:
a) What is a system? What elements are in many systems and what are their
definitions?
b) What are the characteristics of the global energy system? Provide examples for
each of these characteristics.
February 21
NO CLASS (compensation time for field trip latter in the semester)
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Energy Analysis, part 2
KEY WORD: UNCERTAINTIES
DUE:
13. READING MacKay: Part II. Making a Difference, Sections
25-32, pp. 177-250
14. WATCH Video #3
KEY Questions Class 5:
a) What are the major uncertainties related to energy policies and technologies?
b) What are possible strategies policymakers can undertake to respond to
uncertainty?
c) What are the ways energy analysts can address uncertainties in their work?
February 28
Climate Change I
KEY WORD: SCIENCE
DUE:
15. READING John Holdren, Meeting the Climate-Change
Challenge, 2008 available on Sakai
16. MEMO #4: Submit final energy log of your direct use of
energy incorporating estimates of uncertainty in your analysis
KEY Questions Class 6:
a) What are the major steps in the chain of reasoning that links increase in
greenhouse gas emissions to changes in the global climate?
b) What evidence supports each step?
c) What counter evidence exists and what arguments are made that challenge the
climate change chain of reasoning?
d) What is climate change mitigation and adaptation?
March 7
Climate Change II
KEY WORD: EQUITY
DUE:
17. READING IPCC Technical Summary on Sakai
18. MEMO #5: Submit 800-word memo on the implications of
uncertainty in energy policies and plans
KEY Questions Class 7:
a) How are climate change impacts different across different regions of the world?
b) What are the equity implications of different regional climate change impacts
compared to regional emissions of greenhouse gases?
March 14
Climate Change III
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KEY WORD: ECONOMICS
DUE:
19. READING Executive Summary of Nicolas Stern’s report on
Sakai
20. WATCH Video 4
21. MEMO #6: Submit 1,200-word memo on whether climate
change is the most important issue facing the globe
KEY Questions Class 8:
a) What are the key components and mechanics of cap-and-trade on greenhouse
gases work?
b) What are other categories of policy responses instead of cap-and-trade?
c) Why do economists emphasize that it is important to have a price on greenhouse
gases?
d) What is leakage and why is it important in policy responses to climate change?
March 28
Climate Change IV
KEY WORD: POLITICS
DUE:
22. WATCH Video 5
23. Read U.S. Supreme Court Case Massachusetts v.
Environmental Protection Agency, 549 U.S. 497 (2007)
majority opinion
KEY Questions Class 9:
a) What are several major areas of dispute among key nations regarding climate
change?
b) What is 1-2 sentence summary of the positions of the following
continents/countries/regions: Africa, China, Europe, India, and the U.S.
April 4
Energy Markets
KEY WORD: EFFICIENCY
DUE:
24. READ The U.S. Electric Power Sector and Climate Change
Mitigation, Pew Center, 2005
KEY Questions Class 10:
a) How much does the U.S. power sector contribute to U.S. greenhouse gas
emissions?
b) Describe how electricity is generated, transmitted and distributed.
c) What is electric power industry restructuring?
d) What is a load duration curve?
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April 11
Class field trip to Salem Nuclear Power Plant (more information
will be provided as this date approaches) (Date is subject to
change)
DUE:
25. READ the Executive Summary of the Future of Nuclear
Power, MIT, 2003
26. QUESTIONS Prepare 3-5 questions to ask PSEG personnel
related to nuclear power.
April 18
International Climate Change Negotiation
DUE:
27. 1 hour pass-retake cumulative exam
28. The class will be divided into multiple countries/regions to
negotiate the next round of an international climate change
agreement. Review the UN website on climate change
negotiations, http://unfccc.int/2860.php
29. MEMO #7: Bullet points from each of the negotiating teams
summarizing each team’s objectives for the negotiations and
anticipated positions and reasoning from each of the other
teams due at the end of class. Teams will meet individually and
with the instructor during class.
April 25
International Climate Change Negotiation, Round 1: Each team
will make a 15-minute presentation, not including questions and
answers. After all of the initial presentations have been made, there
will be a break and then each team will have an opportunity to
respond, 10 minutes maximum, plus questions and answers. Each
team must submit a hardcopy of its presentation to the instructor
and provide a copy to each team.
May 2
International Climate Change Negotiation, Round 2: Presentation
of the negotiated treaty or treaties; Class summary and wrap up.
DUE:
30. MEMO #8: Presentation the international climate change
treaty or treaties (one memo per treaty or treaties from the
agreeing teams)
31. MEMO #9 (Due May 9 via email): Individual memo of 800
words assessing the class’s international climate negotiations
Assignments and Grading

Energy Log (10%)
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January 13, 2013
A 1-2 page spreadsheet summary of your direct energy usage over a one week
period of time. The log should be organized, clear, contain appropriate units, and all
calculations should be transparent and supported with references and key assumptions.
Students will submit a draft energy log and then a final one.

Memos (7 non-energy log memos, 10% each for a total of 70%)
Each memo should be in professional memo format, carefully written without any
grammatical errors, direct, to the point, and key points supported with data and solid
reasoning. Late memos will not be accepted. Memos must be handed in at the start of
class (no emails or electronic copies).
Being able to write concisely and clearly is critical. Memos must abide by the
length requirements. Students are encouraged to have others read drafts of their memos.
Examples of outstanding memos will be provided to students throughout the semester.
Students are recommended to watch a video by Harvard Professor Steven Pinker,
Communicating Science and Technology in the 21st Century, available at
http://web.mit.edu/nse/events/communicating-science-and-technology.html

Class negotiation exercise (10%): See above.

Class Participation and Attendance (10%). For students that are routinely prepared
and participate in class, I will consider dropping your lowest memo grade.

Pass/retake cumulative exam: Students will take a 1-hour, cumulative exam and must
receive at least 80%. Students not achieving at least 80% must retake the exam until
they do otherwise the highest grade they can receive in the class is a C. The exam
consists of approximately 20 short answer questions based upon class assignments
and discussions.
Field Trip
The field trip to the nuclear power plant requires students to provide certain confidential
information in advance in order to obtain a security clearance. In addition, students must
have a government issued identification to enter the nuclear power plant. More
information regarding the field trip including transportation logistics will be provided
during the semester.
Other Resources
For students interested in a more technical presentation of energy sustainability, see
Golay, Michael, Randall Field, William Green Jr., and John C. Wright. 22.081J
Introduction to Sustainable Energy, Fall 2010. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed 30 Dec, 2012). License: Creative
Commons BY-NC-SA.
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