Instructors
David G. Victor

Research Assistants
Chris Warshaw
Narasimha Rao - Research Fellow and at Stanford University

The class will introduce students to the major theoretical frameworks used by political scientists, sociologists, economists, and other intellectual disciplines to understand how societies design and implement public policies related to energy, and how the energy industry responds. Topics covered will include theories of the state, monopoly and regulation, public choice, organizational behavior, international agreements, and innovation. The class will apply these theories to major current and historical issues in energy policy, such as ethanol, climate change, energy security, the role of national oil companies in the world oil market, the functioning of OPEC, and the California electricity crisis.

The course is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in Public Policy, Political Science, the School of Engineering, and Earth Systems, as well as the Law School and Graduate School of Business. Students will be expected to have basic familiarity with energy technologies and concepts as well as basic understanding of economics.

Level
Graduate and undergraduate

Units
4