The Future of Energy: Alternatives and Solutions Under the Obama Administration

(SCI 10)

Faced with the prospect of global warming, declining oil supplies, and surging gas prices, we should ask with some urgency: What are the alternatives? What forms of energy will power us through this new century and keep our environment intact? This course will provide an overview of the energy industry and where it is heading, focusing on electricity supply and the new energy priorities set by the Obama administration.

Starting with a global look at the supply-and-demand picture for various energy technologies, we will then look at electricity production in the US, including fossilbased, nuclear, and renewables (solar, wind, etc.) and ask: How do they work? What do they cost? How would they be deployed? And what is their environmental impact? We will also explore alternative transportation fuels, looking at the energy content and their environmental impact. Finally, we will consider the impact (and viability) of new state and federal policies, including the proposed federal Renewable Electricity Standard, and the Cap and Trade Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The course will be a mix of lectures by the instructor and guest speakers, sprinkled with class discussion.

Please note: Course schedule has been changed from the printed catalogue. The new schedule is as follows: 10/29 - 12/10 (no class on 11/19 or 11/26).

Janis Pepper, President, SunFund Corporation

Janis Pepper received a BS in civil engineering and an MBA from Stanford. She has twenty-five years of experience in the energy and utility industry, from oil to solar companies. She is a founder of SunFund Corporation, a company that provides financing for residential and small commercial solar installations.