This course examines the legal and policy framework governing energy systems in the US and relevant international contexts. It considers the various primary sources of energy such as coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro and renewables (solar and wind). The course reviews the dynamics of accessing, developing and delivering these sources to produce final and useable forms of energy such as electricity, transportation fuel, and heat.

Through class discussions, group projects and assignments, specialized seminars with guest speakers and site visits, the participants will be able to assess how our system of maintaining reliable and secure energy systems impact on environmental sustainability and decarbonization objectives and vice versa. Consequently, the course participants will be introduced to the regulatory and institutional framework for conventional wholesale electricity markets; distributed energy resources such as energy storage, demand response, and electric vehicles; emerging innovative solutions for decarbonization and integration of variable renewable energy sources.