Energy Policy - Einzelansicht

The "Energy Policy" class wants to provide an overarching knowledge of policy planning in
the energy sector, and is intended for students that aim at a career in policy making, in
NGO, in energy companies, in journalism or in diplomacy. Students will acquire the basic
economic and technological knowledge to produce and evaluate policy setting, and the
course will be focused on policy production.

Introduction: Basic Energy Economics
-        The basic components of energy forecasting  and planning. Energy units of measure. The
concept of energy politics and energy policy. The concept of energy supply security
Part 1: Fossil energy from its origins to today
-        In this section, students will explore the development of fossil energy from the first
industrial revolution to our days.
-        A consistent part will be dedicated to the "geopolitics" of energy (EU vs. Russia, the
impact of China).
-        At the end of this part, a first individual (2-pages) paper is to be produced, to
answer a contemporary fossil energy problem.
Part 2 - Climate change and climate protocols
-        Climate change and climate protocols.
-        Policies to introduce renewable energy.
-        At the end of this part, a second individual (2-pages) paper is to be produced, to
answer a contemporary climate policy problem.
Part 3 - Policies to introduce renewable energy
-        Renewable energy technologies will be reviewed, to investigate their chances of
complementing and offsetting fossil energy. Policy structures will be reviewed.
-        The introduction of renewable energy will be evaluated under the aspects of cost,
politics, climate, supply security.
-        At the end of this part, a third individual (10-12 pages) paper is to be produced, to
answer a contemporary renewable energy policy problem.
At the end of the three parts, there will be an "Energy Policy war game", simulating the
definition of the energy policy of a fictional European country.
Class evaluation will be based on:
1)        Attendance and informed participation: 20%
2)        First short paper: 20%
3)        Second short paper: 20%
4)        Third long paper: 30%
5)        Final war gaming: 10%
The short papers must be submitted one week after class, and the long one one month after
the end of the course. Class material will be provided by the instructor; mandatory
literature is:
-        David JC MacKay, Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, UIT Cambridge Ltd.

Classes will be on a two-weekly basis, for a total of 8 meetings including class
presentation.

Participation is mandatory, and absences will be excused only under extraordinary
circumstances.

About the instructor:
Stefano Casertano earned his Ph.D. "magna cum laude" at Potsdam University in 2011, and
has an MBA from Columbia University (2008). He currently works as Senior Fellow at the
Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security. He previously served as International
Affairs Advisor for the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and as international
negotiations advisor for the oil company ENI. He published various books about
geopolitics of energy, and contributes to magazines and talks shows such as Deutsche
Welle, BBC, The European and the Italian Linkiesta.it.