Postgraduate Course: Energy Policy and Politics (20 credits) (PGSP11132)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course provides a broad introduction to social and policy issues in energy, with the emphasis on important current topics, particularly in resource use, technological innovation and environmental impacts. It covers a range of primary energy forms, conversion systems, domains of use, problems and controversies. It deploys and critically reflects on a variety of perspectives from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies. It focusses particularly on the knowledge claims made about current and future energy provision and the knowledge used in evaluating options and making decisions on energy and environment matters. It develops some familiarity and experience with techniques and procedures used in policy analysis and formulation, decision-making and assessment.
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| Course description |
Energy Policy and Politics provides a broad introduction to social and policy issues in energy, with the emphasis on important current topics, particularly in resource use, technological innovation and environmental impacts. It covers a range of primary energy forms, conversion systems, domains of use, problems and controversies. It deploys and critically reflects on a variety of perspectives from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies. It focusses particularly on the knowledge claims made about current and future energy provision and the knowledge used in evaluating options and making decisions on energy and environment matters. It develops some familiarity and experience with techniques and procedures used in policy analysis and formulation, decision-making and assessment.
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Energy history and contemporary governance challenges - carbon reduction, energy security, economic development and affordability
Week 3: Structure, strategy, policy and regulation: the organisation and governance of energy provision
Week 4: Assessing and evaluating low carbon options - scenarios, pathways and energy system modelling
Week 5: Using energy: analysing and understanding changing consumption patterns and practices
Week 6: Debating controversies in energy technology - shale gas fracking, nuclear power, biofuels
Week 7: Sun, wind, sea: renewable energy sources and innovation systems
Week 8: Cities, communities and the low carbon energy transition
Week 9: Student presentations
Week 10: Student presentations
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | none |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | none |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Due to limited space and resources students will not be permitted to audit (sit-in) on this course
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group Assignment:
Presentation 15% - date as arranged
Report (3000-3500 words) 35% - due Friday 6th of April
Essay:
3000 words 50% - due Friday 13th of April |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. have a substantive knowledge and understanding of a selection of important policy and social issues in energy, and of the contending viewpoints and claims on these issues
- 2. can identify and characterise key approaches to understanding and evaluating energy issues, and identify advantages, problems and implications of these approaches
- 3. can identify, deploy and evaluate a selection of techniques and procedures used in energy policy analysis, decision-making and assessment and can critically evaluate contributions to the academic and public debates on energy issues, and decisions on them
- 4. can apply these understandings and skills, and deploy some of these approaches, concepts and techniques, in analysing a new problem in energy policy, and in devising, evaluating and justifying options for intervention
- 5. have developed their skills in finding and using arguments and information; in critically evaluating such material; and in essay writing and seminar presentation.
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Reading List
I Scrase & G MacKerron (eds.), Energy for the Future: a New Agenda, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2009
C Mitchell, The Political Economy of Sustainable Energy, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2008
C Kuzemko, Energy Security-Climate Nexus: Institutional Change in the UK and Beyond, New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013
T Foxon, Transition pathways for a UK low carbon electricity future, Energy Policy, 52, pp.10-24, 2013
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | energy, policy, politics, innovation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ronan Bolton
Tel: (0131 6)50 6394
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Jade Birkin
Tel: (0131 6)51 1659
Email: |
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