Energy Regulation and Public Policy

3 credits · Undergraduate

The class focuses on the economic regulation of electricity and natural gas and its role in public policy innovation. We will explore the regulatory rationale in the context of microeconomic principles, the nature and evolution of energy technology and regulation in the United States, and the ways to advance public policy objectives. The class covers the alternatives to traditional cost-of-service rate regulation, the electricity deregulation experiment, the resulting energy crisis in California, and current efforts to reconsider the utility business model. We will delve into how the economic regulatory framework creates opportunities to implement public policy, and the enhanced role climate change now plays in decision making worldwide.