Energy Diplomacy

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will examine a century of diplomatic energy relationships, beginning with the formation of National Oil Companies in the Middle East, Mexico and Venezuela, and moving forward to the energy transition and the race to fuel the world’s growing electric vehicle fleet. Students will study the producer institutions (such as OPEC) as well as consumer institutions (such as International Energy Agency and International Renewable Energy Agency). Cases will include OPEC (its rise, decline, and evolution into OPEC+); the history of Petroleos de Venezuela from its partnership with American and European oil majors to its drastic restructuring under Chavez; the role of Natural Gas and efficiency in European Energy Security; and global efforts to shape the transition of the energy sector; the race for leadership in green hydrogen; and the competition to extract, process and assemble minerals and batteries to fuel the electric vehicle industry.