Sustainability and Resilience of Energy Systems and Supplies

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Human living standards are directly correlated with energy availability and consumption. About 1 billion people in the world today have no access to electricity, at least another billion have unreliable electricity and often only enough to power a few light bulbs, and more than two billion people cook food over open fires. This technical-oriented but accessible-to-all course focuses on the history, evolution, and current deployment of energy systems worldwide. Emphases are on the utilization, limitations, and drawbacks of world energy supplies including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables relative to sustainability and resilience. Case studies will include the electrical grid failure in Puerto Rico during and after hurricane Maria, the nuclear plant accidents at Fukushima (Japan) and Chernobyl (Ukraine), conflicts related to energy, and the changing energy mix of the local country/city where the course is taught.