PrintImportant Concepts to take away from this lesson
This lesson has provided an exploration of many concepts associated with assumptions in energy policy formulation. Again, we're looking at the different roles various entities and structures in our government and economy play in creating energy policy. Governments, utilities, and markets all play a part in ensuring that the energy policies we adopt lead to efficient, fair use of resources. As we consider the evolving goals in energy policy, we need to understand that all competing interests must be addressed. Is it just about supplying the economically cheapest electricity for homeowners, or do we bear some social responsibility to place economic value on the environmental impact of the energy we use? How can we prioritize economic, environmental, and political attributes of energy sources and the policies that govern them? These are questions that you, as energy professionals in a changing landscape, will need to address.
We said at the beginning that climate policy is energy policy to make the overarching point of the interconnectedness of the two. But in reality, each has its own drivers and there are times when one does not have a compatible effect on the other. For example, energy policy decisions to ensure adequate petroleum supply may not align well with climate goals. Alternatively, climate change reducing goals may impact energy security, accessibility, and reliability considerations.