The Crisis in Energy Policy

by John M. Deutch

Overview

Our future depends on what we do about energy. This stark fact, clear since the oil embargo of the 1970s, has been hammered home through crisis after crisis—and yet our government has failed to come up with a coherent energy policy. John Deutch, with his extraordinary mix of technical, scholarly, corporate, and governmental expertise in the realm of energy, is uniquely qualified to explain what has stood in the way of progress on this most pressing issue. His book is at once an eye-opening history of the muddled practices that have passed for energy policy over the past thirty years, and a cogent account of what we can and should learn from so many breakdowns of strategy and execution.

Three goals drive any comprehensive energy policy: develop an effective approach to climate change; transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy technologies; and increase the efficiency of energy use to reduce dependence on imported oil. Why has every effort in this direction eventually fallen short? Deutch identifies the sources of this failure in our popular but unrealistic goals, our competing domestic and international agendas, and our poor analysis in planning, policy-making, and administering government programs. Most significantly, The Crisis in Energy Policy clarifies the need to link domestic and global considerations, as well as the critical importance of integrating technical, economic, and political factors. Written for experts and citizens alike, this book will strengthen the hand of anyone concerned about the future of energy policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674062924
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	10/05/2011
Series:	The Godkin Lectures on the Essentials of Free Government and the Duties of the Citizen
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	851 KB

About the Author

John M. Deutch is Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Failure of U.S. Energy Policy 2. Energy and Climate Change 3. Energy Security 4. Biomass, Solar, and Nuclear Energy, with an Aside on Natural Gas 5. Managing Energy Technology Innovation 6. Recommendations Notes Index

What People are Saying About This

Linda G. Stuntz

Only a person with Deutch's extraordinary mix of deep technical expertise and broad government experience could have written such an insightful book on the challenges confronting those who would affect the energy policy of this country.

— Linda G. Stuntz, Partner, Stuntz, Davis & Staffier, P.C., Washington, D.C., and former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy

Thomas C. Schelling

John Deutch's new book is good on explaining technical issues of energy policy and on policy analysis and recommendations. It has the best discussion of carbon capture and sequestration technology that I've seen.

— Thomas C. Schelling, Nobel Laureate in Economics

Editorial Reviews

Only a person with Deutch's extraordinary mix of deep technical expertise and broad government experience could have written such an insightful book on the challenges confronting those who would affect the energy policy of this country.

Linda G. Stuntz

John Deutch's new book is good on explaining technical issues of energy policy and on policy analysis and recommendations. It has the best discussion of carbon capture and sequestration technology that I've seen.

Thomas C. Schelling