Energy policy seeks to strike a balance between short-term goals, such as providing affordable and clean energy supplies, and longer-term objectives like protecting the environment and stimulating economic growth. Measures may also be taken to promote efficiency while aiding economically vulnerable groups.
Reliance on fossil fuels is incompatible with efforts to mitigate climate change’s most devastating consequences, so the US must ramp up production of renewable energy sources while speeding up carbon emission reduction efforts.
Energy Security
The ongoing geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East has focused global attention back on energy security. Reducing dependence on oil remains key, yet we must address broader obstacles associated with global energy transition as part of this conversation.
Access to energy has an enormous effect on human needs such as healthcare, food and electricity provision. It drives economic development and political stability while impacting sustainability across agriculture, industry and other sectors.
Energy security policies aim to minimize risks posed by various energy supplies from various sources. Countries that import energy often prioritize supply security while exporters tend to prioritize demand security. There have been various approaches proposed for improving energy security, such as increasing domestic energy generation or using renewable technologies that do not depend on imported fuels; however, decreasing imports does not automatically increase energy security; for instance, renewables could enable countries to generate more of their own power but may not be enough to handle short-term interruptions to metal supply chains.
Climate Change
Reaching the 1.5degC target requires rapid, deep and permanent reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions – including reaching “net zero” by eliminating fossil fuel use altogether and extracting any remaining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Energy policy can influence how quickly countries reach their climate change targets. Solar power and battery prices have seen significant reductions over the years due to technological advancement and increasing consumer interest for clean energy solutions.
As part of developing national energy policies, the climate impact of various energy sources should be taken into consideration when making energy policy decisions. This includes costs associated with coal, oil and natural gas such as their environmental and security costs – methane leakage from production transport distribution may cancel out any potential environmental benefits over coal production processes – health impacts of different energy sources should also be assessed when choosing energy solutions, especially among low-income communities or people living with chronic illness.
Energy Infrastructure
An energy infrastructure that is robust, clean, reliable and affordable is key to the future of the United States. It keeps lights illuminated, buildings comfortable in terms of heating or cooling needs, food on tables and vehicles moving – not to mention information flowing freely across its vast landscape. Energy systems form one component that supports other vital sectors like healthcare and transportation systems.
Energy infrastructure consists of power generation, transmission and distribution systems connected to large regional electricity grids; oil and natural gas systems consisting of production facilities, refineries, pipelines and stations that fuel vehicles and buildings; as well as metering and wiring networks that facilitate productive use of energy across different jurisdictions and locations.
Policy instruments play a critical role in shaping energy infrastructure development. Some involve financial incentives like tax credits or direct spending; others use pricing policies such as carbon dioxide emission taxes to set market forces that drive infrastructure creation. DOE’s energy infrastructure programs and initiatives include efforts to promote energy equity and environmental justice as part of their mandate.
Energy Efficiency
U.S. energy security depends on a variety of energy sources: fossil fuels will eventually phase out while renewables become cost-competitive and national grid must adapt to meet fluctuating demands – energy efficiency will play a pivotal role towards meeting our goals.
Energy efficiency allows services to be provided at their original levels with less energy usage, contributing to economic development and environmental sustainability. Stanford researchers are developing technologies to lower energy usage such as more energy-efficient lighting fixtures, home and car insulation solutions and greener buildings.
Mike focuses his research on exploring opportunities for behind-the-meter innovation to make buildings more energy efficient and resilient to changing climate conditions. He co-authored an analysis conducted by LBNL/Brattle that demonstrated optimizing energy efficiency, demand flexibility and electrification can save up to $107 billion each year in power system costs, while contributing towards an estimated 91% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050. Furthermore, Mike co-authored another paper exploring utility electricity efficiency programs funded by customers.