F1IE 4000 - Dilemmas of Energy Transitions

The global energy system has evolved continuously since the beginning of the XIX century. Contemporary transitions pursue three core goals: energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability. More frequently than not, these three objectives are mutually contradictory or incompatible. The future of energy thus poses a trilemma, i.e. the need to navigate difficult trade-offs between the three major objectives. While we have several alternatives to reach the three goals depending on the priority attributed to each, no solution is without costs or drawbacks. Hence energy transitions are plural and present multiple dilemmas. The course aims at providing students with the critical knowledge and skills to understand the difficult decisions that need to be made, and avoid superficial generalizations and simplifications, which unfortunately remain all too common. This is a flipped class format.

Giacomo LUCIANI

Cours magistral seul

English

Students are required to take prof. Luciani's MOOC on Coursera and independently watch and absorb the content of lectures that are recorded and made available online. Starting from session 5 time in class will be devoted to debates with topics introduced by students – each student will introduce at least one topic during the course. Other forms of active participation are also envisaged.
The course earns you 6 ECTS. Each ECTS represents a minimum of 25 hours of work, so the course requires a minimum total of 150 hours of work, including 24 hours of class time. The remaining 126 hours are devoted to the MOOC, watching lectures on line, preparing presentations and exams. Over the 12 weeks of the course you should work on average another 10.5 hours per week individually.

There are no pre-requisites; this is the introductory course to the International Energy Master. All students in the Master or wishing to take the International Energy Minor must take this course.

Autumn 2021-2022

A midterm and a final: these are take-home exams, handled remotely by email. You will need to write a short essay (500 words) responding to one out of three or four questions that will be proposed. The final grade will also reflect your MOOC score and class participation. This will be measured through postings of relevant materials taken from the web and participation in discussion groups, and subjected to peer grading. Details to be explained in class.

Flipped class format. This is an introductory course aiming at providing students with basic background knowledge. The course combines live lectures with a MOOC and videos of past lectures online; students will be required to participate in debates in class and through the course MOODLE forum.
Online materials:
MOOC “Politics and Economics of International Energy” on Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/learn/global-energy).
Other videos available from the class MOODLE.