This course examines environmental and energy policies. We discuss the sources of environmental problems and what regulations are available to remedy these problems. We also cover energy markets, including fossil fuel extraction and electricity. Examples of policies analyzed include pollution taxes, renewable energy subsidies, efficiency standards, cap-and-trade programs, and electricity deregulation. Throughout the course, we discuss concepts such as externalizations, valuation of the environment, and cost-benefit analysis. The course presumes some prior knowledge of microeconomics.
