Syllabus

Syllabus – ENST 250

Understanding Energy: Energy Literacy and Civics

 

Brian Spector                                                                                     ENST 250, Fall 2022

Office: Herring Hall 215                                                                  Class Time: 7:00 – 9:30 pm M

Office Hours: 6:00 – 6:50 pm M                                                   Classroom: KRF 105

Email: bhs3@rice.edu                                                                                              

Delivery: Class taught in person

 

Course Goals & Learning Objectives

Energy is a foundational driver of human development and opportunity. Our society’s energy system impacts our economy, political system, culture, and environment. In taking this course, students will learn not only the fundamentals of each energy resource — including significance and potential, conversion processes and technologies, drivers and barriers, policy and regulatory environment, and social, economic, and environmental impacts — they will also be asked to put this in the context of the broader energy system and think critically about how and why society has chosen particular energy resources.

Anyone with an interest in energy or environmental issues will find this course fascinating. If you’re an engineering student looking to bolster your coursework with practical industry information or you hope to work in the energy industry after graduation or you just want to learn what happens when you switch on a light bulb, this course is for you. Students who take this course will:

  • Develop a greater awareness about the energy flows and systems that allow us to heat and light our homes, have cold drinks, and take hot showers.
  • Think in terms of energy systems and grasp the complex interactions between energy resources and end uses, including the technological, scientific, cultural, ethical, policy, and economic considerations, and the private, social, and natural capital impacts along the entire energy resource life cycle.
  • Apply this knowledge to…
    1. think critically about the role of energy resources within our broader society
    2. analyze policies and regulations and their social impacts
    3. recognize how energy permeates our culture through art, sculpture, films and other media
    4. estimate, calculate, and synthesize energy information
    5. communicate about energy use and environmental impacts in meaningful ways
    6. make informed energy decisions, from voting to consumption

The course is taught by a 25+ year energy industry veteran with guest lectures by academic scholars and business leaders. In addition to lectures, we will have 2-3 field trips to see energy facilities in action and a career panel that will give students the opportunity to hear from energy professionals about how they chose their careers. The coursework provides an introduction suitable for students looking to further their knowledge of the energy industry through upper level courses in Economics, Business, Engineering, Geosciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, etc.

Schedule

 

Week 1 (8/22)        Course Introduction and Expectations

  • Two Problems and Brief Presentations – in small groups and with the help of the internet students address themselves to energy problems
  • Course Introduction – brief walk through the syllabus with special attention to requirements and opportunities
  • A Provocation, Guided Reading, and Discussion – an abbreviated seminar

Week 2 (8/29)        Energy 101 / History of the Energy industry / How we use energy

  • Basic overview of the energy industry from its earliest beginnings to today
  • Explanation of the relevance of energy. What actually happens when a light is switched on?  When a car engine is started? How do the decisions we make each day affect today’s resources and tomorrow’s?
  • Reading – The Prize – Prologue, Chapters 1-2 and Secondary Energy Infobook – pp 6-50

Week 3 (9/5)          Labor Day Holiday

Week 4 (9/12)        Energy Demand / Pricing / Fundamentals

  • Review of main demand drivers and how prices are set
  • Discussion of Fundamentals and how they drive the market
  • Guest Lecturer – Dawn Constantin/BP Head of Research
  • Readings – EIA Energy Outlook and BP Energy Outlook – read pages 20-47 (of PDF), skim the rest

Week 5 (9/19)       Trading and Marketing / Finance

  • Overview of energy trading and risk allocation
  • How trading helps optimize energy markets
  • Why understanding price risk is the key determinant for success
  • How energy projects are financed

Week 6 (9/26)        Renewables – Non-carbon sources of energy

  • History of renewables
  • Overview of renewables in power generation and transportation
  • Guest Lecturer – Lynda Clemmons/NRG VP Renewables
  • Discussion of Rice’s Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management
  • Guest Lecturer – Richard Johnson/Rice Professor
  • Reading – Watch the short video and read the articles on Canvas for this date

Week 7 (10/3)        Energy Industry Projects – A Legal View

  • Overview of energy industry project development structures
  • Discussion of underlying contracts and risk allocations
  • Discussion of debt financing structures and documents
  • Guest Lecturer – Robert Stephens/Energy Global Finance, Sidley
  • Readings – Project Finance Primers from Milbank and Wilson Sonsini and skim Big Wind Credit Agreement

Week 8 (10/10)     Midterm Recess

Week 9 (10/17)     Environmental Regulation Overview / Introduction to Humanities in Oil

  • Clean Air Act and other air and climate policies in the U.S.
  • Discussion of how those policies shape energy markets
  • Setting the stage for energy in the Humanities
  • Guest Lecturers – Professors Dan Cohan and Luis Duno-Gottberg
  • Reading – Bachmann, Critical Review
  • Readings – A Short History of Oil Cultures and Gendering Oil

Week 10 (10/24) Energy through an Anthropologist’s eyes / The Ethic of Energy

  • What can anthropology contribute to the study of energy, and what can energy contribute to the study of anthropology?
  • Guest Lecturer – Professor Dominic Boyer
  • Construction of an ethical framework
  • Raising living standards vs. pollution / Needs of today vs. future
  • Should emerging markets get to industrialize?
  • Guest Lecturer – Professor Elizabeth Brake
  • Reading – Wind at the Margins of the State
  • Readings – Sunstein and Traxler

Week 11 (10/31) Energy Policy

  • Texas Railroad Commission to OPEC – restricting oil supply, CAFE to CARB – restricting oil demand
  • Economics – Elasticity and Demand
  • Refining – a quick dive
  • Reading – Deutsche Bank 27-31 (pages of article not PDF), Scientific American and KUT

Week 12 (11/7)     Energy through a Humanities Lens

  • The oil industry through painting, photography, and film
  • Guest Lecturer – Professor Luis Duno-Gottberg
  • Reading – Watch There Will be Blood, optional reading Oil: A Novel by Upton Sinclair

Week 13 (11/14)   Student presentations

Week 14 (11/21) No class

  • Assuming Rice Covid protocols allow it, I serve dinner at my house

Week 15 (11/28) Career Panel – Diverse group of Rice Alums in Energy

 

 

 

Field Trips

During October or November, we usually have three field trips to the LyondellBasell Chemical Complex in La Porte, NRG’s Parish Plant in Richmond and Rice’s own energy facilities. Depending on COVID these may not be held this year. If they’re not, assuming we do the tours in 2022, everyone from the 2021 class will get to attend.

Required Texts

 

Everything you need for this class will be on Canvas – no books to buy. Assignments appear above in the week in which they are due. Note that I’m only requiring portions of the longer texts. There may be short reading quizzes before each class.

  • Yergin, Daniel. 1991. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  • Deutsche Bank Markets Research. 2013. “Oil & Gas for Beginners.” New York: Deutsche Bank
  • BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021. https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2021-full-report.pdf
  • EIA Energy-in-Brief: “2022 Annual Energy Outlook” https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/
  • Baumann, Shelly. “Secondary Energy Infobook.” Secondary Curriculum Resources. The NEED Project, 15 Jan. 2021. Web. 05 Feb. 2021.
  • “Identifying and Managing Project Finance Risks: Overview (UK).” Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, 2010.
  • “Project Finance Primer for Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Projects.” Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, 2010.
  • Buell, Frederick. “A Short History of Oil Cultures; or, The Marriage of Catastrophe and Exuberance.” Oil Culture, 2014, pp. 69–88., doi:10.5749/minnesota/9780816689682.003.0004.
  • Barrett, Ross, et al. “Gendering Oil.” Oil Culture, University of Minnesota Press, 2014, p. 244-263.
  • Bachmann, John C., et al. “Will the Circle Be Unbroken: A History of the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards.” Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, vol. 57, no. 10, 2007, pp. 1151–1163., doi:10.3155/1047-3289.57.10.1151.
  • Sunstein, Cass R. “Cost‐Benefit Analysis and the Environment.” Ethics, vol. 115, no. 2, 23 Jan. 2005, pp. 351–385., https://doi.org/10.1086/426308.
  • Martino Traxler, “Fair Chore Division for Climate Change,” Social Theory and Practice 28 (2002):101-134
  • Howe, Cymene, Boyer, Dominic, Barrera, Edith. “Wind at the Margins of the State.” Contested Powers. Zed Books, London
  • There Will Be Blood. Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson. Prod. Paul Thomas Anderson. By Upton Sinclair. Perf. Daniel Day-Lewis. Paramount Vantage, 2008. Film. The film is rated R for some violence -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/parentalguide
  • Lott, Melissa C. “World’s First Oil Cartel Deep in the Heart of Texas.” Scientific American Blog Network, 10 Jan. 2012, blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/worlds-first-oil-cartel-deep-in-the-heart-of-texas/.
  • Buchele, Mose. “How The Texas Railroad Commission Was The Blueprint For OPEC.” KUT, www.kut.org/post/how-texas-railroad-commission-was-blueprint-opec.

 

Additional Texts

These are further readings that might be useful for papers or final presentations. Almost everything is on Canvas or the internet. Several books are not, however. Fondren library will be able to get them if needed.

  • Epstein, Alex. “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels.” http://www.moralcaseforfossilfuels.com/, 2017
  • Arbib, James and Seba, Tony. “RethinkX: Disruption, Implications and Choices.” https://www.rethinkx.com/, 2017
  • The LNG industry: GIIGNL ANNUAL REPORT 2020, International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers Groupe International des Importateurs de Gaz Naturel Liquéfié (GIIGNL), Paris, France. 2020.
  • The rest of The Prize
  • Sinclair, Upton. Oil!: a Novel. Penguin Books, 2008.
  • Smith K.K. (2018) Justice and Political Duties. In: Exploring Environmental Ethics. AESS Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Sciences Series. Springer, Cham.
  • Engel, Hauke, et al. “The Potential Impact of Electric Vehicles on Global Energy Systems.” McKinsey & Company, 2018, mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/the-potential-impact-of-electric-vehicles-on-global-energy-systems?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1808.
  • Carley, Sanya (2011) “Normative Dimensions of Sustainable Energy Policy.” Ethics, Policy & Environment, 14:2, 211-229, DOI: 10.1080/21550085.2011.578382
  • Diaz Sanchez, Ramon, 1936 Mene. Cooperativa de artes gráficas. Caracas, Venezuela
  • Foster, John Bellamy, and Hannah Holleman. “Weber and the Environment: Classical Foundations for a Postexemptionalist Sociology.” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 117, no. 6, 2012, pp. 1625–1673. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/10.1086/664617.
  • Hope, Paul. “Something New under the Sun.” Consumer Reports, 10 Aug. 2017, pp. 18–22.
  • Margonelli, Lisa. Oil on the Brain: Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline. Broadway Books, 2008. NOT ON CANVAS
  • Clark, Bernard F. Jr. Oil Capital: The History of American Oil, Wildcatters, Independents and Their Bankers. Houston, TX: Bernard F. Clark, Jr., 2017. NOT ON CANVAS
  • Lomborg, Bjorn, et al. Skeptical Environmentalist. Alphascript Publishing, 2009. NOT ON CANVAS
  • Hawken, Paul. Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Penguin Books, 2017. NOT ON CANVAS
  • Fairley, Peter. “The Hot Mess of Hawai‘i’s Renewable Power Push.” Hakai Magazine, 11 July 2019, hakaimagazine.com/features/the-hot-mess-of-hawaiis-renewable-power-push/.
  • Thomas K, Hardy RD, Lazrus H, et al. Explaining differential vulnerability to climate change: A social science review. WIREs Clim Change. 2018;e565.

 

Data

In addition to the BP data above, these data will be helpful for the dataset problem and also for both your papers and presentation.

 

Grading

The class will be graded as follows:

Class Participation 15%
Dataset Problem/Quiz 10%
Short paper #1 20%
Short Paper #2 20%
Field Trip Report   5%
Group Presentations 30%

 

  • Class participation and attendance – the class emphasizes discussion and all students are expected to contribute by asking questions and fully engaging in the class. There will be required Canvas forums before most classes. We may also have short reading quizzes before class.
  • Dataset Problem – Utilizing the BP Statistical Review, US Transportation, and World Bank datasets, students will create three interesting problems that can be answered utilizing only the provided data. The top 25 problems will be combined to create a take at home quiz. Problem due September 22, 2022. Quiz distributed roughly one week later.
  • Short papers – students will pick two topics for further exploration in a short paper one of which must focus on either the Humanities or Social Sciences. I will hand out assignment summaries with more details well before the papers are due. Short Paper #1 due October 6, 2022. Short Paper #2 due on December 2, 2022.
  • Short Paper #3 – This is an optional If you complete it, I will take the two highest grades from your 3 short papers. Short Paper #3 due on December 13, 2022.
  • Student Presentations – We will form into groups of 4-5 students and they will choose an energy topic that builds on the class content. This can be a debate format (i.e. coal vs renewables) or presentations on an energy topic of interest (i.e. electric vehicles). An assignment sheet with signpost dates is forthcoming. Presentations made during class on November 14, 2022.

 

Honor Code

The Rice University Honor Code applies to all work in this course. All papers and presentations are to be based exclusively on the work performed by the student or, if applicable, the student and team members.

 

Disability-Based Accommodations

If you have a documented disability that may affect academic performance, you should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with Disability Support Services (Allen Center, Room 111 / adarice@rice.edu / x5841) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) meet with me to discuss your accommodation needs. All conversations and correspondence will remain strictly confidential.

 

Attendance Policy

 

  • Students are expected to attend all class sessions and must notify me via email (listed below) of any scheduled or unexpected absence. More than two absences without contact may result in a 1 letter grade drop.
  • All students who live four or fewer time zones away, are expected to attend every class synchronously, either in person or via Zoom
  • All students who are living where the time zone is >4 hrs from the central time zone are expected to either attend class synchronously via Zoom or to work out in advance with the instructor a suitable solution for asynchronous attendance.
  • Students attending class synchronously via Zoom are expected to arrive to class on time. This is essential because links/docs posted in the Chat window and are only available to students who are present at the time the links are posted. Links will not be reposted to accommodate students who arrive late.
  • Zoom participants should always have their camera on.

 

Contact Information

I can be reached at bhs3@rice.edu. Correspondences sent through Canvas don’t always go through so I prefer you only use my Rice email. My office hours are Mondays 5:00 – 6:50 pm and I can be available by appointment for other times as well. I encourage you to contact me with any questions or comments.

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