Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Preface xi
About the Author xv
1 Why Alternative Energy and Fuels? 1
Climate Change and Carbon 4
Energy and Water 7
Carbon-Based Fuels: Current and Future Availability 11
Common Fossil Energy Sources: U.S. Supply and Use 12
Culture Shifts and the Rise of Green Politics 16
Green Politics and Environmental Public Interest Groups 17
New Environmental Paradigm and Alternative Energy 19
Institutional Change and Influence 19
Global Demands and Conflict 26
Chapter Summary 27
References 29
Court Cases 34
2 Studying Public Policy and Alternative Energy/Fuels 35
Roles for Public Policy in Alternative Energy/Fuel Development 35
Policy Process 39
Agenda Setting 41
Policy Formation 42
Policy Implementation 43
Policy Evaluation 44
Policy Termination/Change 45
Policy Types 46
Bottom-Up Policy Making/Top-Down Policy Making 48
Collaborative Policy Making 49
Federalism and Energy Policy 51
Policy Frameworks/Models 52
Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) 53
Multiple Streams (MS) 55
Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) 57
Punctuated Equilibrium (PE) 58
Policy Diffusion 58
Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) 59
Intergovernmentalism 60
Native Americans, Tribal Lands, and Renewable Energy 61
Chapter Summary 61
References 62
3 Alternative Energy/Fuels as a Public Policy Innovation 65
Defining Alternative Energy and Alternative Fuels 65
What Are Alternative Fuels? 68
Policy Innovation and Alternative Energy 68
The Waves of Policy Innovation 70
Oil Shock I/Pre-PURPA 1970s (1973-1978) 71
Secondary Oil Shock Period (1979-1982) 75
Resurgence of Cheap(er) Petroleum and Growth of Deregulation (1983-1999) 77
Bush I: EPAct Reauthorization (1992) 80
Clinton and Post-EPAct 1992
Reauthorization (1992-2005) 84
Bush II: EPAct 2005 Reauthorization, ESIA 2007, FERC Order Innovations, and Electricity Markets (2001-2009) 87
Obama: ARRA 2009, Coal Rules, and Paris Agreement (2009-2017) 92
Trump: Resurgence of Coal and Reversal of Climate Policy (2017-present) 94
Chapter Summary 96
References 98
4 Solar Energy 101
What Is Solar Energy? How Does It Work? 101
Silicon-Based Photovoltaic Cells 103
Technical Feasibility of Solar Photovoltaics 105
Technical Feasibility of Solar Thermal 108
Economics of Solar Power 111
Current Solar PV Energy Economic Infrastructure and Levelized Cost of Electricity 112
Economics of Solar Thermal-Concentrated Solar Power 115
Economic Development Impacts 116
Case Study-Rifle, Colorado: Using Solar Energy to Power Municipal Water and Sewer Systems 117
Federal Solar Energy Technologies Program 118
Major Federal Solar Incentives 122
Commercial Incentives 122
Personal Tax Incentives for Solar PV and Solar Thermal 123
State and Local Efforts 123
California 124
Honolulu, Hawai'i 125
Chapter Summary 125
References 127
5 Wind Energy 132
What Is Wind Power? How Does It Work? 132
Technical Feasibility of Wind Power Systems 136
Economic Feasibility of Wind Power Systems 144
Political and Social Feasibility of Wind Energy 149
Chapter Summary 155
References 155
6 Geothermal Energy 159
What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work? 159
Case Study-California Job Growth and Geothermal Development 160
Safety, Environmental Damage, and Emission-Related Issues: Geothermal Energy 161
Technical Feasibility of Geothermal Energy 163
Heat Pumps 163
Other Forms of Direct Use 164
Flash Steam Power 166
Binary Systems 168
Economics of Geothermal Energy 172
Federal Geothermal Energy Programming 175
State and Local Efforts 177
Chapter Summary 178
References 179
7 New Century Fuels and Their Uses 185
Fuel as a Concept 186
Natural Gas 189
Other Alternative Fuels 191
Clean Diesel 191
Biodiesel 191
Ethanol 192
The Hydrogen Initiative 194
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 196
Technical Feasibility Issues 196
Economic Feasibility Issues 199
Other Types of Fuel Cells Currently in Use and/or Development 201
Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFC) 201
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) 201
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) 202
Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC) 203
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) 204
Applications for Next-Generation Alternative Fuels, Fuel Cells 204
Transportation 204
Military Applications 206
Residential 207
Commercial 207
Chapter Summary 207
References 208
8 Historical Precedents: Alternative Energy/Fuels and Legitimacy Issues 217
Risk and Culture: Alternative Energy and Hidden Costs 219
Hydroelectric Dams 224
Nuclear Energy 229
The Rebirth of Nuclear Energy? 237
Chapter Summary 239
References 239
9 Conceptualizing Alternative Energy Policy and Future Directions 243
Future Directions 244
The Movement of Public Opinion 250
Concluding Remarks 258
References 262
Index 265