This course is about energy, it is an essential component of modern societies. It is hard to sustain a comfortable lifestyle without access to electricity, modern heating and cooling technologies, and fuel for transportation. Yet the way we use energy also causes a range of problems such as climate change. This course investigates the politics and policies behind energy. We will explore how oil contributes to international crises, how electricity access is a matter of life and death, how to phase out coal, and what the future of electric cars could look like. Throughout, we will make sure to look closely at the way public policy can be designed to overcome the big challenges of our times.