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Seminar: "Is It Worthwhile to Fight for Energy Security?"

Professor Clint Andrews E.J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers University February 24, 2005, 3:00 pm, 1047 ERF

Seminar Details

Energy security is a polarizing issue in U.S. politics. Over the decades many dramatic public actions have been justified on the grounds that they improve the economic and physical security of energy supplies. This speaker argues that the security rationale is valid but not very helpful in guiding policy makers to specific choices. More important are degree of trust in market mechanisms, preferences regarding painful tradeoffs between environmental protection and diversity of energy supplies, and desire for concentrated control over the energy economy. Needed are energy policies that explicitly balance security, economic, and environmental objectives. Andrews applies the security lens to the current policy debate over the "hydrogen economy," and it draws provocative conclusions regarding appropriate governmental and private actions.

About Professor Andrews

Clint Andrews is an associate professor in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. His expertise is in the substance and process of environmental management. He was educated at Brown and MIT as an engineer and planner. Previous experience includes working in the private sector on energy issues, helping to launch an energy policy project at MIT, and helping to found a science policy program at Princeton. Andrews is co-chair of the Board of Governors of the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute. He is also President of the Society on Social Implications of Technology of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a winner of the IEEE's 3rd Millenium Medal. Previous books include Industrial Ecology and Global Change, Regulating Regional Power Systems, and Humble Analysis: The Practice of Joint Fact Finding. More information at http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/andrews.html.