Energy Policy

At its core energy policy seeks to balance concerns for economic affordability, environmental stability, and security of supply. Other important considerations include fuel poverty, technology policy, and international equity. Specific energy technologies raise their own issues, such as their impacts on local environment. For developed countries with significant infrastructure: dominant questions surround the abatement of generating capacity, mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions, and development/renewal of the existing infrastructure. For developing countries: questions surround the ability for energy poverty to be addressed, for additional energy to be made available to areas that have minimal infrastructure, and the sustainability of such energy supply.

Research at the Open University considers several facets of energy policy. For large-scale infrastructures, policies surrounding the deployment of new technologies, including: nuclear, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen production are of current interest. For small scale infrastructures: policies surrounding the development and deployment of biofuels, fuel cells, combined heat and power, and other micro-generation technologies are of significant interest to a number of members within the community. More broadly, the OU addresses energy futures and utilities policy.

Further Information

For further information on OU energy policy research, please contact Dr Stephen Peake (Senior Lecturer in Environmental Technology):

Telephone: 01908 659992
URL: http://www9.open.ac.uk/mct/people/s.r.peake

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