This course introduces students to the politics and policy of the contemporary global energy system. We will discuss major public policy and politics related to both electricity and transportation systems, with a greater emphasis on the former. We will examine cases in the United States and in other countries, including industrialized economies like Japan, emerging economies like China, and industrializing economies such as Ecuador. In the first few weeks, we will explore energy technologies and systems, with an emphasis on those which can form part of a sustainable energy economy. The second stage of the course will focus predominantly on energy policy in the United States, while the third stage of the course will shift the spotlight to international cases (both within and across countries). The final two weeks of the course will return to the question of how we can equitably transition toward a lower-carbon energy system.