Energy Markets and Energy Politics --- The goal of this course is to give students a solid grasp of the environmental and social impacts of, and the institutions that govern, energy use, so that you can play a more effective role in shaping future policy or business decisions.  We will begin with basic scientific and technological facts regarding the major uses for and sources of energy.  We will then study energy markets (including spot and future markets), and what they are capable of accomplishing; we will also study the ways energy markets may fail.  This will lead into an overview of the role of government in influencing energy decisions, starting with a high-level perspective, and then working with a series of case studies that examine in depth what government has accomplished in the area of energy policy.  The course will wrap up with several current policy/business issues such as renewable portfolio standards, markets for renewable energy credits, and integrating the transportation sector into a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.