Energy Economics and Policy

With renewable sources playing an increasingly important role in meeting global energy demand and mitigating climate change, electric power systems and the related markets are changing. To prepare for a career in the future energy landscape, industry professionals, policymakers, and academics must understand these changes and develop specific, relevant skills to drive this energy transition within the necessary timeframe.

In this course, you will learn to apply economic and socio-political analysis to real-world regulatory policy questions in a set of extremely important, interrelated energy markets. Specifically, by looking at real-world case studies and emerging research, you will explore key aspects of the oil, natural gas, electricity, and nuclear power sectors, and how policies such as carbon taxes and efficiency standards can drive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. You will also employ systems-level analysis to predict policy outcomes not only within energy markets but across transportation, building and development, employment, and health and social sectors.

By the end of the course, you’ll have insights into how applied economics and policy tools can effectively move the global energy sector toward renewable and clean energy sources to mitigate climate change, while at the same time promoting economic development.

The course is free to audit. Learners can take a proctored exam and earn a course certificate by paying a fee, which varies by ability to pay. Please see our FAQ articles for more information on the certificate and audit track features as well as more information on the pricing structure. Enroll in this course by selecting the "enroll now" button at the top of the page.

This course can be completed by itself or as part of the MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP), which provides a path toward the master’s in DEDP at MIT.