Project

The Alternative Energy Future

Overview

Most climate and energy studies conclude that the United States will require a substantial transformation of its energy system in order to address pressing economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges. But the widespread adoption of new energy technologies will also require a societal transformation. Through its Alternative Energy Future project, the Academy is working to develop a solid understanding of the legal, social, and economic factors that can either inhibit or facilitate transformative change in the U.S. energy system.

The project objectives are: 1) to demonstrate the value of social science in designing and adopting innovations in the physical energy system; and 2) to create a research program aimed at understanding how governing institutions and policy design must adapt to the demands of a changing energy infrastructure.