All students in this unit (including those studying via distance, online and on campus) must attend an oral interview as part of Assessment Task 2. This will be held during Week 7, in advance of the AT2 group presentation in Week 8. Students studying via distance (online) will participate via Zoom. To ensure that the Unit Coordinator has a chance to interact directly with all students, online students must have a working microphone and camera to complete the oral interview. This oral interview is to provide assurance of learning in the unit.
Introduction
This unit will equip students with an interdisciplinary understanding of energy systems. Its focus is on how science and policy are interacting to shape Australia’s energy futures. The Australian energy sector is experiencing a period of change, prompted by the availability of new energy technologies as well as new societal expectations, desires and behaviours. Learning will focus on how these changes are being initiated and governed through a range of organisations and institutions, including the state, corporations, community groups, and individual households. The interplay between expert knowledge and decision making will be analysed, with close attention to the politics of technical decision-making processes. This unit is taught collaboratively with input from the Tasmanian energy industry and government. Science and Policy for Energy Futures will be of interest to undergraduate students from Geography, Social Sciences, Engineering and Law.
Summary
| Unit name | Science and Policy for Energy Futures |
| Unit code | KGA319 |
| Credit points | 12.5 |
| College/School | Sciences and Engineering School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences |
| Discipline | Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences|Sociology and Criminology |
| Coordinator | Professor Heather Lovell |
| Available as an elective? | Yes |
| Delivered By | University of Tasmania |
| Level | Advanced |
Sustainable Development Goals
The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.
Availability
Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August
Learning Outcomes
- describe the energy system in Australia in terms of its production, distribution and consumption, across both space and time.
- synthesise information from a range of energy sector sources, including government, scientists, industry, and other stakeholders in order to articulate key issues at the science-policy interface.
- evaluate a range of ethical, regulatory, economic and socio-political contexts as individuals and in teams in order to make recommendations about complex energy sector problems.
- explain past, present and future processes that shape the Tasmanian energy sector in order to make integrated recommendations sensitive to the Tasmanian context.
Fee Information
2027 fee information will be available in August.
Teaching
| Teaching Pattern | 1 short lecture (pre-recorded) and 1 x 2-hour workshop per week, as well as independent learning. |
|---|---|
| Assessment | AT1: Weekly Quiz (20%)|AT2: Project Marinus (40%)|AT3: Research Brief (40%) |
| Timetable | View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable |
Textbooks
| Required |
Required readings will be listed in the unit outline prior to the start of classes. |
|---|---|
| Recommended | Bridge, G., Barr, S., Bouzarovski, S., Bradshaw, M., Brown, E., Bulkeley, H. and Walker, G., 2018. Energy and Society: A critical perspective. Routledge.
Pielke Jr, R.A., 2007. The Honest Broker: making sense of science in policy and politics. Cambridge University Press. |
The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.