Energy Economics and Policy

Code:

2EGA01

Acronym:

EPE

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Economics
CNAEF	Economics

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Agrupamento Científico de Economia
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Environmental Economics and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
EGA	43	Bologna Syllabus since 2012	1	-	7,5	56	202,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

This course aims to offer students structured knowledge and analytical tools in the field of Energy Economics and Energy Policy. The course studies the evolution and present state of the World, European and Portuguese energy systems. The UC studies the issues of energy security, the interrelationships between energy and the economy, and the way different players, technological and socioeconomic transformations, and energy and climate policies shape the sustainability of the energy system.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1) Have an informed judgment and be able to discuss themes and reports where the main issue is energy, both orally and in writing. 
2) Discuss and establish relations ( and contradictions) between economic policies and energy and climate policies, with a focus on the EU and Portugal.
3) Work independently and in team in the analysis of energy economics and policy problems.
4) Construct and interpret context indicators of the energy system using the Energy Balances.
5) Use decomposition techniques to analyze the evolution of the relation between energy and growth and its drivers.
6) Critically discuss their own and peers' work, both orally and in writing.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Energy transitions, the economy and climate change: global trends, conflicts, issues and the search for solutions.
2. Introduction to the analysis of energy systems. The Energy Balances as a tool of Economic Policy.
3. Fossil fuel dependence: history, geopolitics, markets. The questions of energy security and environmental impact
4. Energy and Economic Development
5. Our Energy future: policy and solutions to decarbonization

Mandatory literature

Hafner, Manfred; Luciani, Giacomo; The Palgrave Handbook of International Energy Economics
Subhes C. Bhattacharyya; Energy economics. ISBN: 978-0-85729-267-4
Nersesian, Roy L. ; Energy Economics: markets, history and policy, Routledge, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-138-85837-4
Daniel Yergin; The new map. ISBN: 978-0-141-99463-5
Portugal ; Plano Nacional de Energia e Clima 2030
IEA; World Energy Outlook 2023

Comments from the literature

Book chapters and articles will be presented for each chapter.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical and practical classes. Presentation of the concepts by the teacher with student participation. in-class exercises working in discussion and technical analysis skills of energy systems. Outside class, the written essays and group presentations aim to develop problem-solving independent, and teamwork skills. Presentation of case studies by students, followed by discussions.  

keywords

Social sciences > Economics > Environmental economics > Natural resource economics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	30,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	30,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	3,00
Estudo autónomo	46,00
Frequência das aulas	33,00
Trabalho de investigação	50,00
Trabalho escrito	70,00
Total:	202,00

Eligibility for exams

Regular Season :
The grading components are:
A)one individual written essay ( 30%),
B) one group written essay(30%)
C)group presentation(30%)
D) in class- participation (10%). The students must obtain at least 9,5/20 in each essay and group presentation except for participation which does not have a minimal grade.

Appeal Season:

The assessment in this season consists in an individual written essay for which the student has a deadline of 7 working days, counting from the day after the hand-out of the exam.

As an alternative assessment, if the student completed component C) Group Presentation in the regular season, this component will also be considered in the appeal season in a proportion of 30%, counting the Individual  Written Essay 70%, but only if this grade is higher than the grade given to the Individual Written Essay.

Calculation formula of final grade

Regular Season: 
FG= 30% written individual essay (A) + 30% group written essay (B) + 30% group presentation (C) + 10% participation (D).

Appeal Season:  

FG = Individual Written Home-Exam  Grade, if component C (Group Presentation) was not done in the Regular Season or if C  has a grade lower than  Individual Written Essay Grade (from Appeal Season).

or 

FG= 70% x Individual Written Essay Grade + 30% X C Component , if Group Presentation from Regular Season (C) has a grade higher than Individual Written Essay. 

Examinations or Special Assignments

According to the Faculty rules.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The D component from the Regular Season can be assessed in the form of  homeworks to TE students. 

Classification improvement

Improvement of grades can be made in the Appeal Season as this.

The assessment in this season consists in an individual written essay for which the student has a deadline of 7 working days, counting from the day after the hand-out of the exam.

As an alternative assessment, if the student completed component C) Group Presentation in the regular season, this component will also be considered in the appeal season in a proportion of 30%, counting the Individual  Written Essay 70%, but only if this grade is higher than the grade given to the Individual Written Essay.

Other situations follow RAC.