Plants, Lines, and Pipes: Energy Development and the American Public
Steve Ansolabehere is adept at identifying creative environmental solutions that accommodate and even leverage his expertise in public opinion on energy production. Come to this talk and learn how to harness public opinion in the interest of cleaning up energy production.
— Sarah Anderson, Bren School Faculty Host
Zurich Financial Services Distinguished Visitors Program on Climate Change
ABSTRACT
The American energy system is in transition away from coal and toward less carbon intensive fuels, such as natural gas and wind. Over the next two decades, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that energy produced by renewables and gas each will grow by 10 quadrillion BTUs, while other sources will remain constant or decline. Such a rapid transition requires construction of new facilities for generating and transmitting energy. This talk tells the story of recent energy development efforts across the United States and the lessons for the transition toward a less carbon intensive energy system.
BIO
Stephen Ansolabehere is the Frank G. Thompson Professor of Government at Harvard University. He is an expert on US elections, voting behavior, and public opinion. He has researched public attitudes concerning energy and the environment with MIT Energy Studies since 2002, and contributed to the MIT Nuclear Study and the MIT Coal Study. He has published four books and academic research in a wide range of fields, including political science, economics, law, environment, and statistics. He is the Principal Investigator of the Cooperative Congressional Election Study, and a member of the Election Night Decision Desk at CBS News. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University. In 2007, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.