The United States Energy policy: As determined by non-experts

Abstract

There are many major environmental issues challenging the world today, including global warming and limited fossil fuel resources. Due to these issues, the methods used by the United States to produce energy and the technology behind these methods are becoming increasingly vital. There are several committees and departments whose role it is to choose what the United States will allow or invest in when it comes to producing and distributing energy to the citizens. These include the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These organizations solicit advice from experts in the energy sector. Despite these expert opinions, sometimes energy policies clash with the very objectives they were designed to achieve. This paper seeks to examine the decisions being made in this political arena as well as the impacts of decisions made regarding these policies. The nature of the professional opinions that have been given are also addressed. This paper seeks to identify the value and importance of technological literacy in policy makers as can be achieved by encouraging technical literacy for nonengineering students in the classroom today. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.