The second edition of Alternative Energy: Political, Economic, and Social Feasibility builds on the first edition, but with significant updates on dramatic changes within the renewable energy sector over the last decade. Christopher Simon discusses the basic technical aspects of major renewable energy systems and technological developments and considers the impact of politics on energy policy using contemporary theories of public policy—such as, Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), Punctuated Equilibrium (PE), Narrative Policy Framework, and Policy Diffusion—as well as discussing the evolution of the social feasibility of renewable energy. The author expands his discussion of alternative energy solutions to consider nuclear power developments and feasibility in the post-Fukushima policy environment. International commitment to renewable energy is also addressed.

In an effort to provide greater awareness of the necessary policy decisions facing our elected and appointed officials, Energy Policy in the U.S.: Politics, Challenges, and Prospects for Change presents an overview of important energy policies and the policy process in the United States, including their history, goals, methods of action, and consequences. In the first half of the book, the authors frame the energy policy issue by reviewing U.S. energy policy history, identifying the policy-making players, and illuminating the costs, benefits, and economic and political realities of currently competing policy alternatives. The book examines the stakeholders and their attempts to influence energy policy and addresses the role of supply and demand on the national commitment to energy conservation and the development of alternative energy sources. The latter half of the book delves into specific energy policy strategies, including economic and regulatory options, and factors that influence energy policies, such as the importance of international cooperation. Renewed interest in various renewable and nontraditional energy resources—for example, hydrogen, nuclear fusion, biomass, and tide motion—is examined, and policy agendas are explored in view of scientific, economic, regulatory, production, and environmental constraints. This book provides excellent insight into the complex task of creating a comprehensive energy policy and its importance in the continued availability of energy to power our way of life and economy while protecting our environment and national security.

It is no secret that the United States' dependence on oil -- mostly foreign -- puts the country in a precarious position. The United States needs innovative ways not only to power millions of automobiles on its highways but also to secure sustainable sources of fuel for the future. This book presents the latest facts and figures about alternative energy to any physicist, engineer, policymaker, or concerned citizen who needs a reliable source of information on the nation's looming energy crisis. Philip G. Gallman focuses especially on green vehicles and the interrelationship between their design and various energy sources. He explains simply and clearly the complex energy and automotive engineering issues involved in developing green vehicles, measures their likely effect on energy resource demand, and considers what they might mean for national energy strategy. Addressing problems associated with renewable resources often overlooked or ignored in the popular press, Gallman explains what replacing oil with alternative sources of energy realistically entails. Can the nation satisfy its energy demands with wind turbines, solar power, hydroelectric power, or geothermal power? Is biodiesel or electricity the answer to our gas-guzzling ways? Organized logically and with an accessible narrative, Green Alternatives and National Energy Strategy guides readers through the essential questions and hurdles the United States must answer and overcome to transition from a petroleum-dependent nation to one that runs on sustainable, renewable energy.