David Nye: “Transforming Power: The Transition to Alternative Energies in the United States”

This lecture will focus on two questions: What is the history of U.S. energy transitions? And to what extent does the current transition from fossil fuels to alternative energies (primarily solar and wind power) differ from these earlier transitions? The answer to the first question will be largely based on Nye's book Consuming Power and the work of Thomas Hughes, particularly the concept of technological momentum. This will include brief discussion of the shifts from water power to steam to electricity and fossil fuels. Newer data and recent events will be discussed to answer the second question, including some international comparisons, to deal with the vital question of whether the US energy system is falling behind that of other nations.