VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.
Energy Economics and Policy
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:21
Abstract
An introduction to energy economics and policy that covers the following topics: energy demand, investment in energy efficiency, investment in renewables, energy markets, market failures and behavioral anomalies, market-based and non-market based energy and climate policy instruments in industrialized and developing countries.
Objective
The students will develop an understanding of economic principles and tools necessary to analyze energy issues and to understand energy and climate policy instruments. Emphasis will be put on empirical analysis of energy demand and supply, market failures, behavioral anomalies, energy and climate policy instruments in industrialized and developing countries, and investments in renewables and in energy-efficient technologies.
Content
The course provides an introduction to energy economics principles and policy applications. The first part of the course will introduce the microeconomic foundation of energy demand and supply as well as market failures and behavioral anomalies. In a second part, we introduce the concept of investment analysis (such as the NPV) in the context of renewable and energy-efficient technologies. In the last part, we use the previously introduced concepts to analyze energy policies: from a government perspective, we discuss the mechanisms and implications of market oriented and non-market oriented policy instruments as well as applications in developing countries. Throughout the entire course, we combine the material with insights from current research in energy economics. This combination will enable students to understand standard scientific literature in the field of energy economics and policy. Moreover, the class aims to show students how to relate current issues in the energy and climate spheres that influence industrialized and developing countries to insights from energy economics and policy. Course evaluation: at the end of the course, there will be a written exam covering the topics of the course.
Resources
Literature
Filippini M. and Srinivasan S. (2024), Introduction to Energy Economics and Policy, Cambridge University Press. Open Access Textbook: Link
Learning Materials (Links)
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC , NDS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Energy Economics and Policy |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
-
-
-
-
Application Area (Only necessary and eligible for the Master degree in Applied Mathematics. One of the application areas specified must be selected for the category Application Area for the Master degree in Applied Mathematics. At least 8 credits are required in the chosen application area. Credits from other application areas cannot be recognised for further application areas.)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Core Courses (At least two core courses must be passed in each area. All students must participate in the course offered in the area "Interdisciplinary Energy Management")
-
-
-
-