Keeping the Lights On Towards Sustainable Electricity

About this book

Walt Patterson starts from a simple premise: that we are making a mess of energy, and this is endangering the planet. Using accessible, everyday language Patterson describes how we could do much better, outlining a different way to think about energy, what we want from it and how we get it.

Drawing on over 35 years of work from one of the leading voices in the field, 'Keeping the Lights On' explains how we could go about improving energy security and services while reducing costs and vulnerability, globally and rapidly. The book discusses the timely and heated debates surrounding energy and power, and emphasizes that electricity is about infrastructure; we have to stop treating it as a commodity. The result is a comprehensive introduction to the most important issues, providing the reader with innovative and expert ideas and solutions.

Contents

Preface; * Acknowledgements; * Introduction; * Part 1: Making Energy Sustainable; * Energy 21: Making The World Work; * The Energy Dilemma; * What is 'energy'?; * Discussing Energy Policy; * Part 2: Making Electricity Sustainable; * Full Circle; * Overview: The Electric Challenge; * Generating Change; * Networking Change; * Decentralizing networks; * The Electric Challenge: Getting the Story Right; * Getting Energy Right; * Sustainable Electricity: Cultural Barriers; * Conclusion; * Appendices; * Bibliography; * Index.

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Biography

Walt Patterson trained as a nuclear physicist before spending his life teaching, writing and campaigning. He has published twelve books, and several hundred papers, articles and reviews, on nuclear power, coal technology, renewable energy, energy systems, energy policy and electricity. Since 1991 he has been a fellow of what is now the Energy, Environment and Development Programme at Chatham House in London.