ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

The Dartmouth Energy Collaborative is a partnership between the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, the Revers Center for Energy at the Tuck School of Business, and Thayer School. The Collaborative brings a wide range of energy programs to campus that offer students, faculty, staff, and community members the opportunity to learn about the technical, historical, economic, political, environmental, and social aspects of energy systems and to work together to develop innovative solutions to today’s energy challenges.

The Energy 101 Series will increase energy literacy of Dartmouth students, faculty, staff, and members of our regional community. Participants will leave with deeper knowledge about the energy system gained through case studies, mini-lectures, explanations of key terms, discussions, and mapping regional, national, and global energy systems. Areas of focus include how societies use energy, historic and future patterns of resource exploration and extraction, and creating sustainable energy systems.

By the end of the Energy 101 Series, attendees will:

1. Gain an understanding of how energy is used, distributed, and produced

2. Develop a broad vocabulary of energy-related terms and units, as well as knowledge about how energy decisions are made and how key public and private sector stakeholders participate

3. Learn about internship and career opportunities within the energy sector

4. Understand what is emerging in energy systems innovations in the United States and abroad

5. Build meaningful connections with others on campus and in the community working on energy systems & innovation

We ask participants to commit to attending the series in its entirety. Content delivered in weekly sessions will overlap, connect, and build over the course of the series in order to do justice to the interconnected nature of energy systems. A consistent cohort of participants will allow for deeper group discussions and collaborative case study work, so we hope you will join us for all sessions! Plus we’ll have light snacks to keep you energized every week.

ENERGY 101 SERIES

ENERGY HORIZONS

The Energy Horizons Program will increase energy literacy of Dartmouth students and engage participants first hand in envisioning future energy scenarios for Dartmouth and the surrounding region. This will be done through mini-lectures, discussions, field trips, teamwork, and a scenario-building simulation game. The Energy Horizon Program is a five-day Winterim program hosted by the Dartmouth Sustainability Office and the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth.

During Energy Horizons attendees will:

Advance their understanding of the basics of how energy is used, distributed, and produced
Develop a broad vocabulary of energy-related terms and units, as well as knowledge about how energy decisions are made and how key public and private sector stakeholders participate
Build meaningful connections with students and staff on campus and in the community working on energy and society systems & innovation
Engage in visioning and future scenario planning for integrated energy and society systems
Visit energy infrastructure at Dartmouth and in the Upper Valley

Staff & Instructors:

Elizabeth Wilson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Director, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society
Rosi Kerr, Director, Office of Sustainability, Dartmouth College
Amanda Graham, Academic Director, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society
Jenna Musco, Assistant Director, Office of Sustainability, Dartmouth College
Matthew Mayer, Associate, The Natural Step Canada
Plus: Dartmouth Campus Services staff, regional alumni and energy experts

ENERGY IMMERSION TRIPS

The Energy Immersion Trips program provides students in-depth opportunities to examine energy systems from a variety of different perspectives and to explore future pathways through break trips to different regions of the U.S. Students examine first-hand the intersections of natural resource extraction, policy, economics, health, geography, and culture and meet with energy company executives and employees, landowners, decision makers, community organizers, local utilities, watch dog groups, environmental and social justice activists and leaders in the extraction industry. Throughout the trips, students gain skills in problem assessment, creating dialogue across difference, and reflection.

“We often talk in the energy system about local costs and national benefits, but when you see it on the ground, that’s important. It comes down to respect,” says Elizabeth Wilson, director of the Irving Institute. “Letting students learn how people make their choices, how they live, and what their values are—that’s important to understanding how our policies and technologies affect lives.”

PAST TRIPS

The Heart of America’s Energy: Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana

The Gulf Coast Energy Immersion Trip will bring Dartmouth students to an area of the country that is as controversial as it is critical for supplying America’s energy needs as we know them. Texas is the country’s leading producer of crude oil, natural gas, wind power, and total electricity, while Louisiana happens to consume more energy per capita than any other state. This trip has been designed to explore the systems, infrastructure, and geological features that have allowed these southern states to become two of the most critical players in the energy sector. Throughout the journey, we will visit sites and hear from energy industry stakeholders about environmental and societal health challenges, the global impacts of our energy needs, and the economics, politics, and engineering that govern the way that our country’s energy systems operate. Students will be challenged to think critically about how energy systems adapt and respond to a rapidly changing planet with an ever-increasing demand for energy.

Natural Resource Extraction, Health, and Local Economies in West Virginia and Kentucky

Energy Systems of New England