The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the global oil supply while the current economic downturn has caused overall fossil energy demand to plunge. Millions of barrels of oil are at sea in tankers with no place to go. Natural gas continues to replace coal, but gas rig counts have cratered (-46% in October), and many small and mid-size US energy producers are on the verge of consolidation or bankruptcy. US wind and solar electricity supply surpassed coal generation during a three-day period the week of April 8, 2020 for the first time ever, while climate change issues have dropped into an election maelstrom. Serious wildfire and tropical storm frequency are at record levels. The air briefly cleared in major cities around the world, and the drop in carbon dioxide emissions was substantial but not sustainable.
Meanwhile, Europe is developing unprecedented storage infrastructure to avoid carbon dioxide emissions while the US lags. New US electric vehicle mandates and grid battery storage requirements portend unprecedented metals demand, but virtually none of this mining occurs in the US. This course will look at energy outcomes unimaginable prior to COVID-19, and will examine key 2020 events, likely new trends, and potential policy outcomes from the November 2020 election.
