The EU and the Energy from the Desert

Pascal Schaefer is a graduate student at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. His current research interests are decision-making and legislative responses to organ transplantation. He co-founded a renewable energy firm in the heart of Europe. At Washington University in St. Louis, Mr. Schaefer conducted research in the neuroscience and biophysics departments while earning his undergraduate degree. He has a genuine interest in game theoretical applications and strategic analysis.

Despite a clear roadmap and tremendous commitments to the build up of renewable infrastructure on shore 4 of the 5 largest economies of the EU-27 are currently negotiating an offshore solution in North Africa. While at first sight this initiative appears to go against the EU’s political interest a deeper analysis reveals the opposite is true. Three key rationales drive the poliheuristic decision-making process.

Things one sees from there one may not see from here – Take Two

Dr. Sened is a Professor of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, and former chair of the Political Science Department at Washington University. His main interests are comparative theory of institutions, game theory and mathematical modeling. Dr. Sened teaches Undergraduate and Graduate level courses in the Political Science Department.

In this second in a series of three posts, we review the vision of Dr. Rolf Wuestenhagen, the Good Energies Chair for Management of Renewable Energies at the Business School of The University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.  We apologize for posting this a little later than earlier expected/promised.  Besides being visionary and insightful, we highlight how different this approach and attitudes more generally towards clean energy in Europe compare to those we are more commonly exposed to here in the U.S. In the previous post we discussed the origin of these differences and the policy consequences they entail.  In this post we want to talk more of the essence of the argument and what it means.