ABSTRACT
Energy sustainability is a prominent focus, being the combination of investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. This chapter takes up definitions of sustainability as they pertain to energy economics, and then focuses on energy sources as components of a sustainability strategy. It addresses energy conservation and efficiency and then examines consumption strategies aimed at electricity use. In 1798, Thomas Malthus famously predicted that population would outstrip food supplies, leading to cycles of exponential population growth followed by starvation. Biomass energy is energy from plants, and it is the most ancient of fuels, used ever since the first humans burned wood for heat and cooking fuel. Sustainable coal may appear to be an oxymoron, and sustainability advocates will likely push for no new coal plants and accelerated retirement of plants in operation. Economists advocate government regulations to restrict the uses of resources when there are negative externalities.
