Energy Models And National Energy Policy

As work begins on the development of a new National Energy Strategy (NES), the role of energy models is becoming increasingly important. Such models are needed to determine and assess both the short- and long-term effects of new policy initiatives on U.S. energy supply and demand. A central purpose of the models is to translate overall energy strategy goals into policy options while identifying potential costs and environmental benefits. This paper will first describe three models currently being utilized in the NES process, followed by a detailed listing of the publicly identified NES goals. These goals will then be viewed in light of the basic modeling scenarios that have been proposed as part of the NES development process.