Main topic: How did the contemporary energy system come to being? How it is kept in place?

Overarching theme: Path dependency

Outline:  Our case study will be the emergence of the electricity industry in the U.S. and, more specifically,  the birth of the nuclear energy industry. We will identify the critical junctures in its development and discuss the temporality aspect of the nexus between markets and politics.

Sources: For the context, check this introductory video by Lynne Kiesling. Then travel to 1950s through immersing yourself in the vintage adds, like the one where the Reagans promote General Electrics or the one with the mid-century HomeKit.  Then you shall be more than ready for the attached text by Harvey, Larson and Patel on the evolution of the electricity industry and a nicely written literature review on histories of electrification in Europe by Vincent Lagendijk (pages 20-25). This one may not be directly relevant to the U. S. context but it does offer a few interesting viewpoints on the general issue.

If you feel like reading more about the peculiarities of developing a new industry, you can check this article by Bloomberg CityLab on the rise and fall of the U. S. mass transit. 

Get ready: Learn about path dependency. Where it is manifested around you? Select a case (an artifact, a social interaction, an institution) and demonstrate the path dependencies that shaped its development.

Presentation

Video