Bookmark: Smart Power

Admittedly, I’m a little late to this book, which has been out for three years now. It has been very impactful to those of us working in the energy sector and is a great resource for those who no little about it and want to know more. The book is accessible, easy to follow, and goes to great lengths helping the reader understand the many facets of the energy industry, the opportunities for reform, and what’s at stake if the world is not more aggressive in switching from fossil fuel-based systems to more sustainable ones.

Jargon and technicalities regarding energy often leave readers (or listeners) with a glazed-over look, a wandering mind, and a longing for an exit. However, in Smart Power, Fox-Penner writes in a very easy-to-follow language and does not assume the reader comes to the book with an understanding of the energy industry. Nor does he assume a novice will not quickly grasp how the whole system works. He treats the reader like an adult and trusts that his explanation will be clear and relevant to professionals and beginners alike.

If for nothing else, read the book for the sense of what is possible, and how we can achieve the changes necessary to our planet’s survival. Future scenarios are depicted realistically with more concrete frameworks of how we are going to achieve a more sustainable future, as opposed to esoteric imagining of what it will look like and how good we all will feel for having achieved them. This book is for the pragmatic, optimistic, can-do reader and is a book I’ll be returning to in the future.

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