Energy Crises - (Environment in Modern North America) by Jay Hakes

About the Book

In Energy Crises, Jay Hakes brings his expertise in energy and presidential history to bear on the questions of why these crises occurred, how different choices might have prevented or ameliorated them, and what they have meant for the half-century since--and likely the half-century ahead.

Book Synopsis

The 1970s were a decade of historic American energy crises--major interruptions in oil supplies from the Middle East, the country's most dangerous nuclear accident, and chronic shortages of natural gas. In Energy Crises, Jay Hakes brings his expertise in energy and presidential history to bear on the questions of why these crises occurred, how different choices might have prevented or ameliorated them, and what they have meant for the half-century since--and likely the half-century ahead.

Hakes deftly intertwines the domestic and international aspects of the long-misunderstood fuel shortages that still affect our lives today. This approach, drawing on previously unavailable and inaccessible records, affords an insider's view of decision-making by three U.S. presidents, the influence of their sometimes-combative aides, and their often tortuous relations with the rulers of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hakes skillfully dissects inept federal attempts to regulate oil prices and allocation, but also identifies the decade's more positive legacies--from the nation's first massive commitment to the development of alternative energy sources other than nuclear power, to the initial movement toward a less polluting, more efficient energy economy.

The 1970s brought about a tectonic shift in the world of energy. Tracing these consequences to their origins in policy and practice, Hakes makes their lessons available at a critical moment--as the nation faces the challenge of climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.

Review Quotes

"Through its fine-grained analysis, Energy Crises offers a corrective to standard narratives and received wisdom concerning US presidential and federal decision-making during these energy crises. Hakes puts in proper perspective and context many of the clichés surrounding the energy crises, complicating simple dichotomies about the Republican and Democrat leaders."--H-Net Reviews


"If Hakes's book holds any lessons for understanding the current energy crisis, it is this: policies frequently have unintended effects, and the full effect of state action is often not felt until years -- and sometimes decades -- into the future."--Presidential Studies Quarterly

"Energy Crises is an important contribution to the history of the 1970s and to the study of energy policy. It is deeply researched, well informed, and carefully argued."--David S. Painter author of Oil and the American Century: The Political Economy of U.S. Foreign Oil Policy, 1941-1954


"I thought I had a pretty basic understanding of the energy crises of the seventies until I read Energy Crises and realized there's so much more. Highly recommended for anyone that wants to better understand what happened in the seventies and how those moments shaped American energy policy and American politics over the next fifty years. A phenomenal book." --Ty Benefiel, co-host The Climate Pod


"In Energy Crises, author Jay Hakes's unparalleled research and contextualization of this period allow the reader to become the proverbial fly on the wall, witnessing the major decisions on energy made in the Oval Office, at Camp David, and in the palaces of the Persian Gulf nations. Hakes is especially adept at explaining both the domestic and the foreign dimensions of energy developments and their reciprocal influences."--Tyler Priest author of The Offshore Imperative: Shell Oil's Search for Petroleum in Postwar America


"Rich and deeply researched book . . . There are many lessons to be learned here . . . I highly recommend it." Bill Loveless, director of Energy Journalism Initiative, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, and co-host of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast.