Research
Understanding and shaping the energy transition
The ubiquitous nature of the energy system in the global and local economy dictates that the transition underway to a highly decarbonized energy system will involve complex system dynamics in terms of both technology as well as the social systems in which that technology operates.
The central goal of my research program is to improve the analytical understanding of these dynamics includes the mechanisms that drive change, the capacity of the system to absorb change, and the response of the system to policy interventions to shape the transition and manage impacts. In order to do so we are building tools and frameworks to provide better analytical descriptions of the transition process, probe not just the adoption of new technologies but also the contraction of existing sectors, understand how the overlap of current infrastructure with desired end states can support or constrain the transition, and how companies and individuals respond to different policy tools.
This includes for example, understanding how the availability of coal plants and natural gas pipelines can support or constrain the coal to gas transition globally and the resulting impact on demand for Canadian LNG; and drawing lessons for the role of government in technological innovation through case studies that can be applied to the technological challenge of decarbonization. As governments act on these macro energy systems, and companies operate in a transitioning world this understanding can enable the required emissions reductions while significantly improving economic outcomes through the transition in Canada, and particularly in regions with a high dependency on the fossil fuel economy like the City of Calgary.
Publications
Peer reviewed publications
For the most up to date list of publications, see the google scholar record
Alberta's Renewable Electricity Program: Design, results, and lessons learned; S Hastings-Simon, A Leach, B Shaffer, T Weis. Energy Policy 171, 113266, 2022.
Pipeline Availability Limits on the Feasibility of Global Coal-to-Gas Switching in the Power Sector; S Yang, S Hastings-Simon, AP Ravikumar. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 20, 14734–14742.
Global liquefied natural gas expansion exceeds demand for coal-to-gas switching in Paris compliant pathways; S Yang, S Hastings-Simon, AP Ravikumar. Environmental Research Letters, 2022.
Designing the mid‐transition: A review of medium‐term challenges for coordinated decarbonization in the United States. E Grubert, S Hastings‐Simon Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, e768, 2022.
Industrial Policy in Alberta: Lessons from AOSTRA; SR Hastings-Simon. The School of Public Policy Publications, 2019.
Can the Oil and Gas Sector Enable Geothermal Technologies? Socio-Technical Opportunities and Complementarity Failures in Alberta, Canada; B Haley, A Leitch, SR Hastings-Simon, Energy Policy, 125, 384-395, 2019.
State preparation by optical pumping in erbium-doped solids using stimulated emission and spin mixing; B Lauritzen, SR Hastings-Simon, H De Riedmatten, M Afzelius, N Gisin, Physical Review A 78 (4), 043402, 2008.
Zeeman-level lifetimes in Er 3+: Y 2 SiO 5; SR Hastings-Simon, B Lauritzen, MU Staudt, JLM van Mechelen, C Simon, Hugues De Riedmatten, Mikael Afzelius, Nicolas Gisin, Physical Review B 78 (8), 085410, 2008.
Spectral hole-burning spectroscopy in Nd 3+:YVO4; SR Hastings-Simon, M Afzelius, J Minar, MU Staudt, B Lauritzen, H de Riedmatten, N Gisin, A Amari, A Walther, S Kröll, E Cavalli, M Bettinelli, Physics Review B 77 (12), 125111, 2008.
Interference of multimode photon echoes generated in spatially separated solid-state atomic ensembles; MU Staudt, M Afzelius, H De Riedmatten, SR Hastings-Simon, C Simon, R Ricken, H Suche, W Sohler, N Gisin, Physical review letters 99 (17), 173602, 2007.
Fidelity of an optical memory based on stimulated photon echoes; MU Staudt, SR Hastings-Simon, M Nilsson, M Afzelius, V Scarani, R Ricken, H Suche, W Sohler, W Tittel, Nicolas Gisin, Physical review letters 98 (11), 113601, 2007.
Controlled Stark shifts in Er 3+ doped crystalline and amorphous waveguides for quantum state storage; SR Hastings-Simon, MU Staudt, M Afzelius, P Baldi, D Jaccard, W Tittel, N Gisin, Optics communications 266 (2), 716-719, 2006.
Investigations of optical coherence properties in an erbium-doped silicate fiber for quantum state storage;MU Staudt, SR Hastings-Simon, M Afzelius, D Jaccard, W Tittel, N Gisin, Optics communications 266 (2), 720-726, 2006.
Ultrafast optical response of a high-reflectivity GaAs∕ AlAs Bragg mirror; SR Hastings, MJA de Dood, H Kim, W Marshall, HS Eisenberg, D Bouwmeester, Applied Physics Letters 86 (3), 031109, 2005.
Papers/projects in progress
The role of the incumbent in mission setting for innovation policy and the challenge of breaking path dependency: A case study of mission oriented innovation in the Canadian Oil Sands; SR Hastings-Simon, E Tretter, In preparation.