Public policy in energy [From the Editor]

Among the themes that have graced our IEEE Power & Energy Magazine issues this year were smart grid, large-scale solar integration, and energy storage. Still to come is the November/December issue that will focus on the integration of wind power into the electric system. These technology-oriented themes are bound together by public policy directives from governments throughout the world that determine how these technologies will be implemented. The directives, by these governments, are driven by a multitude of variables such as politics, public opinion, and economics.