Want to bank on wind energy as a primary power source?
Stronger storms along coastlines 20 years from now could damage wind farms in areas previously thought to be safe, leading to a surge in the cost of the renewable energy source.
Prefer to stick with natural gas?
A terrorist attack could damage a major pipeline, leading to a supply shortage, higher prices and heightened security concerns.
Those are some of the scenarios people face when they play “Energyville,” an online game that challenges individuals to manage the energy demands of a city of 3.9 million people.
It’s a “SimCity”-type game in which players have to weigh the economic, environmental and security consequences of their power choices.
Launched almost a year ago by Chevron, “Energyville” has attracted nearly half a million players from 215 countries.
Experts from industry and academia said it was a smart move for Chevron to engage the public in the energy debate.
“Energy is going to be the most important issue that society faces over the next 20 to 30 years,” said Fred Julander, president of Julander Energy, an independent natural-gas exploration company based in Denver. “Rather than be silent, I’d much rather the energy companies try to get a public dialogue going.”
University of Denver finance professor Ron Rizzuto said he was initially surprised that a Big Oil company was behind the game, which he called clever and educational.
“People think they’re just fat cats, making money and trying to just harvest the hydrocarbon business, but in fact they’re interested in other sources,” Rizzuto said. “There’s a PR issue there that this may help with.”
The game was developed by the Economist Group, which based its scores for each power source on data collected from hundreds of organizations, said Chevron spokesman Alex Yelland.
“That’s what gives the game its credibility,” Yelland said. “There’s no one right answer. There’s no silver bullet. The ultimate goal is to help people understand the economic, environmental and security impacts.”
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
