Power Systems Journey
Making the Invisible Visible and Actionable

Welcome to a Power Systems Journey - Stories and Resources for the Energy Transition

"An energy revolution is underway, and needs to accelerate to support climate and economic goals. But the general citizenry does not understand our current energy systems, particularly the seemingly invisible phenomena of electricity, and its generation, distribution, and use. Technical knowledge is only half the solution, however. It is through human decisions and behaviors that technical solutions get applied and adopted, and the importance of communication and storytelling is being recognized for its relevance to making change. How can science literacy and behavior-motivating engagement and storytelling be combined to help make systemic change? "

That was the premise of a Grand Challenge course at the University of Minnesota that ran from Spring 2019 through Fall 2023.  The course was developed by co-instructors Jonee Kulman Brigham and Paul Imbertson with the support of many generous partners.

This website 

• Documents the work of the Power Systems Journey class featuring key themes, examples of student work, and links to publications about the class

• (New 2025) Hosts a suite of documentary videos, including energy expert interviews,  about the class and the issues it raised 

• Offers resources for your exploration and adaptation to study groups or classes

Acknowledgements and Contacts:

Course Designers and Co-Instructors:  (Instructor Bios Link)

Jonee Kulman Brigham, AIA, LEED AP O+M, Senior Research Fellow, Minnesota Design Center, College of Design, University of Minnesota, kulma002@umn.edu

Paul Imbertson, Retired Teaching Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, paul.imbertson@gmail.com 

Thank you to our TA's and Guest instructors over the years - they are listed on the course page.

Thank you  also to course partners and collaborators, especially the Bell Museum of Natural History which serves as an interpretive hub of the journey through the electric grid, to the Gibbs Farm museum that puts the value of our modern power system into historical context. And Thank you to the wonderful students, explorer-heros of our Power Systems Journey.

Conflict of Interest Management: Jonee Kulman Brigham is the owner of Full Spring Studio, LLC, which owns the Earth Systems Journey curriculum model referenced in this website, in the class, and in the video documentary. This relationship has been reviewed and managed by the University of Minnesota in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. The Earth Systems Journey model was used in the class and is used  in the videos by permission.

Banner Photo: Photo by Steven Su on Unsplash