Electrochemical Wastewater Refining for Circular Chemical Manufacturing
Energy and water are two critical interdependent systems that impact environmental quality and require urgent innovation. Mining critical materials for energy storage requires large freshwater inputs and introduces pollutants to aqueous environments. Treating wastewater and producing potable require substantial energy inputs. Electrochemical wastewater refining, or the generation of tunable product portfolios from waste streams, can […]
End-use electrification and its impact on distribution systems
In what ways will utilities need to upgrade the electric distribution grid to accommodate electrified loads, and what will those upgrades cost? Our study focuses on the PG&E service area in Northern California, which serves 4.8 million electricity customers and is subject to aggressive targets for both EV adoption and electrification of residential space and […]
Embarking on the Great Implementation: What I learned during 16 months at the California Energy Commission
Location: 1605 Tilia Street, Suite 100, Davis, CA Watch Video Join us for an enlightening seminar featuring Ben Finkelor, Executive Director of UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute (EEI), as he shares insights and experiences gained during his 16-month tenure as a Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to Vice Chair Siva Gunda at the […]
Sustainable Systems Science for Accelerating Clean Energy Transitions and Climate Solutions
Location: 1605 Tilia Street, Suite 100, Davis, CA Watch Video The next few years are critical. Immediate and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary across all sectors or limiting warming to 1.5 °C will be beyond reach. Sustainable systems science provides a useful framework and tools to characterize mobility, buildings, food, and other […]
New Wine in Old Bottle: Evolution of the Texas Electricity Market Since 2021 Blackouts and Broader Electricity System Implications
In February 2021 winter storm Uri left hundreds dead and tens of billions of dollars in losses in Texas. This talk will take an integrative stock of the lessons and insights that have emerged regarding the functioning of the ERCOT electricity market in the aftermath of Uri. By examining the nature of recent changes in […]
Hydrogen Transportation Systems in California: Prospects and the State of Play
Friday, November 4, 2022 Lewis M. Fulton Director, STEPS (Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways) Lewis Fulton has worked internationally in the field of transportation, energy, and environment analysis and policy development for over 25 years. He is Director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways Program (STEPS+) within the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of […]
Alumni Panel
Friday, December 2, 2022 Alumni Panel: Kristen Bush, Rhys Davis Kristen Bush: Kristen Bush is an Engineer/Scientist I on the Electric Transportation team at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). She currently assists with various projects with research topics including transportation equity, infrastructure design, and inventories related to medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. Prior to […]
Developing the Western US Power Grid through Markets
Electricity demand is growing across the Western United States as economies boom and the transition to electrified transportation and buildings begins. At the same time, state policies are rapidly transforming the mix of power generation sources, from fossil fueled to carbon free. The grid across the Western US has long been interconnected, but its operation […]
Accelerating the Just Energy Transition with Science and Policy
The climate emergency we face has prompted some nations, corporations, and many civil society organizations to greatly expand their decarbonization and climate protection actions. The paths to deeply decarbonizing local, national and regional economies requires innovations in a wide range of areas where new, sustainable, materials design, discovery, and implementation, and most notably highly interdisciplinary […]
Decarbonization and Local Air Pollution Disparities
Climate change and social inequality are two of the world’s most pressing issues. They are also intricately linked. The imperative to address climate change is overlaid on a world that is already deeply unequal. A recent environmental justice literature documents systematic gaps in local air pollution concentrations between disadvantaged and other individuals. Because local air […]
