How the Path for Energy Justice in the US Got a lot Clearer but Only a Little Easier
Given the new federal climate policies embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act, it has become even more critical to focus on advancing energy justice at the state level. The law establishes a new federal framework for transitioning the country to low-carbon energy sources, centering most levers of action on states or market actors, and doing […]
Decarbonization and its Discontents: A Critical Justice Perspective on Four Low-Carbon Transitions
October 8, 2021 | 10:30am to 11:50am PST Benjamin Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy at the Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School Watch Video What are the types of injustices associated with low-carbon transitions? Relatedly, in what ways do low-carbon transitions worsen social risks or vulnerabilities? Lastly, what policies might be deployed to […]
Energy Graduate Group Alumni Panel
December 3, 2021 Alumni Panel Watch Video Armando Casillas, Scientific Engineering Associate, LBNL Armando has been a Scientific Engineering Associate at LBNL since 2019. He works in a number of projects related to building energy efficiency, grid-interactiveness and flexibility and HVAC fault detection and diagnostics. During his undergraduate years, Armando worked as an Energy Analyst […]
The Role of Gas in a Decarbonized Future
November 19, 2021 10:30am – 11:50am PST Michael Webber, Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin Watch Video The need to decarbonize is urgent and important. While electrification is an obvious part of the set of solutions, what is the role of gases like methane? This talk will […]
Seeking a Clean Energy System at Lower Cost
November 12, 2021 10:30am – 11:50am PST Sarah Kurtz, Professor, School of Engineering, University of California Merced Watch Video California and much of the rest of the world seek to transition to a clean energy system. The progress of wind, solar, and batteries has been really impressive. There are many new technologies being developed. Implementing […]
Designing Electricity Rates for An Equitable Energy Transition
November 5, 2021 Severin Borenstein, E.T. Grether Chair in Business Administration and Public Policy, Faculty Director, Energy Institute at Haas Professor, University of California, Berkeley Watch Video Access Slides Read Paper This presentation examines the causes and distributional consequences of the high prices for residential electricity charged by California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs). It also considers […]
Reliability, Renewables, and Regionalism–A Perspective on Key Energy Issues in California
October 29, 2021 Jan Schori, California ISO Board of Governors Watch Video This presentation will provide a personal overview of key energy issues in California, with some lessons learned as a result of 40 years of practical experience in the industry, and a few newcomer insights into the California Independent System Operators’ (ISO) objectives with […]
The Role of Distributed Energy Resources and Customer Participation in California’s Clean Energy Future
October 22, 2021 – 10:30am to 11:50am PST Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission Watch Video Download Slides California has been at the forefront of clean energy policies and grid modernization initiatives for decades; however, meeting the state’s ambitious 2045 renewable energy and zero-carbon goals, while maintaining affordable rates and a reliable electric grid, […]
Environmental Justice and Climate, Air Pollution, and Economic Decisions in the U.S. Power Sector
October 15, 2021 Ines Azevedo, Associate Professor of Energy Resources Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy Watch Video Electricity generation is a large contributor to PM2.5 air pollution. However, the demographic distribution of its resulting exposure is largely unknown. We estimate the health effects from […]
The Energy Equity Gap: Unveiling Hidden Energy Poverty
October 1, 2021 | 10:30am to 11:50am PST Destenie Nock, Assistant Professor, Engineering and Public Policy, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Watch Video Income-based energy poverty metrics miss people’s behavior patterns, particularly those who reduce their energy consumption to limit financial stress. Using a residential electricity consumption dataset, we determine the […]
