Policy Practicum: Buildings in the Energy Transition: Resilient, Clean and Just

Catalog description

Clients: Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) as well as legislative and California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) decision makers. Buildings play a central role in protecting us from extreme climate events and in governing our consumption of energy via the natural gas and electric system. It is in our buildings, especially our homes, that climate resilience and climate mitigation meet. But at present, these conversations -- about the policy pathways to greater climate resilience and options for faster building decarbonization -- are largely conducted separately. The goal of Buildings in the Energy Transition is to develop policy analyses that optimize for affordability, resilience and mitigation, incorporating energy modelling, public health and energy regulatory perspectives. We will conduct our work from the perspective of and informed by the needs of our client, APEN, an environmental justice organization that is actively involved in resilience and decarbonization policy. In this course, students will learn the basics of key policy areas related to buildings including resilience to heat and smoke, building electrification, net energy metering (NEM), and customer bill affordability programs. Lectures will focus on technical, economic and legal aspects of the challenge. In addition, students will work in groups on legal and regulatory analysis aimed at supporting better decision making on buildings policy in both California and the Northeast. Students will work in partnership with postdocs and legal fellows on their group projects and may have the opportunity to present the results of their work to both APEN and CPUC staff. The course is intended for students interested in multi-disciplinary approaches to public policy problems. No background in either energy law or energy modelling is required. Students will engage in weekly lecture and discussion of…