With the world undergoing a transition to clean energy, the Emmett Institute provides research to guide a path forward for government and industry and training opportunities for future leaders.

Emmett Institute faculty are among the country’s leading scholars of energy law and policy, advancing understanding of a range of issues related to the local and global legacy of fossil fuels and the future of clean energy. Professor William Boyd focuses on energy law and regulation, studying the history of public utilities and leading the Laboratory for Energy and Environmental Policy Innovation, a group that supports energy sector policy experiments. A leading expert on regulatory policy, Professor Timothy Malloy is part of a UC-wide research project for the state of California on the governance of utility-scale battery projects. Emmett Institute faculty co-director and Dan and Rae Emmett Professor Environmental Law Ted Parson has studied innovative policies in California and other jurisdictions to limit emissions from transport fuels.

UCLA Law students have opportunities to learn about energy law and policy through doctrinal courses in energy, climate, and regulatory policy. Students in the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic and the California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic frequently engage on projects relating to the energy sector in California. Our alumni have been pioneers in renewable energy project development and recent graduates are working on energy issues in private practice, nonprofits, and state and federal agencies. To support students seeking positions in this important field, the Emmett Institute provides career panels, career counseling, and networking opportunities.

Emmett Institute faculty frequently address energy issues at federal, state, and local levels. In recent years, Emmett Institute faculty have submitted comment letters to federal agencies and amicus briefs to courts to improve federal regulation of power sector pollution. Through public events, media commentary, and our Legal Planet blog, our faculty provide insights and analysis on current issues in energy law and policy such as the fossil fuel industry’s liability for climate change damages, EPA’s regulation of power sector pollution, and more.