The urgent challenge of climate change and the growth of new distributed energy resources has disrupted the electricity sector, creating space for new stakeholders and new visions. But these debates over the energy transition are playing out against a cost-of-living crisis in California. The soaring costs of our electric power system are compounding this broader cost-of-living strain and burdening a substantial number of low- and middle-income customers. So, how can policymakers work toward the state’s climate goals and prioritize equity?
The focus of global attention in recent years has been China's top-down, state-driven approach to environmental protection and "ecological civilization." What role is there for China's civil society groups these days in mitigating China's environmental impact globally and at home? How do they approach their work? What are the opportunities and risks involved? We are joined by several of China's leading environmental advocates to discuss this important topic.
Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Dz0K4fyknUeaUMNeP56btaLviW5IGg1JhmNGSSylymJUMVlURlRQVjhERDNLTzFEQTNBRk1NUVNPWS4u.
In the fall of 2021, Sean Anderson ’22 walked into the first day of UCLA School of Law’s California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic and took on an assignment that would ultimately become his job — though he didn’t know it at the time.
Date: Wednesday, April 17 at 12:15pm
RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/o5zrLJBouwC5feEU8
“Highly Charged,” An expert panel focused on the role of rate design in promoting equity as we decarbonize the electric power system, including a discussion of California’s often misunderstood Income-Graduated Fixed Charge.
Change is coming to the way we pay our electricity bills in California thanks to what’s called an “income-graduated fixed charge.” But the proceeding charged with implementing that change has become politically fraught. This ongoing debate is comprised of multiple interrelated questions about equity, decarbonization, and reliability of the electric power system. Divergent visions for the future of the power sector sit at the center of the discussions over how we should distribute systemwide costs, which electricity rate design will best support greenhouse gas emission reductions, and how we can ensure reliable electricity service at the same time essential electrification efforts increase strain on the grid.
Come hear a discussion about the opportunities and limitations to rate design as a tool to enhance equity in the state. Our panelists include tenant, ratepayer, and environmental advocates, as well as a Senior Analyst at the Public Utility Commission and UCLA’s own energy law expert, Professor William Boyd.
Panelists:
Nihal Shrinath, Associate Attorney, Sierra Club
Sylvie Ashford, Energy & Climate Policy Analyst, the Utility Reform Network
Chelsea Kirk, Director of Policy and Research, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
Ankit Jain, Senior Analyst, California Public Utility Commission
William Boyd, Professor of Law and Emmett Institute Co-Director, UCLA
Lunch served on a first come, first served basis for those who RSVP by 04/14/24
Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Time: 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Location: UCLA School of Law, room 1457
RSVP: Register here. Registration required to attend.
Co-Sponsored by: Lowell Milken Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofits
Maurice Salter Endowed Lecture in Nonprofits and Philanthropy
A conversation with pioneering conservationist Kris Tompkins about how to forge an environmental career dedicated to public service.
Kris Tompkins is president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation. She began her journey as an environmentalist in Southern California as one of the first six employees of Patagonia. She went on to lead the company for many years before she and her husband, Doug Tompkins (founder of The North Face and co-founder of Esprit), left their business careers to devote their lives to addressing the climate and extinction crises. Tompkins currently oversees projects in Chile and Argentina working toward creating parklands, marine conservation areas, and rewilding—the process of protecting and restoring ecosystems. Tompkins was the subject of “Wild Life,” a documentary from the Oscar-winning duo behind “Free Solo.”
Tompkins will join Emmett Institute Staff Attorney Juan Pablo Escudero and Jill Horwitz, Faculty Director of the Lowell Milken Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofits, in a conversation about her conservation work from Southern California to South America and lessons for those beginning their environmental career.
Lunch will be provided on a first-come basis to those who RSVP by 03/31/2024.
Please contact Heather Morphew, morphew@law.ucla.edu with any questions.
UCLA School of Law professor Ann Carlson is back at the law school after she steered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through several impactful years.