Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Explore how carbon removal and solar geoengineering technologies might evolve while breaking away from unjust mechanisms. Please note this is a hybrid event. We look forward to welcoming guests to the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum. In accordance with the University of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines, masks are optional for all visitors. PennOpen Pass and PennOpen Campus screenings are no longer required for entry to our events. Further details for joining in-person or virtually will be emailed with your registration. Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event! Governance is defined as the structures, processes, and actions through which private

Explore if regulatory regimes are up to the task of coordinating an efficient and equitable climate transition. Please note this is a hybrid event. We look forward to welcoming guests to the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum. In accordance with the University of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines, masks are optional for all visitors. PennOpen Pass and PennOpen Campus screenings are no longer required for entry to our events. Further details for joining in-person or virtually will be emailed with your registration. Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event! Many of the industries on the front lines of the climate

Explore how worker training programs in the South grew a workforce of laborers in utilities, efficiency, and solar panel manufacturing.Please note this is a hybrid event. We look forward to welcoming guests to the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum. In accordance with the University of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines, masks are optional for all visitors. PennOpen Pass and PennOpen Campus screenings are no longer required for entry to our events. Further details for joining in-person or virtually will be emailed with your registration. Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event!Electricity is central to society—for organizing, communicating, working, and providing

Dr. Jenny Yang delivers the 2023 VIEST Annual Lecture: Inspired by Nature: Understanding the Chemistry that Powers Our Planet.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.penn.edu Please join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!Title: Inspired by Nature: Understanding the Chemistry that Powers Our PlanetAbstract: Our planet is powered by the sun. Through photosynthesis, plants use solar energy along with carbon dioxide from the air and water to form chemical bonds to grow and flourish. We use

Explore the role of higher education institutions in advancing decarbonization efforts in the context of their communities.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.penn.edu Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!Over half of the world’s population lives in cities and account for roughly 60% of the world’s ghg emissions, presenting both great opportunities and unique challenges for cities and the higher education institutions therein to address climate change. In this panel, we will explore the role of higher

Accomplished alumni working in the field of energy share insights for preparing for a successful entrance into the energy sector.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.penn.edu Please join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!The Kleinman Center will host a panel discussion between accomplished alumni working in the field of energy which will focus on preparing students for a successful entrance into the energy sector. Panelists will discuss their career trajectories, the lessons they have learned,

Explore the questions surrounding solar geoengineering with a panel with diverse views and backgrounds on the topic.This is a hybrid event. For those attending virtually, a Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!As the planet nears the critical warming threshold of 1.5C (3F), a class of controversial climate interventions, often described under the umbrella term of “Geoengineering”—the intentional manipulation of Earth’s planetary environment to offset the warming effects of carbon pollution--are coming increasingly into focus on the national and international policy stage. Such manipulations potentially include what’s

This public lecture analyzes repurposed energy as a critical solution to the many theoretical and real impediments to the energy transition.This is a hybrid event. For those attending virtually, a Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!As the impacts of climate change from drought, fire, flooding, and heat waves become increasingly dire, there is growing urgency in accelerating a clean energy transition from fossil fuels to zero-carbon energy infrastructure. At the same time, however, the hurdles to accomplishing such a massive industrial-scale transition seem increasingly high. These

Join us for a fireside chat exploring the intersection of human rights, climate change, and immigration in the global south.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduPlease join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!Join us for a fireside chat exploring the intersection of human rights, climate change, and immigration in the global south with one of this year’s University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Bok Visiting International Professors, Dean Raymon Atuguba of the University of Ghana

Anna Siefken, deputy director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), shares her expertise and insight.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduAs our planet inches closer to the maximum warming target of 1.5 C, signaling a point of no return, governments across the world are called upon to accelerate climate action and set aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. This unprecedented urgency requires us to prioritize sectors where focused action will have the most significant impact.Cutting emissions in the building

Senior Fellow Danny Cullenward discusses the Biden administration's use of incentive-based industrial policy in the energy transitionThis event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduPlease join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!The Biden administration is presiding over a fundamental shift in climate policy strategy, having embraced a series of incentive-based industrial policy measures as the primary means by which to accelerate the clean energy transition. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are mobilizing massive public

Accomplished alumni working in the field of energy share insights for preparing for a successful entrance into the energy sector.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduPlease join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!Interested in a career in the energy sector? The Kleinman Center will host a panel discussion between accomplished alumni working in the field of energy which will focus on preparing students for a successful entrance into the energy sector. Panelists will discuss their

Join us for a lunchtime conversation with climate and environmental champion Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduBoxed lunches will be available to go following the event!Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has been a vocal advocate for climate action, consistently pushing for policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change. On the Senate floor, he has delivered nearly 300 “Time to Wake Up” speeches, which highlight the scientific

Visiting Scholar Stefan Ambec of the Toulouse School of Economics will review the challenges in the design of the EU's CBAM.This is a hybrid event. For those attending virtually, a Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!On the path to achieving carbon neutrality, the European Union (EU) has recently adopted a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to address carbon leakage from international trade. Visiting Scholar Stefan Ambec of the Toulouse School of Economics will review the challenges in the design of the EU's CBAM and discuss its

Visiting Scholar Severin Borenstein delves into the costs driving up bills, equitable solutions, and the debate overburdening "energy hogs".This is a hybrid event. For those attending virtually, a Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!Rapidly rising electricity bills in a few states foreshadow the impact of climate change on utility customers everywhere. What costs are driving those bills and what are the options for covering them? Some alternatives focus on distributing these costs according to wealth or income, while others would allocate a greater share to the

David Spence explores how to rescue the U.S. energy transition from voter partisanship.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!Why is the United States struggling to enact policies to reduce carbon emissions? Conventional wisdom holds that the wealthy and powerful are to blame, as the oligarchs and corporations that wield disproportionate sway over politicians prioritize their short-term financial interests over the climate’s long term health. David B. Spence argues that this top-down narrative misses a more important culprit—with critical consequences for the energy transition.Spence’s book, Climate of Contempt, offers a voter-centric, bottom-up explanation of national climate and energy

Learn more about Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and their potential for facilitating affordable decarbonization of the power sector.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!Consumers are adopting clean, flexible technologies such as smart thermostats, electric vehicles, and batteries at a rapid rate. Virtual power plants (VPPs) combine these technologies across participating customers to create a resource that can reduce, shift, or generate electricity when needed. By providing these services to the power system, VPPs can make significant contributions to grid reliability while directly compensating those consumers who participate. This presentation will introduce the concept of VPPs, describe their

Learn about the facets of Just Transition, key challenges, and opportunities, with insights from the Scottish Just Transition Commission.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!There is growing consensus that responses to the climate crisis must be embedded in justice thinking, and that mitigation and adaptation approaches should not create new or entrench old injustices. Just Transitions has emerged in response.According to the International Labour Organization, Just Transition refers to greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. Its manifestations

Join us to explore solutions for balancing renewable growth & land use.As the U.S. accelerates its clean energy transition, land use conflicts between renewable energy infrastructure and agricultural or forested landscapes have become increasingly important. States are grappling with this challenge in various ways. In Massachusetts the installation of ground-mount solar systems has led to notable losses in forest carbon, biodiversity, and agricultural land productivity since 2010. This discussion will examine the tradeoffs involved in siting renewable energy projects in the Northeast and beyond. Join us to explore strategies for scaling solar energy responsibly, ensuring that we preserve the environmental

Accomplished alumni working in the field of energy share insights for preparing for a successful entrance into the energy sector.This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus.Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.eduPlease join us for a reception at the Kleinman Center following the talk!Interested in a career in the energy sector? The Kleinman Center will host a panel discussion between accomplished alumni working in the field of energy which will focus on preparing students for a successful entrance into the energy sector. Panelists will discuss their career

Join us for a lunchtime conversation with Bob Inglis and Michael Mann, moderated by Kleinman Center Faculty Director Sanya Carley.Please join the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy for this conversation between Bob Inglis and Michael Mann, moderated by Sanya Carley. This discussion will focus on the importance of having good faith conservative voices in the conversation over climate and sustainability.---------------Throughout his career in public service, Bob Inglis has emerged as a leading conservative voice advocating for action on climate change. As the Executive Director of republicEn.org, a community of conservatives

Explore how the Distributed Capacity Procurement model empowers utilities to scale distributed energy resources (DERs) for a resilient grid.Pier LaFarge, Sparkfund's CEO, and Paul Bonney, Kleinman Center Board Member, will discuss the Distributed Capacity Procurement (DCP) model, which empowers utilities as leaders of the energy transition to meet the unprecedented demand for electric power driven by a return of US manufacturing, data center growth and electric transportation. With their deep understanding of the grid, utilities are uniquely positioned to lead the charge on planning, siting, deploying, and dispatching distributed capacity resources (DERs) to create a more resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective

What does 'net zero' mean? Explore pledges, energy equity, fossil fuel phaseouts, renewables, and the path to a Paris-aligned future.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!At COP21 in 2015, the world coalesced around what has come to be known as the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2C and pursue efforts towards 1.5C. In 2018, the IPCC published their special report on 1.5C, making it clear that a key milestone of achieving this aim is getting to “net zero”. By 2019, national pledges had started to come in. Starting with the UK,

Dive into the critical intersections of livestock production, sustainable food systems, and regenerative agriculture.Boxed lunches will be available to go following the talk!This talk, led by renowned food systems scientist and policy advocate Professor Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, delves into the critical intersections of livestock production, sustainable food systems, and regenerative agriculture. Drawing on over 25 years of leadership and research in agriculture, policy reform, and rural development, Professor Sibanda will discuss how innovative, regenerative livestock practices can drive food security, economic resilience, and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.Professor Sibanda will share insights from her work as Board Chair of