Energy Resilience in a Changing Climate
The Thirteenth Annual Lesley K. McAllister Symposium on Climate and Energy Law took place in a two-day webinar on November 5th and 12th, 2021. Academics, practitioners, and policy experts discussed whether our energy systems can be resilient in the face of a changing climate. The event explored two challenges related to this theme.
- Extreme Weather - This event will explore whether our energy systems are prepared for increasingly common extreme weather events, including heatwaves, ice storms, wildfires, and floods.
- Decarbonization - This event will explore whether our energy systems are prepared to handle a range of climate solutions, including decarbonization of electricity and electrification of transportation and buildings.
Climate Risk and Resilience: Lessons from COVID-19
The Twelfth Annual Lesley K. McAllister Symposium on Climate and Energy Law, took place in a two-day webinar on November 6th and 13th, 2020. Academics and policy experts discussed what lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to climate risk and resilience.
- Role of Government – What is the proper role of government and the private sector to prepare for climate risk? What legal impediments frustrate action? Does federalism help or hurt our ability to prepare for and respond to disasters? What can we learn from examples of how local, state and national governments and global institutions have responded to COVID-19?
- Investment and Insurance – How will climate change affect investment and insurance decisions? In particular, how will we address the built environment in the face of climate impacts? What are the legal issues around managed retreat? Is there an upside to investing in infrastructure, devices, and methods that enhance resilience? How is risk factored into today’s decisions?
- Equity - How will climate impacts affect vulnerable communities? Are there useful parallels between how COVID-19 has affected these populations and how they will be affected by climate impacts? How will climate impacts affect communities differently and does this warrant different adaptation and resilience strategies?
The Future of Energy in a Changing Climate
The eleventh annual Symposium, which took place November 8, 2019, discussed how the recent wildfires and power shut-off events throughout California have highlighted the challenge of operating an electric utility in a changing climate. During the event regulators, utility executives, scholars, and other experts discussed:
- California’s Public Safety Power Shut-off policy
- Wildfire cost recovery
- Utility fire prevention programs
- Research on future wildfire dangers
- Utility long-term planning
- Social equity implications
View agenda from the 11th Annual Climate and Energy Symposium
Watch the webcast from the 11th Annual Climate and Energy Symposium
Looking Beyond Fossil Fuels in The Trump Era
The tenth annual Symposium, which took place on November 9, 2018, explored changes to climate and energy policy made under the Trump presidency. The discussion included Federal policy expanding fossil fuels under Trump, how these policies affect California's climate goals, and how these policies on fossil fuels affect pathways to long-term decarbonization. They Keynote Panel featured Representative Scott Peters and California Air Resources Chair Mary Nichols. In addition, agency representatives, practitioners, and legal scholars discussed these topics.
Energy and Climate Policy Under the Current Presidential Administration, Congress, and Courts
The ninth annual Symposium took place on November 3, 2017. The discussion included the transition from the Obama presidency to the Trump presidency marking a significant change in approaches to climate and energy policy. The current Administration has stated its intent to reverse much of the Obama era climate and energy policy and regulation. At the University of San Diego’s Ninth Annual Climate & Energy Law Symposium, state leaders, practitioners, and legal scholars analyzed and assessed a range of related topics on three panels.
The Changing Landscape of Energy and Climate Policy in the West
The eighth annual symposium took place on November 4, 2016 and featured a keynote panel with Travis Kavulla, Commissioner of Montana Public Service Commission and President and Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC); DeAnn (Dede) Hapner, Vice President of FERC and ISO Relations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company; and Adrianna Kripke, Senior Environmental Counsel of San Diego Gas & Electric. Speakers discussed the regional expansion of the California ISO, regional climate and energy policy approaches, and the state approaches to climate and energy policy in the west.
California to Paris: Linking Energy and Climate Policy at the Subnational, National, and International Levels
The seventh annual symposium took place on November 7, 2015 and featured a keynote panel with Congressman Scott Peters (D-52) and Ken Alex, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jerry Brown. Speakers discussed the legal challenges and state responses to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, the role of subnational entities, including state, provinces, and cities in international climate agreements, and expectations for the Paris Climate talks.
Innovative Regulatory and Business Models in a Changing Electric Industry
The sixth annual symposium took place on November 7, 2014 and featured a keynote panel with Jon Wellinghoff, Stoel Rives Partner and former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Jim Avery, Senior Vice President of Power Supply at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Speakers discussed options for the utility of the future, the role of distributed technologies as drivers of change, and possible regulatory models compatible with the future of the electric grid.
California in the Spotlight: Successes and Challenges in Climate Change Law
The fifth annual symposium, which took place on November 8, 2013, featured keynote addresses by Congressman Scott Peters and Virgil Welsh, Special Assistant to Chair Mary Nichols at the California Air Resources Board. Speakers discussed the strengths and weaknesses of California’s cap-and-trade program, the outlook for emission reductions in the transportation sector, and the promotion of low-carbon energy, particularly solar energy.
Law in a Distributed Energy Future
The fourth annual symposium featured keynote addresses by then California Energy Commission Commissioner Carla Peterman and Ken Alex, Senior Advisor to Governor Jerry Brown and Director of the Office of Planning and Research. Speakers discussed the rules that govern the electricity grid change to incorporate distributed generation, the possibilities for generating energy at the neighborhood and community levels, and the legal and policy innovations at the federal, state and local levels needed to accommodate a distributed energy future.
Advancing a Clean Energy Future
The third annual symposium featured a keynote address by Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Panelists discussed the role of states in renewable energy development, policies to encourage clean energy and energy efficiency, and the balance between renewable energy development and environmental concerns.
Next-Generation Regulation: Instrument Choice in Climate Law
The second annual symposium featured a keynote address by Jody Freeman, Professor of Law at Harvard University and Former White House Counselor for Energy and Climate Change. Panelists discussed market mechanism and tax law options to reduce greenhouse gases and whether traditional legal and policy mechanisms are still relevant. The 2010 symposium also included a workshop on the challenges of and opportunities for siting renewable energy systems, which included a keynote presentation by former California Energy Commissioner John Geesman.
Federal Preemption or State Prerogative: California in the Face of National Climate Policy
The keynote speaker was Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board. Panelists discussed whether states law and policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are preempted by federal law and ways to integrate state and federal actions.
