Energy
Our energy research addresses the impact of energy policies on growing climate concerns, with the goal of increasing regional resiliency. We frequently partner with the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy on these endeavors.
Current Project
City and County Fleet Electrification under California’s Advanced Clean Fleet Regulations
As part of California’s climate change adaptation goals, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) established "Advanced Clean Fleets" regulations (ACF) in 2023 with specific timetables for municipal fleet electrification. For many public entities, 100% of new purchases of medium and heavy-duty vehicles must be zero-emission by December 2027.
How have local agencies been managing this massive transition? Since the spring of 2024, Bill Lane Center researchers have been investigating local government efforts to comply with California’s ACF regulations. Students and faculty, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), are engaged in ongoing research to better understand the ACF compliance process, and the barriers that cities and counties have encountered.
Projects
U.S.-Mexico Energy-Water Nexus Project
This project represents the Center's efforts to support the State of California’s commitment to tackling climate change and work together with its southern neighbor, Mexico. It explores water management and energy policy in the context of climate change and analyzes the best framework for addressing their mutual impacts.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Project
In 2019, we looked at public opinion toward the implementation of two different types of wind turbines in the U.S. and China. Vertical and horizontal wind turbines have different advantages and disadvantages. The comparison of these different technologies tested the sensitivity of public receptiveness to particular design features.
Wildfire Mitigation Data Systems Project - This project by student researchers Alex Evers and Prateek Joshi started as a summer internship with the Western Interstate Energy Board and focused on creating a Western Interconnection Wildfire Mitigation Data System (WMDS). The research proposes that data on ignition events and probable ignition events be collected from electric utilities throughout the Western Interconnection and aggregated into a regional data system. The goal is to reduce occurrences of utility-caused wildfires in the West by sharing best practices for wildfire mitigation based upon analysis of the compiled data.
