Michael Grubb, professor of energy and climate change at University College London, will present the lecture "Revolution and Regulation in the U.K. Electricity System: Model or Warning?" at noon on Friday, December 1, in Duke's Environment Hall room 2102.

The U.K. was widely seen as one of the world’s leaders on electricity deregulation in the early 1990s. Though the model of liberalisation went through significant changes, many international observers were surprised when in 2010 the new U.K. government embarked on a fundamental reform, giving the state a far more prominent role. To many, it has seemed like abandoning the principles of market competition that had defined the U.K. approach.

Grubb will discuss the UK’s Electricity Market Reform legislation and how, some three years on, the U.K. has seen a collapse in coal generation and dramatic reductions in the cost of renewable energy. 

This talk is part of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and the University Program in Environmental Policy seminar series featuring leading experts discussing a variety of pressing environmentally focused topics. 

Heather Randell, postdoctoral fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, will discuss "The Impact of Climate Change on Educational Attainment: Evidence from the Global Tropics," on Thursday, October 12, in Environmental Hall on the Duke University campus.

Junjie Zhang, director of the iMEP Program and Environmental Research Center at Duke Kunshan University, will present “Economics of Environmental Data Manipulation,” 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 12.

California has adopted a host of policies, including a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), a low-carbon fuel standard, energy efficiency standards, and a cap-and-trade system, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under its landmark California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). Tim Duane, Stanley Legro Visiting Professor in Environmental Law at the University of San Diego School of Law, will discuss the environmental justice ramifications of such policies on disadvantaged communities. It’s an issue that three state agencies must address to win legislative approval of a new goal: a 40 percent GHG emissions reduction and a 50 percent RPS target by 2030. All three agencies—the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission (CEC), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)—are considering how to do so. Duane will describe those efforts, highlight conflicts among some of the parties about how to define disadvantaged communities, and explore how progress toward achieving environmental justice goals may be measured and evaluated by the agencies. He will focus on the integrated resource planning proceedings before the CPUC and CEC.

Veronica Herrera, assistant professor of political science at the University of Connecticut, will present "Water and Politics: Clientelism and Reform in Urban Mexico," from 10-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18.

The electricity sector is in a period of rapid change. It is being transformed by the growth of domestic natural gas and its increased use for electric generation, the rapid progress of renewable technologies, and the response to environmental requirements and goals, especially related to climate change. In addition, smart grid technology is allowing customers to interact with the grid in unprecedented ways, paving the way for more demand response and distributed technologies.

Aseem Prakash, professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington, will present "Do Fairness vs. Effectiveness Tradeoffs Influence Public Support for Pollution Reduction? The "Odd-Even" Road Space Rationing Rule in India," 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, March 24.

Daniel C. Miller, assistant professor of natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will present “Assessing the Long-Term Impacts of International Aid for Forests” on Friday, March 10, 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Environment Hall 2102.  

Dale Whittington, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will present "Ancient Instincts: Implications for Water Policy in the 21st Century" on Friday, November 18 from 10-11:30 a.m. in LSRC A156.

Since 1986 Whittington has worked for the World Bank and other international agencies on the development and application of techniques for estimating the economic value of environmental resources in developing countries, with a particular focus on water and sanitation and vaccine policy issues.

Jessica Green, assistant professor of environmental studies at NYU, will present "Blurred Lines: Public-Private Interactions in Carbon Regulations" on Friday, November 4 from 10-11:30 a.m. in LSRC A156.

Sue Biniaz, lead climate change lawyer for the U.S. State Department, will present “Drafting the Climate Agreements, from Rio to Kyoto to Paris” 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, October 28, in LSRC A156.

Stacy VanDeveer, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will present the talk "Transnational Governance Experiments: From Climate Change to Mining and the Minerals Life Cycle,” on Friday, October 21, from 10-11:30 a.m. in LSRC A156.

McKenzie Johnson, a Ph.D. candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, will present the talk "Strong Institutions in Weak States: Institution Building, Natural Resource Governance, and Conflict in Ghana and Sierra Leone," on Friday, October 14, 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

The electricity sector is in a period of rapid change. The shale gas revolution and a suite of new environmental regulations have contributed to a dramatic decline in the percent of electricity generation from coal since 2009 and shifted the region to increased gas generation. At the same time, steep declines in the cost of distributed solar generation, the proliferation of smart meters, thermostats and appliances, and dynamic retail pricing are revolutionizing the way consumers interact with the grid. 

Paul Armsworth, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will present a talk on "The Ecological Benefits and Economic Costs of Protected Areas" 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, September 9. Armsworth will discuss how protected areas provide a corner-stone in efforts to conserve biodiversity in the face of ongoing habitat loss and degradation. 

Michael Dworkin, professor of law and director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment at the Vermont Law School, will discuss "Global Energy Justice," at 10 a.m. April 29 on the Duke University Campus.

Jesse Ribot of the University of Illinois will discuss "The Dangers of Explaining Climate Crisis: The Contentiousness of Cause" 10 a.m. April 15 on the Duke University Campus. 

Join the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Kenan Institute for Ethics, and the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action for “Climate Change Is Not a Leap of Faith: On Being a Climate Scientist and an Evangelical Christian” 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in Field Auditorium on the first floor of Environment Hall.