SPEAKER: Michael Wara Senior Research Scholar, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment Stanford University DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 2018 TIME: 4:00-5:15pm PLACE: 126 Barrows TITLE: Integrating Regional Energy Policy with California’s Go-it-Alone Climate Policy DESCRIPTION: California recently extended its cap-and-trade program to 2030, including very ambitious economy wide targets. At the same time, the success of renewable support policies in the state is increasing the urgency of moving from a single-state wholesale electricity market to a western regional structure. These two processes interact in important ways and create unique technical, governance and legal risks. Successfully integrating regional energy governance with widely disparate views on climate policy is in the west’s interest, and will advance California’s energy and climate objectives, but must be approached with awareness of both its opportunities and its risks. BIO: Michael Wara is a senior research scholar at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program. He provides fact-based, bipartisan, technical and legal assistance to policymakers engaged in the development of novel climate and energy law and regulation. He also facilitates the connection of Stanford faculty with climate and energy policy, leveraging Stanford’s expertise to craft real world solutions to these challenges. Wara’s scholarship focuses on carbon pricing, energy innovation, and regulated industries. Prior to joining Woods, Wara was an associate professor at Stanford Law School. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and his Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz.