Pages (3 results)
TopAnalysis & Control (EMAC) Energy Modeling
The Energy Modeling, Analysis and Control (EMAC) group addresses the engineering and techno-economic challenges to decarbonizing electric power systems. Our work ranges from applied to theoretical. Much of our work focuses on building new control and optimization frameworks to facilitate the operation of low carbon grids.
Faculty by Primary Interest
Areas of Interest Climate Change ERG COREDavid AnthoffDavid Anthoff is an environmental economist who studies climate change and environmental policy. He co-develops the integrated assessment model FUND that is used ... Continue Reading »
Affiliated Faculty
ERG has a small core faculty but a much larger group of affiliated faculty. Affiliated faculty are based in other departments on campus or at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ... Continue Reading »
Faculty (2 results)
TopMargaret Torn
Adjunct Professor
The focus of my work is carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and trace-gas flux between soil and atmosphere. I conduct research on soil carbon, global change, and the impacts of human activities on ecosystem processes.
Duncan Callaway
ERG Chair, Professor
Dr. Callaway’s teaching focuses on power systems and data science. His research can be categorized in three areas: modeling and control of aggregated storage devices; power management; and system analysis of energy technologies and their impact.
Students (4 results)
TopDakota Pekerti
MS
Dakota Pekerti (he/him) is a first-year Master’s student in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. Dakota is passionate about working in sustainable development in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, ... Continue Reading »
- climate
- development
- ecology / environmental science
- economics
- energy
- Environmental / Climate Equity
- transportation
Eleanor Adachi
MPP, MS
Eleanor Adachi (she/her) is a Master’s student in both the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and a NSF Graduate Research Fellow. ... Continue Reading »
Cristina Crespo Montanes
MS, PhD
I am an Industrial Engineer, a PhD Candidate at the Energy and Resources Group (UC Berkeley), and a researcher in the Energy Markets and Policy Department at the Lawrence Berkeley ... Continue Reading »
Dennis Best
MS, PhD
Dennis has focused his career on technology and sustainability policy in emerging and developing economies. His research interests include technology and innovation policy and impacts to resource and rural development, ... Continue Reading »
- Agriculture
- China
- climate
- economics
- energy
- energy policy
- environmental markets and design
- geospatial analysis
- industrial ecology
- Innovation systems
- rural development
- South East Asia and Latin America
- technology policy
Alumni (17 results)
TopChelsi Sparti
MS
Chelsi belongs to the Winnemem, Nomtipom, and Nomsus bands of the Northern Wintu people, and is of European settler descent. She carries out collaborative research with Puerto Rican residents to ... Continue Reading »
- climate resilience
- decarbonization
- Disaster Recovery
- energy
- environmental justice
- governance
- policy
- Risk Mitigation
Christian Miller
MPP, MS
Measuring California’s Energy Service Affordability (MS ’19) Christian is fascinated by energy end-uses’ effect on communities’ economic and political well-being. While his formal scientific background is in biorenewable resources, his ... Continue Reading »
- climate
- development
- economics
- energy
- energy policy
- equitable energy access
- rural electrification
- transportation
Sara Mulhauser
MPP, MS
Battery Energy Storage Technology Adoption & Electric Utility Structure (MS ’19) Sara is an architect who delved into distributed generation while developing fuel cell projects for Bloom Energy. She became ... Continue Reading »
Will Gorman
MS, PhD
Effects of Electricity Consumption and Rate Design on Solar Plus Storage-enabled Grid Defection (MS ’19) “Sunsetting the Grid? Opportunities for Customer-Sited Solar and Storage in Modern Electricity Systems (PhD ’22) ... Continue Reading »
- Demand Side Management
- Distributed energy resources
- economics
- electricity storage
- energy policy
- renewable energy
- transportation
Bodie Cabiyo
MA, PhD
Bodie uses interdisciplinary approaches to investigate nature-based solutions to climate change. He currently studies how policy and innovative technology can enable carbon-beneficial forest management. This work bridges industrial ecology, forest ... Continue Reading »
Julia Szinai
MPP, MS, PhD
Julia studied economics and Spanish at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, and realized her interest in energy and environmental issues while a research assistant at the UC Energy Institute. After ... Continue Reading »
- climate change
- demand response
- electric system planning
- electric vehicles
- energy policy
- energy water nexus
- renewable integration
Alana Siegner
MA, PhD
Growing Environmental Literacy: On Small-Scale Farms, in the Urban Agroecosystem, and in School Garden Classrooms (PhD ’20) Alana Siegner graduated from Tufts University in 2012 with a double major in ... Continue Reading »
Jim Williams
MS, PhD
M.S. 1986 – A Vehicular Power Plant Application of the Monolithic Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Ph.D. 1995 – Fan-Lizhi’s Big Bang: Science and Politics in Mao’s China ERG alumnus Jim Williams, now ... Continue Reading »
- acid rain
- Arctic haze
- China
- comparative religion
- cosmology
- dissidents and outlaws
- economic globalization and cultural survival
- fuel-cell powered vehicles
- global change
- over the last ten years: speech synthesizers
- science and politics
- the theory and practice of Utopia
Scott Saleska
PhD
Global Climate Change and Ecosystem Carbon Storage: An Experimental Investigation of Ecologically-Mediated Feedbacks to Climate in Montane Meadows (’98 Ph.D.)
- ecology of environmental systems (eg. global climate)
- environmental impact of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons production
- how to implement and practice "public interest science"
- modeling life-cycle environmental impacts of human activities
- social justice and environmental sustainability
Cristina Castanha
PhD
Soil Organic Matter Storage and Turnover Along Granite and Basalt Climate Transects in California Uplands (04 PhD)
Daniel Sanchez
MS, PhD
Daniel L. Sanchez holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Energy and Resources. He is interested in quantitative analysis to inform public policy, focusing on bioenergy and climate policy. His past research focused on design, deployment, and commercialization of bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) technologies. Daniel has previously held positions with the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), Green for All, and the California Public Utilities Commission.
Fermin Reygadas
MS, PhD
Point-of-Use Ultraviolet Water Disinfection: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Safe Water for Rural Households of Baja California Sur, Mexico (MS ’07) From Efficacy to Sustained Use. A Comprehensive Evaluation of an Ultraviolet ... Continue Reading »
Autumn Preskill
MS, PhD
Autumn Petros-Good received her B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2009, and her M.S. from ERG in 2011 and her PhD from ERG in 2015. She worked on ... Continue Reading »
- energy distribution & management policy
- mathematical programming approaches to energy problems
- Renewable energy usage
Ana Mileva
MPP, MS, PhD
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, System Flexibility Requirements, and Drivers of Storage Deployment in the Western North American Power System through 2050 (PhD ’14) Ana’s PhD research is in modeling electricity ... Continue Reading »
Zoë Chafe
MPH, MS, PhD
Dr. Chafe works at the intersections of public health, air pollution, climate change, and energy use. She holds a PhD from the Energy and Resources Group (ERG), as well as ... Continue Reading »
- climate
- climate change and public health
- co-benefits (ancillary benefits) of climate change mitigation
- development
- energy
- energy transitions and impacts on air pollution
- heating and cooking with solid fuels
- household energy policy options
- Household energy use trends
- short-lived greenhouse pollutants
News (21 results)
TopA Battery of Choices – Energy Storage in the 21st Century
March 1, 2018
As the world moves away from using traditional fossil fuels and towards sources of renewable energy like wind and solar, securing cost-effective ways to store this electricity is essential. ERG ... Continue Reading »
Carbon Footprints CNR’s Breakthroughs Magazine Highlights ERG Students and Faculty for Research on Energy Storage
December 2, 2017
The College of Natural Resources has issued its Fall 2017 Breakthroughs magazine, featuring research from many ERG students and faculty. From Chris Jones and Dan Kammen’s comprehensive carbon footprint calculator ... Continue Reading »
Students return from KTH Royal Institute of Technology exchange
August 22, 2024
The eight-week exchange program offered participants the opportunity to study energy research abroad.
Can railways provide a solution for energy reliability?
June 22, 2023
ERG’s Jill Moraski recently published a paper in Nature Energy examining the potential to use the US rail system as a nationwide backup transmission grid over which containerized batteries, or ... Continue Reading »
ERG’s Dan Kammen on How Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Underscores the Urgency of Shifting to Renewable Energy
March 7, 2022
ERG's Dan Kammen was featured in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times proposing that Russian aggression has hastened the need for America and other nations to transition away from relying on fossil fuels. (Photo by Karsten Würth)
Report ERG Researchers at LBNL Hybrid Power Plants See Optimal Financial Return With 2-Hour Batteries
November 22, 2021
ERG PhD student Will Gorman (MS ’19) and Cristina Crespo Montanes (MS) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) were featured in a recent article in Utility Dive, sharing how ... Continue Reading »
ERG Dan Kammen Addresses Texas’ Recent Electric Grid Failure
March 23, 2021
In a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, titled "Why the massive power outages in Texas are so much worse than California's summer blackouts," features ERG professor Dan Kammen discussing how such energy outages have highlighted a similarity between California and Texas. “What is so interesting here is that like in California — extreme weather (for us, fires) — has stressed an old, outdated and ‘not smart’ grid,” Kammen stated. “Without well-integrated solar, wind, AND energy storage our grids are vulnerable.”
Carbon Pricing ERG’s Dan Kammen Interviewed in MCJ Podcast On Nuclear Energy
October 14, 2020
ERG professor Dan Kammen was featured in the latest episode of the My Climate Journey (MCJ) Podcast. Kammen discussed numerous topics, including the feasibility of carbon pricing in the US, the implications of switching a fossil fuel economy to a renewable economy, and much more. "There's no question that 100% renewables is possible. I've done a lot of research, my lab works on scenarios to get the U.S., China, Mexico, Kenya, Bangladesh, Morocco to 100% renewables. And in many cases where the technology mix is improving enough, the climate favors that you can do that. It's also a case that we are not today ready to think about a solar and wind only world, but solar and wind plus storage, plus geothermal, plus potentially nuclear," Kammen states.
ERG Kammen on New Berkeley Study — “90% carbon-free electricity achievable by 2035”
September 15, 2020
In a new Berkeley study “2035 – The Report: Plummeting Solar, Wind, and Battery Costs Can Accelerate Our Clean Energy Future,” ERG professor Dan Kammen comments that its findings of the U.S. being able to achieve 90% carbon-free, “clean” electricity could become a reality. "That goal – 90% carbon-free electricity by 2035 – can be achieved without increasing consumer electricity costs 'at all,'" Kammen states. "Solar, wind, and storage costs have fallen so significantly that even conservative leaders, conservative states, districts, countries can legitimately look at renewables, and actually economically need to look at renewables, as their next purchases.”
ERG Professor Kammen on How California’s Power Outages Pose New Challenges
August 26, 2020
ERG Professor Dan Kammen was recently featured on U.S. News explaining the severity of California's energy shortages. Despite pandemic restrictions that have somewhat reduced overall electricity demand in California, Kammen points out the rising demand for electricity due to heat waves. "Investments in electricity storage and distribution would [allow California avoid future rolling blackouts]. But those could be expensive, and even harder to budget for at a time when the state faces huge deficits amid the pandemic-related slowdown," Kammen stated.
‘Cheaper to save the climate’— ERG Professor Lara Kueppers Comments on Clean Energy Study
July 1, 2020
Following a recent UC Berkeley study showing how the United States can achieve 90% clean electricity by 2035, ERG Professor Lara Kuepper commented on the importance of reducing harmful emissions. This report, featured on The Daily Californian, found that by "prioritizing energy generated from wind, solar and battery storage, decarbonizing electricity at a rapid rate is possible."
Challenges ERGies Contribute to IEEE “Electricity for All: Issues
September 9, 2019
Several ERGies recently contributed articles to an IEEE Special Issue on "Electricity for All: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions for Energy-Disadvantaged Communities."
Noah Kittner and Dan Kammen Argue for Solar and Wind Over Hydropower in Nature Article
May 16, 2019
Recent ERG alum Noah Kittner (MS ’15, PhD ’18) and professor Dan Kammen, along with Stanford postdoc Rafael Schmitt and UC Berkeley professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Matt ... Continue Reading »
ERG Research Shows Reliability of Independent Solar Power in Sub-Saharan Africa
October 18, 2018
Nature Energy recently published research by ERG PhD Student Jonathan Lee and Professor Duncan Callaway quantifying the cost of reliability for decentralized solar and battery systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their ... Continue Reading »
Paper Authored by PhD Candidate Noah Kittner and Professor Dan Kammen Published in Nature Energy
August 16, 2017
Noah Kittner and Dan Kammen's new paper, "Energy storage deployment and innovation for the clean energy transition," was published in Nature Energy on July 31, 2017
ERG Student Valeri Vasquez Awarded Prestigious Fellowship
August 11, 2017
We would like to congratulate ERG PhD student Valerie Vasquez on receiving a 2017 ACM SIGHPC/Intel Computational and Data Science Fellowship.
Renewable Dis-integration?
April 12, 2017
ERG associate professor Duncan Callaway co-authored this post with ARE associate professor Meredith Fowlie for the Energy Institute at Haas blog on grid dis-integration and the potential economic effects of grid defection.
ERG Professor Kammen: We’re Placing Far too much Hope in Pulling Carbon Dioxide Out of the Air
October 20, 2016
ERG professor Dan Kammen commented for the Washington Post on the uncertainty of negative emissions as a viable fix for the planet's warming.
Beyond emissions: The promise of products from captured carbon
November 6, 2015
ERG Ph.D candidate, Daniel Sanchez, shares his research on capturing, sequestering and burning carbon with GreenBiz.
23-year experiment finds surprising global warming impacts
February 11, 2015
Professor John Harte and team's paper on results of a 23-year ecosystem experiment in Rocky Mountain meadowlands featured in Guardian.
Time to implement the U.S.-China climate accord
February 3, 2015
Dr. Dan Kammen in Al Jazeera reminds us not to forget US and China's strategic climate partnership.