Overview
Thirty years ago, California “invented” a collection of technologies and policies to raise the energy efficiency of its buildings, applianc
es and cars. Now, California faces a tremendous challenge: reducing carbon emissions while maintaining a vigorous economy. Can the Golden State pull it off? It pays to look back at a similar challenge for guidance, inspiration and mistakes to avoid.
A group of speakers intimately involved with those early innovations – from physicists to politicians – will recall and reflect on their actions. Today’s decision-makers in government, industry, and other sectors will then comment on the "lessons learned" and how they can be applied to reducing carbon emissions.
Forums will be convened, each illustrating California’s rich history as an innovator of energy-efficient technologies and policies, and how those ideas have spread across the nation and the world. Each session will be a combination of thoughtful reflection and untold stories which, together, will form an essential foundation for students and professionals in the fields of energy, environment, and policy. Presentations and commentary will be available on the web.
The Roots of Energy Efficiency: How California Changed the Way the World Uses Energy is organized around broad themes:
Policy innovations in energy efficiency (held October 14, 2008)
Technology innovations in energy efficiency (held April 17, 2009)
The first part in this series took place October 14, 2008 at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on the main campus of the University of California, Davis. The second in the series took place on April 17, 2009 at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in downtown Sacramento, CA.
To view the complete video (Parts 1, 2 & 3) of the first Roots event held in April, please click here.
To view the complete video (Parts 4, 5, & 6) of the second Roots event held in October, please click here.