Past Events

Transitioning buildings from natural gas to clean electricity, such as through heating and cooling systems, water heaters, and cooking equipment, will be key to reaching California’s emissions reductions goals. The City of Berkeley has taken a lead on this issue by banning natural gas hookups in new low-rise construction. Earlier this month, the ban survived a challenge in federal court, although opponents are planning to appeal the decision. At our next Lunch & Learn, join us to discuss the path to building decarbonization in California. Panelists will include Berkeley City Councilwoman Kate Harrison, who sponsored the bill, Denise Grab of the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Ethan Elkind of CLEE.

This session considers the role of digital technology in creating sustainable and low-emission mobility. Focusing on the energy and environmental aspects of urban transportation, panelists will discuss trends and dynamics of shared mobility and automation that are predicted to impact the future of transportation systems in California and Europe. With Susan Shaheen (Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center and Innovative Mobility Research Lab, UC Berkeley); Guenter Emberger (Head of the Institute of Transportation / Research Center for Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering at TU Wien); and Alexander Keimer (Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies).

Presented in partnership with the Office of Science and Technology Austria (OSTA), Washington DC, and the Austria Centers of North America. Co-sponsored by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, Berkeley Law

Lunch & Learn: Engineered Carbon Capture

Tuesday, May 25
12:30-1:30 PM PT

Lunch & Learn: The Future of Plastic

ELQ/CLEE Wildfire Symposium 

Berkeley Law Environmental Awards Banquet

Data for Grid Decarbonization

Wednesday, April 7
10:00 am – 11:00 am PT

California’s electricity infrastructure is entering a period of profound change, with state leaders striving for carbon neutrality by 2045 amid increasingly severe heat waves and wildfires that threaten grid resiliency. Developers are introducing a range of flexible grid technologies to meet these challenges that rely on abundant energy data that can maximize the flexible use of diverse energy resources. CLEE and UCLA Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment recently released Data Access for a Decarbonized Grid, a report detailing the challenges facing optimal energy data access and a set of high-priority solutions. Join us for an upcoming webinar to further explore these findings and solutions.

Tuesday, March 16
1:00-2:00 pm PT

Tuesday, February 23
1:00 pm PT

The Law of the Sea: A Multi-Faceted Discipline and a Promising Field for Practitioners

Wednesday, January 27
1:00 pm PT

Lunch & Learn: Reversing Federal Environmental Rollbacks

Wednesday, January 27
1:00 pm PT

Over the past four years, the Trump Administration has rolled back environmental protection across the federal government. President Biden’s first executive order on climate calls on federal agencies to immediately begin reviewing their environmental rules and policies. Join Berkeley Law’s own Ken Alex, Daniel Farber, and Ted Lamm tomorrow for a discussion of the current environmental regulatory landscape and how the new administration might go about reversing some of these rollbacks.

Accelerating Engineered Carbon Removal in California

Wednesday, January 27
10:00am PT

Featuring: Uduak-Joe Ntuk, California ​State Oil and Gas Supervisor, California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM); Anne Canavati, Research Analyst, Energy Futures Initiative; Keith Pronske, President and Chief Executive Officer, Clean Energy Systems.

Transitioning From Fossil Fuel Dependency

Tuesday, November 17
1:00-2:00pm PT

Join us for a conversation about the transition away from a fossil fuel economy and some of the implications and strategies for facilitating a just transition. Patrick Heller (Natural Resource Governance Institute), Roger Lin (UC Berkeley Environmental Law Clinic), and Sarah White (Governor’s Office of Planning & Research) will discuss national-level economics, state approaches, and community initiatives at the center of our clean energy transition.

Climate Risks to the US Financial System: Urgent & Decisive Action Needed

Wednesday, October 28
11AM – 12PM PT

Climate change poses a systemic risk to the U.S. financial system, concludes the recently released and first-ever comprehensive report on climate risk sponsored by a U.S. financial regulator, Managing Climate Risks to the US Financial System. Commissioner Rostin Behnam of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the report’s sponsor, will share key findings. Dave Jones, Director of CLEE’s Climate Risk Initiative, Divya Mankikar, Investment Manager, CalPERs, and Ilmi Granoff, Director, Sustainable Finance, Climate Works Foundation, will discuss the report’s recommendations for US financial regulators and financial institutions to urgently and decisively address climate risk. Join us for this timely discussion on climate change-related risks and opportunities for the financial sector.

Criminalization of Climate Migrants

Tuesday, October 27
10:00 AM PT

Join E. Tendayi Achiume and Maxine A. Burkett for the inaugural Webinar hosted by the Immigrant Justice and Climate Refugees Working Group. E. Tendayi Achiume is a Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law and Faculty Director of the UCLA Law Promise Institute for Human Rights. Maxine A. Burkett is a Professor of Law, University of Hawai’i School of Law and Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The conversation will explore the relationship between climate change and the criminalization of migrants, identify relevant questions to deepen our understanding, and create a foundation for developing strategies to address interdisciplinary issues.

Environmental & Energy Law Happy Hour

Thursday, November 13, 2019
Freehouse, Berkeley
5:30-7:30PM

Join Berkeley Law’s E&E student groups, alumni, and the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) for an E&E happy hour. Thanks to CLEE Partners Baker Botts, Hanson Bridgett, and Baker Hostetler.

Join us on Thursday, June 20, 10-11am to discuss our new report, “Low Income, High Efficiency.” Our free webinar will feature Ethan Elkind and Ted Lamm of CLEE’s Climate Program, together with California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister, Peter Armstrong of Wakeland Housing, and Martha Campbell of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Improving the energy performance of existing buildings will be key to achieving California’s efficiency and greenhouse gas emission goals. But low-income, multifamily buildings face some of the greatest obstacles, including difficult access to capital, complex financing arrangements, and competing renovation needs. Our new report discusses policy and program reforms to help increase access to energy efficiency measures in these buildings.

Electric Vehicles and Global Urban Adoption: Policies and Perspectives from France and California

From Brussels to the Bay: Climate Risk and Sustainable Finance in the EU and California

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Infill Planning Webinar

Ethan Elkind, Director of CLEE’s Climate Program, hosted an Infill Planning webinar that covered CLEE’s new guidance report on infill planning.  The report reviews 20 infill-supportive policies with sample policy language, as well as recommendations on financing, CEQA exemptions, and other infill implementation measures.

For a more information and a recording of the webinar, please click here.

Mono Lake at 20 Symposium

2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) landmark Decision 1631 to amend the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s water rights to protect Mono Lake and its tributary creeks. The decision was the first in the state’s history to integrate the Water Code, Fish and Game Code, and the common law of public trust, to achieve such a result.

UC Berkeley’s Wheeler Institute for Water Law and Policy, joined by stakeholders in the Mono Lake Cases, convened this symposium to address several fundamental questions on this twentieth anniversary of D-1631. For more information and for video of the event, please click here.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Friday, May 9, 2014

CLEE Certificate Ceremony

1:30pm to 3:30pm
Room 100

Berkeley Law Faculty, Staff & Students came together to honor the 2014 recipients of the Berkeley Law Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law and Certificate of Specialization in Energy & Clean Technology Law.

Monday, April 14, 2014

CLEE Environmental and Energy Curriculum Roll-Out

12:45pm to 2:00pm
Room 244
Lunch served

Join Berkeley Law environmental and energy professors as they discuss the courses offered in Fall 2014, and explain the requirements for the two certificates we offer: Environmental Law and Energy & Clean Technology Law.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

CLEE Speaker Series: The Future of Transit-Oriented Infill Development in California

105 Law Building
12:45pm to 2:00pm
Lunch served

Please join experts from academia, planning and development, and local government law as we discuss the future of rail and infill development in our city centers.  Berkeley Law/CLEE’s Ethan Elkind will discuss his new book, Railtown, on the history of rail in Los Angeles and lessons to guide future rail and infill development.

Erin Chalmers of Shute Mihaly & Weinberger will discuss recent litigation and implementation efforts on SB 375, including the current California Court of Appeal case involving San Diego’s Regional Transportation Plan.

Patrick Kennedy of Panoramic Interests, headquartered in Berkeley, will ground the discussion in the practical reality of building infill projects and their attendant challenges. Since 1990, Panoramic has completed 13 mixed-use, infill projects in and around downtown Berkeley, California.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

CLEE Speaker Series

Arctic Stewards: The Role of Alaska Natives in Managing Arctic Marine Resources

240 Law Building

12:45pm to 2:00pm

Flyer

Dr. Mengerink will discuss the role and rights of Alaska Natives in managing marine resources with a special focus on marine subsistence resources. In particular, she will discuss the basic legal framework including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act as it relates to Alaska Native subsistence and will highlight innovative and successful approaches taken by Alaska Native communities to achieve stewardship objectives. Co-sponsored by the Law of the Sea Institute, CLEE, ELQ, and ELS.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

10th Annual Environmental Justice Symposium

Taking Heat: National and International Environmental Justice Perspectives on Climate Change

The Students for Economic and Environmental Justice (SEEJ) along with the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC) and the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) are pleased to present the 10th Annual Environmental Justice Symposium. The lunch session will focus on domestic climate justice issues, including the fairness dimensions of California’s cap-and-trade program and the disproportionate health impacts that marginalized communities suffer. The evening panel will focus on international issues, particularly the equity dimensions of international efforts to reduce climate change, ways to fairly allocate the global mitigation effort across countries, and the toll of global warming on the most vulnerable countries and populations. Representing a diversity of perspectives, our speakers come from a range of academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and business groups.

Please RSVP here.

Lunch panel 12:45 – 2:00 in Room 110, Boalt Hall

Evening panel 5:00 – 6:30 in Warren Room (Room 295), Boalt Hall

Networking reception and buffet 6:30 – 8:00 in Steinhart Courtyard, Boalt Hall

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN WATERWAYS: HISTORY, POLITICS, AND TECHNOLOGY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Cosponsored by the Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies, the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE), and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)

The international conference, Israeli and Palestinian Waterways: History, Politics, and Technology of Water and Environment in the Middle East, will bring Israeli, Palestinian, and other international scholars together to discuss issues relating to water and environment in the Middle East. Panels will address historical issues in water law and border formation, the social impact of water and environment, transboundary peace and conflict questions, and the impacts of changing technology.  Many of the scholars bring a comparative perspective, with deep knowledge of California and the West with regard to water law and environmental policy.  Moreover, the application of innovative technologies to resolve issues of water scarcity in Israel has immediate implications for California water policy.

The keynote address will focus on a major Israeli-Palestinian collaborative environmental project to clean up wastewater in the Kidron Valley basin south of Jerusalem.  This environmental project sits at the intersection of law, technology, finance, politics, government, and culture.

8:00am to 7:00pm

UC Berkeley School of Law

Please click here for the conference page.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

CLEE Speaker Series

A Day in the Life: Careers in Energy Law

6-8pm: Warren Room (295 Law Building)

BERC@Boalt’s A Day in the Life series is back, featuring private sector and public interest attorneys focusing on different aspects of energy/cleantech law and policy. Come hear panelists share what it’s like to live a day in their lives and tell how they got there. Stay for a wine reception and meet the panelists! Panelists are from large and mid-sized firms and nonprofits, and focus on a wide range of energy, resource and cleantech matters.  Students only.

The Berkeley Exchange: Celebrating Berkeley’s Contribution to Environmental Law Scholarship.

On Friday, February 7th, Berkeley Law’s Ecology Law Quarterly and Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment proudly present:

The Berkeley Exchange: Celebrating Berkeley’s Contribution to Environmental Law Scholarship.

Please join us for this academic symposium that will feature Berkeley Law alumni discussing their latest research, followed by an evening reception. Panel topics include: Evaluating International Environmental Goals and Progress, Putting Environmental Justice at the Center of Environmental Law, Environmental Law in an Interdisciplinary Context, and Energy and Climate Change.

Please consider joining us for the reception even if you are unable to attend the panels. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with faculty, network with fellow alums, and meet current ELQ members.

When: Friday, February 7th

• 8:00 am – Breakfast/Registration
• 8:30 am – Welcome Remarks
• 9:15 am – Panels Begin
• 12:45 pm – Lunch Keynote Address
• 6:00 pm – Reception

Full agenda here.

Where: Warren Room, Boalt Hall
Symposium registration is free, but we ask that those who attend the reception make a donation to ELQ or CLEE at one of the following levels:

• Coast Redwood $1000
• Big Leaf Maple $250
• Ponderosa Pine $100
• Joshua Tree $50
• California Poppy $25

Please click here for more details, including a complete agenda and information about how to receive MCLE credit.

Questions? ELQSymposium@gmail.com

RSVP and donations: http://tinyurl.com/TheBerkeleyExchange

Energy and Climate Change: California’s Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Renewables, Fuels, and Markets

Thursday, November 14, 2013
Booth Auditorium, Boalt Hall
Earn up to 6 hours MCLE credit
Register Online

SCHEDULE

REGISTRATION
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

WELCOME BY CHAIRS
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Scott Birkey, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP
Amy Gaylord, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – MARY NICHOLS
9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
AB 32 and California’s Energy Future
Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board

MEETING AB 32 GOALS THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
This panel will explore how the renewable energy industry, guided by California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard requirements, can reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and still meet projected energy demand.

Moderator: Ethan Elkind, U.C. Berkeley School of Law

Panelists:
Nick Chaset, Special Advisor for Distributed Energy Resources, Office of Governor Edmund G Brown, Jr.
Shannon Eddy, Executive Director, Large-Scale Solar Association
Arne Olson, Partner, Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3)

LUNCH (PROVIDED)
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

LUNCHEON ADDRESS – DAVID HOCHSCHILD
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
California’s Regulatory Approach to Renewables and Greenhouse Gas Reduction
David Hochschild, Commissioner, California Energy Commission

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND THE INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY: RELIABILITY AND ELECTRICITY MARKETS
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
This panel will address the integration of renewable energy by focusing on current programs at the California ISO to firm intermittent renewable energy production, while meeting the critical goal of maintaining reliability. The panel will feature a lively discussion featuring the sometimes competing views of grid operators and players in the renewable energy field.

Moderator: Dana Palmer, McGuire Woods LLP

Panelists:
Karen Edson, V.P., Policy & Client Services, California ISO
Vicken Kasarjian, Dir. Grid Planning & Operations, SMUD
V. John White, Executive Director, Center for Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT)

BREAK
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

PRACTICAL REALITIES: TRANSPORTATION, LOW CARBON FUELS AND ELECTRIFICATION TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Without fanfare, laws at the Federal and state level have been reformulating transportation fuels to become more renewable and
less carbon intensive. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA 2007) has created the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2),
which will drive lower GHG emissions nationally. California’s leadership with its Low Carbon Fuel Standard is challenging the oil industry and
supporting the re-birth of the electric car. This panel will examine the technical and legal impacts of these transformational policies.

Moderator: William W. Westerfield, III, SMUD
Panelists:
Dan Bowermaster, Senior Project Manager, Electric Power Research Institute
Mark Poole, California Deputy Attorney General
Cliff Rechtschaffen, Senior Advisor, Office of Governor Edmund G Brown, Jr.

CONCLUSION AND WRAP UP
4:30 p.m.

Printable Brochure | Mail/FAX Registration Form

CLEE Environmental and Energy Curriculum Roll-Out

Monday, October 21, 2013
12:45pm to 2:00pm
Room 132

Join Berkeley Law environmental and energy professors as they discuss the courses offered in Spring 2014, and explain the requirements for the two certificates we offer: Environmental Law and Energy & Clean Technology Law.

Lunch served at 12:45pm.

The Smart Grid: The Policy Challenges of a Connected Grid

The promise of the Smart Grid is great: a more resilient and efficient electricity system that can support a high concentration of renewable generation, electric vehicles, and more. And just as the Smart Grid may transform the physical electricity infrastructure, it may likely also transform both how we think about energy and how we interact with our energy providers. In our final Smart Grid mini-series panel, legal and energy policy experts will help us understand those more personal implications of the Smart Grid, including active and passive demand management, smart meters, time-of-use pricing, as well as the consumer and privacy issues that they raise.

Warren Room 295, Boalt Hall
Registration:  5pm (PST)
Program: 5pm to 7pm (PST)
Reception: 7pm to 7:30pm (PST)
Teleconference option available upon registration

Moderator:

• Tim Sullivan, California Public Utilities Commission, Assistant Chief Law Judge

Panel:

• Karen Zelmar, Director of Pricing Products, Pacific Gas & Electric
• Marcel Hawiger, Attorney, TURN – The Utility Reform Network
• Jennifer Urban, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, U.C. Berkeley School of Law

Registerhere.

To download the report, click here.

High Speed Rail in the Valley: Managing the Economic and Environmental Impacts

To download the video, click here.

A lunchtime presentation in Fresno, presented by the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law Climate Change and Business Research Initiative to develop policies that help businesses prosper in an era of climate change.  Support generously provided by Bank of America.

Tuesday, August 20th, 12:00pm to 1:30pm (registration begins at 11:00am)
Lunch will be served, followed by the keynote address at noon
Grand on 10 1401 Fulton Street Suite 212 Fresno, CA 93721 (see this map for directions)

Keynote Address:
The Honorable Ashley Swearengin, Mayor of Fresno

Panel presentation:
Holly King, King-Gardiner Farms, LLC
Tom Richards, High Speed Rail Authority
Jeff Roberts, Granville Homes

Construction will begin soon in the San Joaquin Valley on “Phase 1” of the $68.4 billion high speed rail system.  What will the impact be on the Valley’s cities, farms, and pocketbooks?  How can Valley leaders ensure that the system maximizes the economic and environmental benefits for residents?  This event will discuss these issues and offer policy ideas to address the challenges.  UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law will also release a joint report at the event on this topic, entitled “A High Speed Foundation.”

RSVP by Friday, August 16th by clicking on this link.  Space is limited.

Environmental Law and Energy & Clean Technology Law Certificate Ceremony

Friday, May 10, 2013
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Room 100, Boalt Hall

Please join Berkeley Law Faculty at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment in honoring the 2013 recipients of the Berkeley Law Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law and Certificate of Specialization in Energy & Clean Technology Law.

Family and friends of certificate recipients are warmly invited.  Refreshments will be served.

Fracking in California: Regulation of Produced Water and Potential Water Impacts

Thursday, April 18, 2013
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Latham & Watkins LLP,
355 South Grand Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA 90071

CLEE and the Wheeler Institute for Water Law & Policy present “Fracking in California”, an informative yet balanced panel on the regulation of hydraulic fracking in California, focusing on wastewater and potential water impacts. This panel will also discuss a forthcoming report on fracking and water impacts produced by Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) through its new Wheeler Institute for Water Law & Policy.  1.5 hours of MCLE credit will be provided.

Speakers & Panelists Include:

• Sam Unger, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
• Damon Nagami, NRDC;
• Rock Zierman, California Independent Petroleum Association
• Paul Singarella, Latham & Watkins LLP;
• Jayni Foley Hein, Berkeley Law;
• Mike Kiparsky, Berkeley Law;

Please RSVP by April 16 to: rsvp@law.berkeley.edu or (510) 643-9277.

Unplugged: The Renewable Energy Speaker Series
The Smart Grid: What Is It and Why Should We Care?  

April 17, 2013

UC Berkeley School of Law
Goldberg Room
297 Law Building
Berkeley, CA 94720

Register here

Registration: 4:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Program: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Reception:6:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Pacific Time)

What does the smart grid have to do with renewable energy? According to most experts, quite a lot. While many believe that our current electrical transmission and distribution grid can support the California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard goal of 33 percent renewable generation by 2020, experts generally agree that to achieve significantly higher percentages, we must make our grid “smart”.

In this first of a three-panel smart grid mini-series, energy infrastructure experts will explore the nuts-and-bolts of the smart grid transformation: what it is, how it differs from the existing grid, what it will enable, and how we get there.

Moderator:

• Carl Zichella, Director of Western Transmission, Land & Wildlife Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

Panel:

• Kevin Dasso,  Senior Director of Smart Grid and Technology Integration, PG&E
• Heather Sanders,  Director Smart Grid Technologies and Strategy, CAISO
• Sonita Lontoh,  Head of Marketing, Trilliant

2013 Environment & Energy Law Speaker Series
At the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment

*All panels begin at 12:45pm  * Lunch will be served

This series is sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati LLP.

Panel 1: Electrochemical experts on “The Technology of Cleantech: Batteries and Fuel Cells” (Wednesday, February 20 in Room 105)

Ever wonder how fuel cells and batteries actually work? Join BERC and CLEE as we explore the science of clean technology with Gao Liu of the Electrochemical Technologies Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Heather Buckley of the Arnold Group, U.C. Berkeley Department of Chemistry

Panel 2: Reporters David Baker, Kiera Butler, and Edwin Dobb on “Environmental and Energy Journalism” (Tuesday, February 26 in Room 105)

Journalists play a vital role in educating the public about environmental issues, including environmental law and policy. A panel of experienced journalists from the SF Chronicle, Mother Jones, National Geographic and more will speak about communicating complex scientific and legal issues, working with attorneys, and the energy/environmental stories that resonate most today.

Panel 3: Patti Goldsmith of Earthjustice on Citizen Power to Obtain Justice (Wednesday, March 6 in Room 132). 

Patti Goldsmith, Vice President for Litigation at Earthjustice, will speak about citizen enforcement as an important feature of environmental compliance, the essential elements of citizen suits, and recent attacks on citizen access to courts and justice. 

Panel 4: EBCLC and SELC on “Practitioner’s Perspectives on Community Economic Justice” (Thursday, March 14 in Room 110)

Sushil Jacob of East Bay Community Law Center, Janelle Orsi of the Sustainable Economies Law Center, Berkeley Law Professor Michelle Anderson, and Tim Huet of the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives will describe their experience working on community economic justice issues. Part of the annual Environmental Justice Symposium. Co-sponsored by CLEE and SEEJ.  

Panel 5: CLEE Directors and Staff on “Current Research: Hydraulic Fracking, Electric Vehicles, and More” (Tuesday, April 2 in Room 134)

CLEE carries out interdisciplinary law and policy research addressing pressing environmental issues at the State, local and national levels. Learn about CLEE’s projects, research assistant opportunities, events, and more.

Ready, Set, Bid: Previewing California’s First Greenhouse Gas Auction

Thursday, November 8, 5:30pm -7:30pm
Berkeley Law, Room 12

The wait is finally over.  The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is set to hold its first auction of carbon allowances in the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) cap-and-trade program on November 14, 2012.  CARB held a successful “practice auction” this past August.  Revenue raised from the auction will be invested in ways that further the goals of AB32, funding solutions that reduce pollution, increase clean energy generation, keep energy prices down or lessen the impacts of global warming.

Please join us on Thursday, November 8th as CLEE hosts a panel with cap-and-trade experts to discuss the mechanics of the auction, its goals, controversy and challenges surrounding the auction, and uses of the auction revenue.  Panelists include:

• Holly Stout, California Air Resources Board
• Alex Jackson, NRDC
• Henry Stern, Office of State Senator Fran Pavley
• Deborah Lambe, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law

This panel is co-sponsored by the Berkeley Energy Resources Collaborative (BERC) and BERC@Boalt.

Saving Public Transit: Strategies for an Era of Shrinking Budgets

Public transit in California and the nation—including the shuttles, buses, and passenger rail that serve our communities—has been battered by recession and dwindling public sector budgets. At the same time, ridership in many areas has spiked. This free conference at UCLA Law (co-sponsored by Berkeley Law) will highlight the challenges facing transit and explore solutions to overcome them and develop a world-class transit system. Art Leahy, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Metro, will be the keynote speaker. Simulcast is available with registration. Attorneys attending the live event can earn 4.25 hours of MCLE credit.

UCLA School of Law
Friday, November 2, 2012
9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Conference Agenda
RegisterHere

Talk with U.S. EPA’s Cynthia Giles (’78)

Berkeley Law Room 136 
Thursday, October 25, 11am-12pm

Please join us for a discussion with current enforcement chief for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cynthia Giles.  Cynthia is a Berkeley Law graduate (’78).  Ms. Giles was nominated by President Obama in 2009 as head of EPA Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and was confirmed by the Senate in May 2009.  She will speak to a small group of law students about EPA’s current work on “Next Generation Environmental Compliance.”  She will also share insights on her career and stories from her time at Berkeley Law and as a member of Ecology law Quarterly.

You can read more about her in this Berkeley Law feature.  There will be ample time for Q & A, so bring your questions!  Please RSVP in advance, as space is limited.

Mountaintop Removal and Human Rights in Appalachia

Berkeley Law Room 100
Wednesday, October 24
12:45 PM – 1:50 PM

CLEE, the Human Rights Center, and Students for Environmental and Economic Justice (SEEJ) will host Junior Walk, coalfield resident and activist.  Mr. Walk will speak about the practice of mountaintop removal in West Virginia and Appalachia, its impact on human and environmental health, and its contentious role in supporting local economies.

Lunch will be provided by CLEE.  Co-sponsored by BERC, CLEE, ELQ, ELS, HRC and SEEJ.

Environmental and Energy Law Careers

Learn about environmental and energy law careers from current non-profit, private sector, and government attorneys.  Join us for lunch with these interesting speakers from Morrison Foerster, U.S. Department of Justice (Environment and Natural Resources Division), the Sierra Club, and more. Bring your questions!  Lunch will be provided. Co-sponsored by CLEE, ELQ, ELS, BERC, and SEEJ.

Audio recording available here

Tuesday, October 16, 2012
12:45pm to 1:55pm
Room 145, Boalt Hall

CLEE and the Wheeler Institute Present at “Back to Boalt Day”

Back-to-Boalt Day on Saturday, September 22 will present a series of engaging panels on how Boalt Hall stands at the vanguard of change in legal education. For those celebrating reunions this year (graduating classes ending in 2 or 7) the evening will end with a festive dinner.

In the afternoon, Join Professors Dan Farber and Michelle Anderson as they discuss the evolution of environmental law education at Boalt, highlighting law and policy research by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and experiential opportunities available to students, including the Environmental Justice Practice Project. You will then hear from special guest Alf Brandt (’88), principal consultant to the California State Assembly specializing in California water resource law and policy. In addition, the Associate Director of the newly established Wheeler Institute for Water Law & Policy, Mike Kiparsky, will present on the Institute’s work fostering innovation in water resource management.

Date: Saturday, September 22nd
Time: 2:15pm – 3:30pm (CLEE’s panel)
Location:  Room 130, Boalt Hall
Register here  (registration required)
MCLE: 1 hour

Wind and Waves: The Future of Ocean Energy

Offshore renewable energy holds great promise. Recent studies estimate over 500 TW hours/year of wave energy are available along the U.S. West Coast alone with the potential for up to 900 GW of installed wind in the same waters. And although variable, offshore energy — from wind, waves, currents, and tides — is consistent and predictable enough to supply a significant portion of baseload demand. But important questions remain: how can these projects be sited to avoid impacts to sensitive marine life? Can the promise be delivered, and if so, when? Please join us as our distinguished panelists help develop answers based on their real-world experience as regulators, developers, and stake-holders for PG&E’s WaveConnect project and the first U.S. offshore wind project, Cape Wind.

Date:  Thursday, September 20th
Time:  5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: 297 Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall
Register here

Moderator:

• David Ismay, Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Panel:

• William Toman, SAIC Maritime Solutions
• Laura Engeman, California Ocean Protection Council
• Leila Monroe, NRDC Oceans Program

MCLE: 1.5 hours

The Future of Electric Vehicles: A Capitol Hill Lunch Briefing in Washington DC and Policy Report Release

The environmental law centers at the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law present a lunchtime discussion on policies necessary to stimulate long-term, mass consumer adoption of electric vehicle technologies.  A panel discussion of electric vehicle experts and industry representatives will offer insight on the critical state and federal policy options necessary to boost electric vehicle deployment.  This free event will coincide with the release of a report from the two law schools on electric vehicle policies suggested for industry and federal, state, and local governments. Complimentary lunch will be served.

Location:  Hearing Room 2322, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC
Date:  Monday, September 10th
Time:  12 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Click here to access the Webcast
Kindly RSVP by September 7th by clicking here.

Featured Speakers:

• Jay Friedland, Plug In America
• Colleen Quinn, Coulomb Technologies
• Tracy Woodard, Nissan

If you have any questions, please contact the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at clee@law.berkeley.edu or 510-643-7025.

CLEE Environmental and Energy Program Orientation

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 12:45pm-1:50pm. 

Berkeley Law Room 134. 

Please join CLEE’s environmental law faculty and representatives from the environmental and energy student groups for a special introduction to the program.  This lunch hour will introduce 1Ls, LLM students and other law students  to our curriculum, professors, courses, journals and student groups.  Student groups attending include BERC, ELQ, ELS, SEEJ and SALDF.  You will also be able to sign-up for our environmental and energy student email list, where we distribute event and job announcements.  We hope to see you there!

California’s Path to Local Renewable Energy: Challenges, Solutions and Progress Toward Governor Brown’s 12,000 Megawatt Goal

Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment will host a webinar on challenges, solutions and progress toward Governor Brown’s goal of attaining 12,000 megawatts of local renewable energy in California by 2020.   The webinar will take place on Thursday, June 14, at 2:00 pm PDT.

We will discuss our new report on the major barriers to and policy recommendations for achieving the governor’s local renewable energy goal.  Report coauthors Steve Weissman and Jeff Russell will provide an overview of the report, which stems from a 2011 conference convened by Governor Brown. Wade Crowfoot, Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, will discuss the state’s progress toward the goal as well as actions the Governor’s Office is taking to help clear the path for development of local renewable energy.

If you are interested in participating in the webinar, please register through the link below to receive instructions for joining.

Register here

If you have any questions, please send them to clee@law.berkeley.edu.

Celebrate summer with fellow alumni, students & friends in San Francisco!

Please join us for a CLEE Happy Hour at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP on Thursday, June 28 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

This is a great chance to relax, network and mingle with fellow members of the Berkeley Law environmental and energy community in San Francisco.  Connect with alums, meet new colleagues, grab a copy of our new Annual Report, and enjoy a drink.  We hope to see you there!  Refreshments and light snacks will be served.

Kindly RSVP by June 26 by clicking this link: Register Here

Date and Time: Thursday, June 28.  5pm to 7pm.

Location: Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, 555 California Street10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104

View Map

If you have any questions, please contact the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at clee@law.berkeley.edu or 510-643-7025.

The Future of Infill:  How CEQA Reform and the End of Redevelopment Will Affect Sustainable Development in California

What is the future of infill development in California in a time of limited public resources?  This event will discuss proposals to reinvent redevelopment agencies to bolster infill and to create new methods of financing infill infrastructure.  Speakers will also focus on recent efforts to streamline the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for infill projects and the implications of those for California’s downtowns.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

11:45am to 1:30pm (Registration begins at 11:30am)

The Temple Ballroom, Capitol Plaza Ballrooms
1025 9th St, No. 201(Third Floor)
Sacramento, CA 95814 (see this map for directions)
Driving Directions

Lunch will be served

Keynote Address:

• The Honorable Darrell Steinberg, State Senate President pro Tempore

Panel presentation:

Please click on the name of a link for a pdf file.

• Chris Calfee, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
• Dan Carrigg, League of California Cities
• Ethan Elkind, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
• Meea Kang, Domus Development California Infill Builders Federation

Presented by the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law as part of the Climate Change and
Business Research Initiative.  This Initiative develops policies that help business prosper in an era of climate change.

General Information

All attendees must register for the conference online.  Registration badges must be worn at all times during the conference.  It is your meal and event ticket.

RSVP by Monday, May 14 by clicking on this link.  Space is limited.

Environmental and Energy & Clean Technology Law Certificate Ceremony.

Thursday, May 10, 2012
4pm-6pm.  Berkeley Law Room 100. 

The certificate ceremony for environmental law certificate recipients and energy and clean technology law certificate recipients will be held on Thursday, May 10, 2012 from 4 to 6pm, in Boalt Hall Room 100.  This ceremony is for both JD and LLM graduates.  Family and friends are warmly invited.

Please RSVP to CLEE Administrator Caroline Cheng by Friday, May 4, 2012.  ccheng@law.berkeley.edu.

CLEE 2012 SPRING SPEAKER SERIES

CLEE has partnered with the environmental and energy student groups at Berkeley Law to host the Spring Environment and Energy Speaker Series.  This is a collaboration among CLEE, BERC, ELQ, ELS, SALDF, and SEEJ.  The series is generously sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrch & Rosati LLP.  The series poster is viewable here.

Speaker Series Schedule: 

Monday, February 13, 2012

International Climate & Energy Collaborations

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 110

Join Gavis Purchas of ClimateWorks Foundation, John Romankiewicz of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab & Professor Alex Wang, visiting professor at Berkeley Law (formerly of NRDC in China), as they discuss international cooperation on clean energy and climate issues. Moderated by CLEE energy program director Steve Weissman.  Organized by BERC, BCLT, and CLEE.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dr. Kathryn Mengerink of the Environmental Law Institute on Fisheries Compliance in the U.S. and Internationally

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 244

Kathryn Mengerink, attorney and director of the Ocean Program at the Environmental Law Institute, discusses fisheries compliance and enforcement in the U.S. and internationally.  Co-sponsored by the Institute for Legal Research, CLEE, and ELS.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

EJ and Conservation Advocates on Powerplant Clustering Litigation

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 141

Attorneys Brent Plater (Wild Equity Institute), Adrienne Block (Communities for a Better Environment) and Jonathan Evans (Center for Biological Diversity) discuss recent litigation concerning four power plants in Oakley and Antioch, which Plaintiffs allege violate the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act. Organized by ELS, ELQ, and CLEE. Co-sponsored by SALDF, BERC and SEEJ.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

AGUA and CWC on “Not A Drop To Drink: The Struggle For Potable Water In The Central Valley”

12:45pm |  Boalt Hall Room 105

Veronica & Joanna Mendoza, a mother and daughter representing the AGUA Coalition and Vecinos Unidos, join Laurel Firestone and Carolina Balazs from the Community Water Center to discuss disparities in access to clean drinking water in the Central Valley.  *This panel is part of the Environmental Justice Symposium.* Organized by SEEJ.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Katie Cantrell and Bruce Wagman on Factory Farming

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 145

Katie Cantrell, founder of the Coalition to Fight Factory Farming, and Bruce Wagman, animal law instructor and partner at Schiff Hardin LLP in San Francisco, discuss their work and advocacy relating to factory farming.  Organized by SEEJ, SALDF, and CLEE.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Climate Change talk by Howard Latin

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 134

Professor Howard Latin will talk about his forthcoming book, Climate Change Policy Failures: Why Conventional Mitigation Approaches Cannot Succeed. Professor Latin has been on the Rutgers Law School at Newark faculty since 1976. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia in 1992 and South Africa in 1997, and he has traveled to more than 40 countries in the past three decades while conducting research on environmental law and biodiversity conservation issues.

Monday, April 9

CLEE Environmental & Energy Curriculum Roll-Out

12:45pm | Boalt Hall Room 145

Join Berkeley Law environmental and energy professors as they discuss their courses for Fall 2012.  Don’t miss this opportunity to preview the course offerings before you register.Limited to Berkeley Law students.  Light lunch provided.

February 27- March 2, 2012 (all week)

THE 8TH ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM

12:45-2:00 pm each day | Boalt Hall, UC School of Law (room information provided below)

The 8th Annual Environmental Justice Symposium, organized by Students for Environmental and Economic Justice (SEEJ). The topic this year is “Overcoming Invisibility: Environmental Justice in Rural America.” This symposium features a week of lunchtime panel discussions on important environmental justice issues impacting rural communities. Lunch will be provided each day and all events are free and open to the public.

CLEE is sponsoring this conference.  Schedule of events:

KEYNOTE: THE STRUGGLE FOR CLEAN ENERGY ON TRIBAL LANDS

Monday, February 27, 2012. 12:45-2:00pm. Room 105, UC Berkeley School of Law

Leaders working with communities on the Navajo Nation — Anna Rondon (New Energy Economy), Wahleah Johns (Black Mesa Water Coalition), Brad Bartlett (Western Energy Justice Project), and Caitlin Sislin (Women’s Earth Alliance)—will discuss the struggle against mining and towards clean energy alternatives on tribal lands. Lunch provided from Cafe Gratitude

GENDER, RACE, AND POWER IN THE EJ MOVEMENT

Tuesday, February 28, 2012. 12:45-2:00pm. Room 295 (Warren Room/Old Cafe Zeb), UC Berkeley School of Law

This event brings together female attorneys, advocates and organizers of color to explore ways gender and race have impacted women’s experiences and strategies leading struggles for environmental and economic justice in rural America. Come participate in a conversation withAnna Rondon (New Energy Economy), Felicia Espinosa (California Rural Legal Assistance), Mary Louise Frampton (UC Berkeley School of Law), and Valerie Gorospe (Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment), moderated by Swati Prakash (UC Berkeley School of Law). Lunch provided from Cheeseboard.

WASTING THE VALLEY: DISCRIMINATORY SITING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL

Wednesday, February 29, 2012. 12:45-2:00pm. Room 105, UC Berkeley School of Law

While cities produce most of California’s waste, rural areas bear the brunt of it. All three of the state’s Class I hazardous waste dumps are sited near low-income, unincorporated communities. Ingrid Brostrom, an attorney with the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, and Maricela Mares-Alatorre, a community activist and organizer with El Pueblo Para El Aire y Agua Limpio and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, will discuss the ongoing struggle in Kettleman City, a rural community near a 1,600-acre hazardous and municipal solid waste dump that has experienced a rash of severe birth defects and infant deaths over the past several years. Moderated by Berkeley Law Professor, Robert Infelise. Lunch provided from Mandela Food Cooperative.

NOT A DROP TO DRINK: THE STRUGGLE FOR POTABLE WATER IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY

Thursday, March 1, 2012. 12:45-2:00 pm. NEW LOCATION: YWCA Auditorium at 2600 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704

Joanna Mendoza, a youth from Cutler representing the AGUA Coalition and Vecinos Unidos, will join Laurel Firestone and Carolina Balazs from the Community Water Center on a panel to discuss disparities in access to clean drinking water in the Central Valley. Moderated by Berkeley Law Professor Michelle Anderson. Lunch provided from Sunrise Deli Falafel.

A CALL TO ACTION IN RURAL AMERICA

Friday, March 2, 2012. 12:45-2:00pm. Dean’s Seminar Room, UC Berkeley School of Law

Leaders from major organizations in the Central Valley such as California Rural Legal Assistance and Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment will engage in a dialogue with students and professors about Boalt’s current and future commitment to rural issues. Lisa Pruitt from UC Davis Law will moderate. [LIMITED SEATING. PLEASE RSVP TO: shainahyder@fulbrightmail.org].  Lunch provided from Gregiore.

January 25, 2012

Unplugged: The Renewable Energy Speaker Series, Session 7: Is Fast Track On Track?

5:00 – 7:00 pm | Farella Braun + Martell LLP

Before 2010, the United States had never approved a utility-scale solar farm on public land in California. Renewable energy projects on private, state or county lands were limited.  With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a catalyst, California state, federal and county agencies approved more than 17,000 MW of renewable energy projects in 2010 and 2011 with over 3,000 MW on public lands. These “Fast Track” projects, permitted through close coordination between agencies, consultants, developers and public stakeholders, form the basis of our renewable energy future. While many of the permitted projects are under construction, many solar projects have stalled due to changing markets and the vagaries of a young industry. Please join our panelists from agencies and the developer community as we delve into the fast and furious world of fast-track solar, where it’s been, lessons learned and where it’s going.

MCLE: 1.5 hours

Sponsored By:

• Berkeley Law Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
• Farella Braun + Martel LLP
• The Environmental Law Institute

Location and Time:

Farella Braun + Martel LLP
17th Floor Conference Room
235 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
T: 415.954.4400

Registration: 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Program: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Reception: 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Teleconference information:
Dial-in: 1-888-759-6039
Participant Code: 415-954-4962

January 21, 2012

California Water Law Symposium

8 am – 6 pm | Boalt Hall

The 8th Annual student-run California Water Law Symposium, hosted this year at UC Berkeley, School of Law. The event is a collaborative effort by students at Berkeley Law, Golden Gate University, Hastings, University of San Francisco, and UC Davis that brings together the major players from around the state.

Registration: http://www.waterlawsymposium.com/

The Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) is co-sponsoring this event.

December 14, 2011

Catastrophic Events in an Age of Climate Change: Harnessing the Power of Legal and Policy Tools

5:00 – 7:00 pm | Goldberg Room, Berkeley Law

The effect of global warming on weather patterns may be responsible for more powerful storms and hotter, longer dry periods, according to the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report.  This trend is The effect of global warming on weather patterns may be responsible for more powerful storms and hotter, longer dry periods, according to the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report.  This trend is projected to continue for years to come.  How can we use legal and policy tools to prepare for and lessen the consequences of extreme weather events and man-made disasters in an era of climate change?

Professors Daniel Farber and Laurel Fletcher of Berkeley Law will share their research on disaster law and climate change, including lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and the Japanese tsunami.  Louis Blumberg, Director of the California Climate Change Program at The Nature Conservancy, will speak about nature-based adaptation to climate change, focusing on the climate extremes of sea level rise, flood, wildfire, and disruption of water supply.

Please join us for this engaging event!

MCLE: 1.5 hours

Registration: http://climatedisasters.eventbrite.com/

Sponsors:

• The California Governor’s Office
• The Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law
• The Nature Conservancy
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

December 2, 2011

Local Clean and Green Conference

7:30 am – 5:00 pm | I-House @ 2299 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA

This conference will showcase promising policies and best practices on climate change for local government officials and stakeholders.  The recommendations will be in part drawn from the Berkeley and UCLA Law Business and Climate Change Research Initiative white papers.  The conference targets an audience of:

• Key local government decision-makers throughout California;
• State and Federal officials necessary to implementing environmental and energy policies at the local level in California;
• Business leaders from targeted sectors; and
• Advocates and legal practitioners who work on these issues locally.

The event will be an all-day public conference featuring plenary speeches and panels focusing on issues related to business and climate change and presenting various policies available to local government leaders.

Registration required:  https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/center-for-law-energy-the-environment-clee/research/climate-change-and-business-research-initiative/local-clean-and-green-conference/.

Sponsored by:

• Bank of America
• The Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at Berkeley Law
• UCLA School of Law (Environmental Law Center & Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment)

November 3, 2011

Presentation by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

12:45 pm – 2:00 pm | Room 105 Law Building, UC Berkeley School of Law

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be at Berkeley Law to speak about current EPA policies and the EPA’s reaction to recent House Republican challenges to environmental laws.  Administrator Jackson will discuss how the EPA is answering President Obama’s call for federal agencies to work with American businesses and create green jobs.

Jackson has been named one of Newsweek’s “Most Important People in 2010,” and has been featured on Time Magazine’s 2010 and 2011 lists of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

She will also answer student questions submitted in advance.  Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet the EPA Administrator!

Advance registration required: http://epaberkeley.eventbrite.com/

October 31, 2011

Progress or Retreat?: The Outlook for a Rule of Law in a Changing China

4 pm | Institute of East Asian Studies (2223 Fulton, 6th Floor)

Sponsors: East Asian Studies, Institute of (IEAS), Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law, Chinese Studies, Center for (CCS)

What is the outlook for Chinese rule of law in the coming years? Three speakers, each with significant on-the-ground experience working on legal development in China, will address this question from a number of perspectives, including resolution of constitutional disputes, the changing role of lawyers, environmental protection, and citizen protest.  Professor Alex Wang (UC Berkeley) will discuss the uncertain role of law in China’s efforts to address severe environmental problems, and promising bottom-up efforts at legal innovation on the part of citizens and local courts.

More information here.

October 20-21, 2011

2011 BERC Energy Symposium

The BERC Energy Symposium is the premier energy event at UC Berkeley and the largest student-run energy conference on the West Coast. Key players from the research, business development, policy and economics communities converge on Berkeley’s campus to explore innovative ideas and provide a platform for vibrant discussion among hundreds of attendees.

The 2011 BERC Energy Symposium will commence on the evening of Thursday, October 20th with the BERC Innovation Expo, a showcase of cutting-edge energy research, environmental design and entrepreneurship. The conference will take place on Friday, October 21st featuring nine engaging and in-depth panel discussions, three keynote addresses, and a post-conference reception. This year’s event will build on the expertise of energy leaders
from a wide range of fields to debate the most crucial issues and strategies for addressing our shared global energy challenges.

Register now: bercsymposium.eventbrite.com

For more information: berc.berkeley.edu/symposium

October 5, 2011  

Energy Storage: A Current Assessment

4:30 – 7:00 pm | Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall

Energy storage — such as batteries, compressed air and pumped hydro facilities — has been called the “Holy Grail” of the electricity grid. These technologies can balance intermittent solar and wind energy, reduce peak energy demand and provide important grid services, among other roles.  But barriers such as high costs, market rules and technology maturity have stymied a significant deployment of energy storage. Coinciding with the completion of a major energy storage report jointly prepared by three University of California campuses, an expert panel will discuss the commercial status of the various technologies, legislative and regulatory efforts underway, ongoing research and development needs and potential market reforms to boost energy storage deployment in California and beyond.

Registration required: https://secure.lenos.com/lenos/fbm/ELIsept2011/prepopgateway.asp

MCLE: 1.5 hours

Sponsored By:

Berkeley Law Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
The Environmental Law Institute

FALL 2011 LAW SCHOOL EVENTS

October 20, 2011

Environmental & Energy Curriculum Rollout

12:45-1:50 pm | Room 134 Law Building

Come learn more about the environmental and energy courses that we will be offering this spring.  Lunch will be provided.  This event is open to UC Berkeley student only.

October 19, 2011

Environmental Careers Panel

12:45 – 1:50 p.m. | 145 Law Building, School of Law

Want to learn more about careers in environmental and energy law?  Join us on October 19 to hear from Berkeley Law alumni working at NRDC, PG&E, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger, and San Francisco Baykeeper.  This panel is sponsored by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE), working with student groups ELQ, ELS, SALDF, and SEEJ.  Lunch will be provided to attendees.

October 1, 2011

Alumni Weekend Event: Local Renewable Energy Policy and Job Creation in California

2:15–3:30 pm | Boalt Hall

Join Steve Weissman of the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE), former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, CA Senior Policy Advisory Ken Alex, and Solaria VP David Hochschild discuss California Governor Jerry Brown’s pledge to quadruple local energy renewables by 2020 and create new jobs in the state. CLEE is working with Governor Brown’s office to identify the legal and policy barriers and solutions for achieving this goal. Under Governor Granholm, Michigan rose to fourth in the nation for solar industry jobs and first for clean energy patents. (One hour general MCLE credit)

Registration required: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/reunion2011.htm