energy and environment

News

Green shares data center concerns with Michigan lawmakers

Feb 15, 2026

Members of Michigan's House Subcommittee on Oversight heard testimony on data centers, during which the Ford School's Ben Green was invited to offer his expertise. CBS Detroit, Bridge Michigan, and WWMT covered the meeting and Green's contributions.

Green shares data center concerns with Michigan lawmakers

News

Taking bold action toward environmental justice

Jan 29, 2025

A week after the University of Michigan celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) honored his work at its own event—a panel discussion focused on keeping environmental justice at the for...

Taking bold action toward environmental justice

News

Exciting events at the Ford School this January

Jan 10, 2025

The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for our January 2025 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise note...

Exciting events at the Ford School this January

News

STPP brings interdisciplinary, historical perspectives to public interest technology issues

Sep 12, 2024

Many of the research projects housed at the Science, Technology and Public Policy program (STPP) in the Ford School focus on climate issues for a simple reason, explains Managing Director Molly Kleinman. "None of this technology operates without elec...

STPP brings interdisciplinary, historical perspectives to public interest technology issues

In the Media

Raimi: Americans are often scared of climate migrants

Aug 7, 2024 CoreLogic

Kaitlin Raimi, Ford School professor, discussed how climate change communications color how people view climate migrants. She explained, climate migration is "people moving because of climate change," either catastrophic events or slower effects like...

Raimi: Americans are often scared of climate migrants

In the Media

Rabe explains Tim Walz's position on climate and energy

Aug 6, 2024 Axios

Barry Rabe, Ford School professor, explained in an Axios article what Tim Walz's positions are on climate and energy issues. Rabe said that Walz "would be very comfortable talking about this and championing how he's reinvented or repositioned his sta...

Rabe explains Tim Walz's position on climate and energy

News

Stacey Abrams, other policymakers and leading scholars to join Ford School symposium

Mar 12, 2024

The Ford School of Public Policy is happy to announce the Dean’s Symposium, which will take place April 11 and 12 at Weill Hall, with the theme, “Policy Innovation for Our Times.” The two days will feature keynote appearances by voting rights advocat...

Stacey Abrams, other policymakers and leading scholars to join Ford School symposium

News

Engaged Learning Student Projects Catalog: Preparing Ford School students for leadership

Jun 29, 2023

During the Winter Term 2023, Ford School students were involved in projects with federal, state, county, city, and township governments, school districts, non-profit organizations, and commissions. They worked with the school’s numerous research cent...

Engaged Learning Student Projects Catalog: Preparing Ford School students for leadership

News

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

Feb 16, 2023

Elected officials from local, county, and state government came to the Ford School to hear about the potential for collaborations with their offices and the School’s faculty, research centers, and students. Fifteen members of the Michigan State Se...

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

News

STPP receives Carbon Neutrality Acceleration grant, examining nuclear power

Feb 16, 2023

The Graham Sustainability Institute’s Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program (CNAP) announced $1,160,000 in funding for six new faculty research projects. CNAP is a multi-year, multimillion-dollar program created in 2020 with a $5 million gift from a...

New nuclear requires strong governance to avoid making old mistakes

News

Research centers give U-M students hands-on, practical policy experiences

Jan 27, 2023

With the guidance and support of the Ford School’s research centers, graduate and undergraduate students are creating a real-life impact in a range of areas by working with external partners. The Ford School is deeply integrated with a wide range of ...

Research centers give U-M students hands-on, practical policy experiences

News

Announcing winter 2023 Ford School events

Jan 11, 2023

The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for the winter 2023 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise no...

Announcing winter 2023 Ford School events

News

Ford School events for fall 2022 explore racial justice, international affairs, the state of democracy and more

Aug 30, 2022

The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for the fall 2022 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus. We are hosting distinguished policymakers, scholars, activists,...

Ford School events for fall 2022 explore racial justice, international affairs, the state of democracy and more

News

STPP research on AI highlighted in Nature Q&A

May 3, 2022

Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy was highlighted in a Q&A with Nature magazine, acknowledging recent research on Large Language Models (LLMs) by the Science, Technology, and Public Policy program's Technology Assessment Project. Parthasara...

STPP gift to expand educational opportunities for undergraduates

Publication

New language-learning algorithms risk reinforcing inequalities, social fragmentation, per U-M study

Apr 27, 2022

The use of large language models could transform many facets of modern life, including how policymakers assess public sentiment about pending legislation, how patients evaluate their medical care and how scientists could translate research findings a...

New language-learning algorithms risk reinforcing inequalities, social fragmentation, per U-M study

Publication

Lack of information related to pollution exposure key issue for low-income households

Jan 20, 2022

A lack of information is an often overlooked but important cause of pollution exposure among low-income households or communities of color, according to University of Michigan researchers. The researchers say the disproportionate exposure of pollut...

Lack of information related to pollution exposure key issue for low-income households

News

Lawmakers seek out U-M faculty for expertise on various topics

Dec 1, 2021

Federal lawmakers continue to seek out University of Michigan faculty members to lend their expertise and knowledge to help inform federal policy. In the last year, 13 U-M faculty members and researchers testified at 14 congressional hearings spann...

News

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

Nov 4, 2021

University of Michigan graduate students and their faculty adviser are attending the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The students will observe the negotiations, attend side events and interact with various experts. U-M has sent st...

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

Alumni spotlight

STPP alum Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) works to impact zero-carbon energy

Aug 18, 2021

Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) interrupted her government service to obtain her Ford School Master of Public Policy and the Science, Technology, & Public Policy Graduate Certificate Program. Now in the private sector, at the Energy Impact Center, ...

STPP alumni webinar with Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16 and STPP '16)

News

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee

Jul 16, 2021

"We are not accustomed to thinking about equity in the context of innovation. But in recent years, we have begun to recognize that marginalized communities (including those who are low-income and those who come from historically disadvantaged communi...

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee

In the Media

Rabe evaluates Biden's climate policy

Jun 15, 2021 The Christian Science Monitor

While President Biden has shown a lot of initiative for climate policy in the first months of his term, many scholars say something is missing: a carbon tax. Barry Rabe, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, provided an expla...

News

Congratulations to Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi, both now associate professors, with tenure

May 21, 2021

Professors Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi have received promotions to associate professor, with tenure, at the Ford School. Their status was approved by the U-M Board of Regents at their meeting on May 20. "Natasha Pilkauskas is deepening ou...

Congratulations to Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi, both now associate professors, with tenure

In the Media

Rabe comments on immediate use of a debated climate metric

Mar 16, 2021 Bloomberg Law

The Biden administration changed a key climate change metric—the social cost of carbon—to $51 in late February, in a move that will allow regulators to write more stringent carbon emissions rules. Barry Rabe said two of Biden's priorities—cutting emi...

Rabe comments on immediate use of a debated climate metric

News

Ford School expert tells lawmakers: Equity needs to go hand-in-hand with innovation in energy, climate

Mar 3, 2021

Pursuing energy and climate innovations grows ever more critical, but must include the involvement and participation of marginalized, vulnerable communities from the beginning. That's the message Ford School professor and director of the Science, T...

The politics of inclusive innovation in international development: Menstrual hygiene management and sanitary pads in India

News

Parthasarathy testifies about equity in innovation before key Congressional subcommittee

Feb 25, 2021

On February 25, Shobita Parthasarathy testified before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies. The hearing included four invited experts to speak about energy and climate innovation issues. Pa...

Parthasarathy testifies about equity in innovation before key Congressional subcommittee

In the Media

Incorporating climate policy at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission like turning a battleship, says Rabe

Feb 18, 2021 Grist

Barry Rabe comments on the relatively unknown Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which plays a prominent role in overseeing the nation's pipelines, natural gas infrastructure, and more: "I would put FERC in the basket of agencies that have ...

Paving the Way: Taking Bold Action Toward Environmental Justice

Jan 27, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm EST

Rackham Auditorium

Join us for an event that’s more than just a celebration—it’s a call to action. In alignment with the University of Michigan’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium's 2025 theme of "Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality," we invite students, staff, faculty and the greater community to a powerful and inspiring gathering.

Paving the Way: Taking Bold Action Toward Environmental Justice

STPP Lecture Series

Partisan polarization on environmental protection and climate change

Dec 14, 2016, 4:00-5:30 pm EST

1110 Weill Hall

During the past two decades environmental issues and especially climate change have become very divisive issues in U.S. politics, both among political elites and lay persons. This presentation will track these developments with longitudinal data, paying special attention to trends in partisan polarization over climate change using Gallup Poll data from 1997 to 2016.

Partisan polarization on environmental protection and climate change

Policy Brief

Battery Energy Storage System Deployment: Local and State Policy Considerations

July 19, 2024

Ana Boyd

The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is growing throughout the United States, driven by falling prices and the rise in variable renewable resources on the power grid. Utility-scale BESS can enhance grid reliability and balance peri...