Cazier Initiative News and Commentary

Students Recommend an 'Olympian Feat': Green Infrastructure in Los Angeles
Feb 11, 2020
Noah Johnson, Karishma V. Patel, et al.

Los Angeles has an opportunity to reinvent itself by harnessing the collective spirit of Olympics development, climate activism, and Measure W funding. Students Noah Johnson (cohort '18), Karishma Patel ('17), and Jarrett Catlin ('18) write that no single project can address all LA's environmental needs, but many diverse projects could provide an opportunity for synergies and to create a new “city feel,” the way palm trees, traffic, and movie-touting billboards do now.
Los Angeles River Revitalization: Students Encourage Taking Inspiration from Near and Far
Feb 4, 2020
Keren Zhu, J. Luke Irwin, et al.

Currently a predominantly concrete channel running through the city, the Los Angeles River has great potential to revitalize Los Angeles's water resources, landscape, and identity. Students Keren Zhu (cohort '17), J. Luke Irwin ('16), and Stephanie Tanverakul ('18), along with Prof. Timothy Gulden, explain that creating a new vision for the river presents a complex challenge for policymakers, engineers, and urban planners.
More Than Stormwater: Students Explore Multiple Benefits of Green Infrastructure for Los Angeles Communities
Jan 29, 2020
Joan Chang, Kristin Warren, et al.

California faces shortages in water supply amidst droughts, wildfires, and other natural disasters worsened by climate change. Students Joan Chang (cohort '18), Pau Alonso Garcia ('18), and Jonathan Lamb ('17) argue that taking a systems thinking approach, in particular applying a systems framework, is essential to addressing complex problems for the sustainability of water resources that affect individuals, communities, and broader populations.
Students, Faculty Participate in IPCC Working Conference in Nepal
Jul 31, 2019

With Cazier Initiative support, students David Catt (cohort '16) and Karishma Patel ('17) traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, this summer with professors Robert Lempert and Ben Preston to attend the Second Lead Author Meeting for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II.
How to Ensure Quality Drinking Water Service for All? One Option Is Fewer Utilities.
Mar 26, 2019
David Catt, Michelle E. Miro, et al.

California's Human Right to Water Bill declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.” Student David Catt and professors Miriam Marlier and Michelle Miro say one clear barrier to reaching this target is the sheer number of small water utilities that pose service sustainability and public health risks to their customers.
Lessening Leakages: How Water Systems Can Learn From Smart Electric Grids
Mar 22, 2019
Jalal Awan, Michelle E. Miro, et al.

As drought and population growth place increasing pressure on water supply, the need to save and efficiently manage Southern California's water resources becomes increasingly critical. Student Jalal Awan (cohort 17) and professors Miriam Marlier and Michelle Miro suggest that a single information and communication technology platform could go a long way toward moving water utilities from reactive to proactive maintenance practices.
Increasing Groundwater Reliance in L.A. County Means Dealing with Extensive Contamination
Mar 12, 2019
Alexandra Huttinger, Michelle E. Miro, et al.

Advances in the information available on groundwater quality and contamination could help community water systems avoid health hazards and better ensure a safe drinking water supply, write Alexandra Huttinger (cohort '17) and professors Michelle Miro and Miriam Marlier.
Can Hyperlocal Air Quality Data Improve Policy?
Mar 1, 2019

A Tech and Narrative Lab project funded by the Cazier Initiative has brought together a team of Pardee RAND students, faculty, and RAND staff to explore whether having access to easily intelligible localized air quality data promotes better policy and personal decisions.
Can Innovative Financing by the Public and Private Sectors Build on Momentum in Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Multifamily Housing?
Dec 12, 2018
Lisa Jonsson, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright

Nearly one in three American households in 2015 reported difficulty paying their energy bills or sustaining adequate home heating and cooling. Student Lisa Jonsson (cohort '14) and Prof. Aimee Curtright find that emerging models of energy services and financing show promise and could identify creative ways to increase access to funding that could preserve and improve home affordability for millions of Americans.
How Federal Policy Could Help Water and Wastewater Utilities
Jan 16, 2018
Debra Knopman, David Catt

The federal government could address the root causes of infrastructure problems more effectively than just spending money with the hope that it might do some good, write student David Catt (cohort '16) and Prof. Debra Knopman. A better approach might be to devote scarce resources to fixing what actually isn't working well in the nation's approach to managing, funding and financing infrastructure.
Environmental Impact Bonds May Not Bear Fruit for Green Investors
Nov 26, 2017
Aaron Strong, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston

Investors may be willing to accept a lower return for socially responsible investments. But analysis supported by the Cazier Initiative suggests environmental impact bonds may not be the best way to leverage these investment possibilities.
Getting (Solar) Electricity Pricing Right
Jul 24, 2017
Nicholas E. Burger, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, et al.

For many U.S. homeowners, an investment in rooftop solar is becoming a cost-competitive alternative to purchasing grid electricity. But student Benjamin Smith (cohort '15) and professors Nick Burger and Aimee Curtright note that, as demand soars, states are struggling to adapt a 20th-century electrical grid to 21st-century supply and demand, leading to confusion and cost uncertainty.
Pittsburgh's Options to Address Lead in Its Water
Jul 18, 2017
Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay, Jordan R. Fischbach, et al.

Pittsburgh is struggling to improve its aging water system. Student Michele Abbott (cohort '14) and alum/professor Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) review the history and recent developments related to the use of lead pipes and the policy options for lead remediation currently being weighed by local decisionmakers.
Getting the Lead Out of Pittsburgh's Water
Jul 3, 2017
Jordan R. Fischbach, Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay

Without an aggressive long-term strategy for replacing service lines, and collaboration among the water authority, public officials, and residents, lead in Pittsburgh's water will persist, writes Prof. Jordan Fischbach (alum, cohort '04).
Uncertainty and Complexity: Biomass Can Help on the Path to Deep Decarbonization
Feb 24, 2017
Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Sara Turner

While biomass will almost certainly never become the dominant fuel for the electricity sector in the United States, it is still worth including as part of a menu of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, write student Sara Turner (cohort '15) and prof. Aimee Curtright.
Investing in Infrastructure? Don't Forget the Electric Grid
Dec 7, 2016
Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Kathleen Loa

To maximize the potential benefits of a multibillion-dollar smart grid investment, student Kathleen Loa (cohort '12) and professor Aimee Curtright say a closer examination of technology and policy is needed. First, weigh the preferences and constraints of the various stakeholders and how technology can or cannot meet their objectives.
Policy Options for Better Service Outcomes from the Future Electric Grid
Jan 29, 2016
Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Christopher Guo, et al.

At a Cazier Initiative symposium, participants scoped important policy questions related to the electric power system. The meeting brought together multiple stakeholder perspectives on the challenges, solutions, and implementation barriers associated with building a more robust, resilient, affordable, and clean grid.
Pardee RAND Hosts Inaugural Cazier Practitioner in Residence
Apr 26, 2016

Power grid expert Paul De Martini visited Pardee RAND as the inaugural Cazier Practitioner in Residence. An ICF fellow, and CalTech professor, De Martini presented a seminar on "The Evolving Distribution Grid" and met with Pardee RAND faculty and students during his weeklong stay.
Symposium Examines Future Electric Grid
Nov 2, 2015

To explore questions confronting the current and future electric power system, Pardee RAND's Cazier Initiative brought together leaders from industry, government, and consumer organizations for an invitation-only symposium.