Policy Design
In order to urgently address the problem of climate change, we must design innovative policies that shake entrenched habits and move us toward a sustainable future. With an emphasis on energy policy design, and a combined understanding of the laws and technologies that influence it, we have the tools for designing effective policies that accelerate the energy transition—locally, nationally, and internationally.
Our center is committed to providing the latest research and recommendations to inform policymakers and other leaders in their efforts to ignite the adoption of renewable energy sources, enhance energy efficiency, and promote the development of low-carbon technologies.
Faculty Leadership
Sanya Carley
Mark Alan Hughes Faculty DirectorSanya Carley is the Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center. She is also Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action at Penn and Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
Energy Justice Lab
The Energy Justice Lab is a research collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University (IU), co-directed by David Konisky of IU and Sanya Carley, faculty director of the Kleinman Center. The lab’s mission is to explore, measure, and improve the equity and justice dimensions of society’s ongoing energy transition.
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Recent Work
Breaking Down or Charging Up? Local Political Repercussions from Clean-Energy Manufacturing Investments
This research shows place-based industrial policy is not inherently self-reinforcing. Weak attribution of federal policy, limited worker mobilization, and local electoral dynamics can prevent positive policy feedback.
Coping Under Strain: How Climate, Utility Disconnections, and LIHEAP Shaped Household Energy Strategies During the Pandemic
As extreme heat and economic shock collided during COVID-19, many U.S. households made risky energy trade-offs. This digest shows how utility disconnections and LIHEAP access shaped coping behaviors under climate stress.
