The United States is the second largest global emitter of greenhouse gasses. Roughly 27 percent of the U.S.’ total emissions stem from production of electricity — second only to the transportation sector — with the majority of that coming from burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. As concerns surrounding non-renewable energy consumption grow, innovative technological and behavioral efforts to improve energy efficiency have also skyrocketed. Recent research has found that shifts in energy consumptive behaviors have the potential to save up to 123 million metric tons of carbon per year. These attitude and behavioral shifts will be fundamental to ushering in our nation’s transition to a clean, renewable future. To motivate energy conservation behaviors, we are partnering with the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to target the promotion of conservation behaviors directly at our societies’ younger generation, the teenagers and millennials who will also become the leaders of tomorrow.
Our research team aims to create a comprehensive blueprint to change the attitude and mindset of energy consumption, particularly among the younger generation. As such, our project will focus on the intersection between education and sustainable behavioral changes through the creation of an interactive educational module. The interactive educational module should empower teenagers with the knowledge and confidence to act as energy conservation stewards within their households and beyond.
Client: California Public Utilities Commission
Student Team: Evelyn Wan, Allison Carr, Harneel Gill, Kimiya Khoshkhou, Rebecca Cheung, Roxana Gallegos, Simon Hirschifield