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Leading the Way on Energy

Because we must mitigate climate change and do it quickly, we are facing a radical transformation of the energy system. “But it’s not enough to develop cool new cutting- edge technologies,” according to Erin Baker, distinguished professor of industrial engineering. “We must innovate at the intersection of energy technology and policy in order to have a cleaner and more just energy system.”

Drawing on UMass Amherst’s expertise in energy and its long-standing commitment to social justice, the Energy Transition Institute (ETI), launched in 2021, is leading the way toward an environmentally sustainable and equitable energy future. “We have the opportunity to address climate change in a way that works for the poor and marginalized,” says Baker, ETI’s faculty director.

For example, when drawing up solar energy incentives, planners must find a way for low- income people, who may not own their own homes, to benefit from such programs.

Cross-disciplinary research and community engagement form the core of the new institute’s work. Its annual Energy Transition Symposium brings together experts from engineering, physical and life sciences, social science, humanities, and business. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the institute serves as a hub for national leaders of the transition to a net-zero energy system.

ETI is affiliated with the UMass Amherst interdisciplinary fellowship program, Elevating Equity Values in the Transition of the Energy system (ELEVATE), a graduate training and research program focusing on technical, equity, and climate challenges in the energy transition. With support from NSF grants, UMass Amherst is training master’s and doctoral students across 11 UMass departments, including three in the College of Engineering. The students conduct research at the intersection of electricity technology, energy economics and policy, climate science, and social equity.

ELEVATE is directed by Matt Lackner, who is also a professor of mechanical engineering, the Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy, and director of the UMass Wind Energy Center.

Among other projects, ELEVATE researchers are analyzing electricity usage data from the local municipal utility in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where heating is a major cost burden for low- income residents, to identify good candidates for transitioning to electric heat pumps. Simultaneously, they are analyzing demographic information to ensure that the benefits of this transition are distributed equitably.

“Solving the climate change emergency will require a broad perspective,” says Lackner. ELEVATE graduates will go out into the world and create innovative and equitable solutions to tackle key challenges in the energy transition.