Two College of Charleston students are participating in the five-day Youth Policy Summit on Energy Efficiency in California that kicked off Saturday. The 34 participants from around the country will explore how California might improve its energy efficiency in vehicles, buildings and electricity generation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The recommendations made by the students will be shared with California policymakers and stakeholders as well as with those in their home states.
Before leaving for California, College of Charleston Seniors Erin Hickey and Ryan Thomas spent their summer semester conducting research on energy efficiency issues. During the summit, all participants will discuss policy solutions that might reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to energy use, specifically focusing on statewide economic and consumer engagement opportunities for addressing the issue.
Students are attending from colleges and universities within California, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. They will be forming consensus-based
recommendations with experts from American Petroleum Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, Pacific Gas & Electric, The Utility Reform Network, Alliance to Save Energy, U.S. Green Building
Council, and California Public Utilities Commission.
The Youth Policy Summit is a program of The Keystone Center, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Keystone, CO, and the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the clean and efficient use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.
