Recent luskin_innovation items

The Los Angeles Residential Energy Transition Tool: Technical Guide

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Residential Energy Transition (L.A. RESET) Tool estimates how household energy use and bills across Los Angeles will be affected by two major factors: the transition to renewable energy and home electrification. UCLA researchers designed the L.A. RESET Tool for the L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to inform the LA100 Plan, the utility’s roadmap to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity.

This technical guide documents the tool’s logic, data sources, capabilities, scenarios, and variables. The 2026 technical guide reflects updated LADWP electricity rate projections and a modified household income estimation method. The 2025 handbook documents the original tool design and data as presented...

Water Supply Systems, Fire, and Finance: A Workshop Synthesis Report

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As catastrophic wildfires grow more frequent and severe across the western United States, water systems face rising pressure to support emergency response while continuing to provide safe drinking water, maintain financial stability, and protect affordability. This report examines a central, but largely unexplored issue: how water systems should finance infrastructure and services related to wildfire preparedness and response. Drawing on a January 2026 workshop convened by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the report synthesizes insights from 54 participants representing water systems, fire agencies, regulators, nonprofit organizations, technical experts, and researchers. The workshop found that existing infrastructure, legal frameworks, and funding mechanisms are poorly suited to support major wildfire-specific investments. Expanding fire-flow capacity could strain affordability, water quality, and system viability, especially for...

Streamlining Home Electrification in the Gateway Cities

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Building electrification is critical to reducing emissions, but many low-income households face cost, complexity, and administrative barriers that limit participation. This report evaluates the 2025 Community Contractor Pilot in Los Angeles County’s Gateway Cities, which integrates early home assessments and case management into Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready Home program.

Using program data, documentation, and stakeholder interviews, the study examines how this model affects participation and program efficiency. Findings show that early contractor involvement, dedicated case management, and streamlined processes improved application rates, increased follow-through, and reduced timelines and customer burden.

These results underscore the need for approaches that build trust, simplify processes, and assess feasibility upfront. The report calls for expanding case management models, developing a universal home assessment, and better aligning programs to reduce...

Expanding Public Electric Vehicle Charging in South Los Angeles: Community Perspectives, Resources, and Implementation Pathways

Mon, 6 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This guide summarizes community perspectives on electric vehicle (EV) charging in South Los Angeles gathered through focus groups conducted in three workshops between 2024 and 2025 as part of the Climate Action–Community-driven eLectric vEhicle chArging solutioN (CA–CLEAN) project. The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation partnered with Redeemer Community Partnership, a community-based organization in South Los Angeles, to provide a space for residents to share experiences and perspectives on EV ownership, barriers to charging access, and priorities for future charging infrastructure. Participants highlighted limited availability of reliable chargers, affordability concerns, and the need for clearer information about EV incentives and programs. This guide presents these insights alongside practical pathways and resources to support more equitable expansion of EV charging in South Los Angeles.

Building Heat Resilience Communities: A Toolkit for Local Planning, Decision-Making, & Action

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Center for Heat Resilient Communities’ collective work has been compiled into a toolkit to help communities assess, plan for, and implement strategies to address extreme heat. It integrates climate modeling, vulnerability assessment, governance, equity, and other considerations to guide data-informed, locally tailored heat action. This toolkit is intended for practitioners and presents a comprehensive framework for heat planning, along with a workbook of interactive activities to help communities identify priority strategies. Practitioners who use the workbook will ultimately create a strategy document to guide further action.

Power Up South LA! Costs & Benefits of Gas Decommissioning & Building Electrification - Frequently Asked Questions

Tue, 3 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Switching from gas to electricity for home energy use reduces indoor air pollution, improves health, and can reduce carbon emissions to meet climate goals, depending on the electricity source. But going electric is often an expensive, complex, and confusing endeavor, and many households have difficulty navigating the process and paying for appliances and retrofits. These community engagement materials aim to help residents learn about the process, the purpose, and the trade-offs of home electrification, as well as resources available to help. The Cost and Benefits FAQ responds to common questions and concerns about transitioning from gas to electricity and concludes with resources for residents who wish to learn more.

These materials were developed as part of Power Up South L.A., a partnership between the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and Redeemer Community Partnership. This initiative aims to lay the groundwork for residential building electrification in and around...

Power Up South LA! Advancing Community Health through Home Electrification & Gas Decommissioning - Fact Sheet

Tue, 3 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Switching from gas to electricity for home energy use reduces indoor air pollution, improves health, and can reduce carbon emissions to meet climate goals, depending on the electricity source. But going electric is often an expensive, complex, and confusing endeavor, and many households have difficulty navigating the process and paying for appliances and retrofits. These community engagement materials aim to help residents learn about the process, the purpose, and the trade-offs of home electrification, as well as resources available to help. The Overview Fact Sheet outlines the purpose, benefits, and process of decarbonizing homes, from electrifying to shutting down fossil fuel infrastructure. It provides basic information on the costs and benefits for households.

Issue Brief: How Often Have Hydrants Run Dry? Evidence From Recent Major Wildfires

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Issue Brief: How Often Have Hydrants Run Dry? Evidence From Recent Major Wildfires

Water Systems’ Wildfire Fighting Capacities and Expectations: Workshop Synthesis Report

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As urban wildfires grow larger and faster-moving, the public and policymakers are asking new questions about what water systems can realistically do to fight the spread of extreme fire events. This report synthesizes findings from the first workshop hosted by UCLA and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Water Supply + Wildfire Research and Policy Coordination Network. The report examines water systems’ wildfire-fighting capacities, limitations, and resilience needs. Forty-two experts from water agencies, fire services, research institutions, and state and local organizations discussed and evaluated system risks, infrastructure constraints, communication and coordination challenges, and potential interventions. Participants emphasized broad agreement that water systems cannot reasonably be expected to stop large urban wildfires and that public expectations often exceed system design requirements, but also identified potentially replicable case studies. They also identified...

Connect, Rebuild, Prepare: Community-Informed Transportation Planning After the 2025 L.A. Fires

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The January 2025 Eaton and Palisades firesdestroyed homes and roads across L.A. County. The experience revealed how urgently transportation systems must restore mobility and access after a fire orother major disaster—even though rapid transportation rebuilding can lock in unsafe road designs and miss chances to advance long-term resilience and community priorities.

Collaborative Community Engagement for Post-Disaster Transportation Rebuilding: Opportunities for Los Angeles After the January 2025 Fires

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires revealed how urgently transportation systems must recover—and how quickly a rush to rebuild can entrench old risks. This report examines how collaborative community engagement can shape safer, more equitable transportation rebuilding and evacuation planning in Los Angeles. Drawing on literature, public agency records, and interviews with transportation professionals, fire survivors, and community leaders, the research explores whether California’s Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) model can guide post-fire recovery. Findings show that rapid, like-for-like restoration often precludes safer designs and multimodal options; effective rebuilding requires cross-agency coordination, integration of evacuation needs into transportation planning, and trauma-informed engagement with residents. Community-based organizations can foster trust and inclusion, but need compensation and support to participate meaningfully. The TCC model offers adaptable...

What Defines a Plastic-Burdened Community?—Part II, Plastic, Fossil Fuels, and Inequitable Site-Based Exposure Risks

Thu, 6 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Plastic is a fossil fuel product. Despite efforts to find alternatives, 99% of plastic is derived from oil and gas. As regulatory efforts to date have largely failed to address profligate plastic production, the sector continues to grow rapidly, accounting for a sizeable and growing portion of global fossil fuel yields. The plastic sector is thus responsible for both a significant amount of global warming potential and a fraction of localized pollution risks from oil and gas extraction and refining operations commensurate with its consumption. Past research has clearly established the link between living near oil and gas development and a litany of health risks, and these exposures tend to be inequitably distributed across populations. This paper expands on the authors' previous work, outlining the Three-Part Framework for Identifying Plastic-Burdened Communities by conducting a high-resolution geospatial analysis of every operational oil and gas well and refinery in the State...

Aligning California’s Plastic Mitigation Fund Investments with Fossil Fuel and Health Realities

Thu, 6 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Keeping Children Safe by Cooling Homes and Schools in California

Wed, 5 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents the need for indoor mechanical cooling in California homes and schools, and a menu of strategies for increasing access. It focuses on two key heat exposure settings for children, homes and schools, because they are where children spend most of their time. Children are a particularly heat-vulnerable group, and access to cooling systems in their primary indoor environments is a life-saving heat intervention. Heat is a life-course disruptor because it is an accumulation of non-fatal disruptions that add up to threatening problems later in life. This report presents new data from the 2025 UCLA Luskin California Poll on challenges Californians face pertaining to heat in homes and schools. The researchers provide original policy analysis on strategies used in California and beyond, summarized as a list of potential strategies the state legislature can take to increase access to cooling systems in homes and schools.

Safeguarding Kids by Cooling Homes and Schools

Wed, 5 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research brief presents the need for indoor mechanical cooling in California homes and schools and a menu of strategies for increasing access. It focuses on two key heat exposure settings for children, homes and schools, because they are where children spend most of their time. Children are a particularly heat-vulnerable group, and access to cooling systems in their primary indoor environments is a life-saving heat intervention. Heat is a life-course disruptor because it is an accumulation of non-fatal disruptions that add up to threatening problems later in life. This report presents new data from the 2025 UCLA Luskin California Poll on challenges Californians face pertaining to heat in homes and schools. The researchers provide original policy analysis on strategies used in California and beyond, summarized as a list of potential strategies the state legislature can take to increase access to cooling systems in homes and schools

Innovation Opportunities for a Resilient LA

Tue, 7 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In June 2025, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) convened a wide array of experts to identify opportunities for the utility to support a more resilient L.A. through new and emerging technologies and strategies. In the wake of the January wildfires, the one-day intensive workshop provided a venue for rapid information sharing and the development of concepts for pilot projects as well as other immediate actions to catalyze utility innovation. The 104 participants—spanning utilities, technology innovators, consultants, academic researchers, and public sector leaders—identified and discussed key innovation strategies and barriers within four topic areas: advanced metering infrastructure, utility undergrounding, water distribution system infrastructure, and wildfire risk assessment.

The workshop was commissioned by LADWP and developed and hosted by an interdisciplinary UCLA team. UCLA researchers conducted...

Hot Observations about Shade in the U.S.

Fri, 3 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Shade is a critical heat-management solution, yet most U.S. cities lack enough to keep people safe during hot conditions. Using the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation’s national Shade Map, this research brief presents new insights into shade patterns across 360 U.S. cities. Findings show that 91 percent of cities have less than 50 percent shade at noon, and more than half have under 25 percent, leaving people highly exposed to sunlight during the hottest part of the day. Shade cover increases later in the day, rising from 27 percent at noon to 59 percent by 6 p.m., primarily due to buildings. Trees provide nearly all midday shade, while buildings contribute more in the evening. However, shade is not evenly distributed: many cities contain “shade oases” and “shade deserts,” with large gaps between neighborhoods. Case studies in Austin, Detroit, and Phoenix demonstrate stark disparities, with shade gaps as large as 80 percentage points. These findings underscore the importance of...

Hot Observations about Shade in Los Angeles

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Shade helps people go about their daily lives more safely and comfortably, especially in hot climates like Los Angeles. This research brief presents new findings on shade in L.A., drawing on data from the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation’s national Shade Map. Results show that Los Angeles has less shade than the national average, with 24 percent coverage at noon compared to 27 percent nationally. Nearly all of the midday shade comes from trees, but by 6 p.m. total shade nearly triples, with buildings providing about two-thirds of the coverage. Despite this overall increase throughout the day, shade is unevenly distributed across the city. About two-thirds of L.A.’s neighborhoods have less than 25 percent shade at noon, while others have more than 50 percent or even 75 percent. The least shaded areas are often inland, lower-income, and predominantly communities of color, highlighting shade gaps that can worsen inequities. Expanding shade in high-exposure locations such as schools,...

The 2025 Southern California Community Water Systems Atlas

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Community water systems (CWS) are essential to providing water to all Californians but face mounting challenges from climate change, aging infrastructure, and fragmented governance—especially among smaller, under-resourced systems. This report and the accompanying 2025 Southern California Community Water Systems Mapping Tool assess 663 CWS across six counties, expanding upon UCLA’s prior analyses of Los Angeles County. Using state regulatory data and geospatial analysis, the study assesses system performance in terms of water quality, affordability, accessibility, and governance. Key findings reveal highly varied conditions across the counties, as well as persistent disparities in system size and capacity across the region — including chronic water quality violations in Kern County and rising rates that outpace inflation over the last decade in Los Angeles. The report and accompanying mapping tool underscore the need for sustained investment, rate structure reform, and stronger...

A Renters’ Right to Cooling: Addressing Extreme Heat in Rental Housing

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A Renters’ Right to Cooling: Addressing Extreme Heat in Rental Housing

Drought & Climate Resiliency Solutions for Small Water Systems in LA County

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Drought & Climate Resiliency Solutions for Small Water Systems in LA County

Equity-Focused Heat Adaptation Strategies for Los Angeles County

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Equity-Focused Heat Adaptation Strategies for Los Angeles County

Deconstructing Evaluation to Build a Resilient Future: Best Practices for Measuring Impacts of the Community Resilience Centers Grant Program

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Deconstructing Evaluation to Build a Resilient Future: Best Practices for Measuring Impacts of the Community Resilience Centers Grant Program

Impacts of Household Electrification on Energy Affordability in Los Angeles

Mon, 4 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Transitioning Los Angeles to 100% carbon-free electricity will make home electrification an ever more valuable climate change mitigation strategy — but how might higher electric rates and increased usage affect households’ energy bills? To answer this question, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) commissioned UCLA researchers to develop the LA Residential Energy Transition (RESET) Tool. The tool uses energy consumption data from the UCLA Energy Atlas, as well as other data and projections, to model how home electrification might affect energy bills for different types of households in Los Angeles. In this report, the researchers examine how seven electrification upgrades affect energy spending outcomes for households in five building types. The authors find that most electrification upgrades lead to ongoing energy savings, while maintaining gas appliances nearly always leads to higher energy spending. While potential savings vary greatly by building type, all...

Engaging the Public On Water Issues Through Art

Fri, 1 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

What’s On Tap: L.A.’s Water Story…Source to Spigot was a 2024 traveling exhibit exploring water equity, quality, and access in Los Angeles. Co-curated by Edith and Jolly de Guzman, the exhibit featured interactive installations and artworks by more than a dozen artists responding to key water issues. Public programming included a blind water tasting and audience reflections on water-related concerns and personal use. Sentiment and sensory analyses revealed concerns about water trust and a disconnect between perception and value of water. Through art, science, and community dialogue, the exhibit offered an innovative model for environmental communication that made complex water challenges tangible and locally resonant.

An Analysis of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Feed-in Tariff Program