Energy and environmental concerns are among the most important challenges facing policy makers today. Federal, state, and local lawmakers will all face policy choices related to climate change in the coming years. These may include how to: ensure coastal cities are resilient in the face of rising sea levels and storm surge, address reduced water supply in agriculture, find new sources of power tha
t ensure an operational electric grid during natural disasters, increase energy efficiency in industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, address public health concerns by improving air and water quality, secure a sustainable food supply for growing populations, and much more. As graduate students at a premier public policy school located in Washington, D.C., we have an opportunity to engage at a high level and make a difference in this field. Now is also a critical time to enter this field as it forms, at the ground level, in order to build a community of engaged E&E policy students, academics, and professionals who can share ideas and brainstorm solutions. The policy proposals we come up with will strive to solve real world challenges. We will strive to create a cohort of leaders in environmental and energy policy that will take ideas into the real world upon graduation and make a significant difference addressing these challenges.
