At IES we want to share upcoming energy related events both on campus and off campus. This list is updated intermittently and is not intended as a guaranteed comprehensive list. Additionally, the opinions presented at different events do not officially represent the views of IES, but are shared for building opportunities to engage with different facets of energy.
January, 2025
January 7, 2025 – Bridging the Gap: How Emerging State Policies are Making Energy Storage Affordable and Accessible
Tuesday, January 7, 2-3:30pm ET
Report authors Todd Olinsky-Paul (Senior Project Director, CESA) and Will McNamara (Energy Storage Policy Analyst, Sandia National Labs) will discuss the emerging practices and lessons learned from states. Elischia Fludd (Environmental Justice Senior Lead, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources) joins to discuss relevant provisions in Massachusetts programs. Additionally, Broderick Bagert (Organizer, Together New Orleans) joins to discuss the Community Lighthouse Project, an initiative that has created a network of resilient, solar-powered community resilience hubs for communities to access in the wake of hurricanes or other disasters. REGISTER HERE
This webinar is a presentation of the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP). ESTAP is a federal-state funding and information sharing project that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the U.S. ESTAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity, managed by Sandia National Laboratories, and administered by the Clean Energy States Alliance.
January 10, 2025 – Climate Action in 2025 and Beyond: Creating a Resilient and Just Future in Michigan and Across the Globe
| Tuesday, January 14 | 4:30 p.m. Networking reception | 6:00–6:30 p.m. Rackham Amphitheatre | 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, MIThe University of Michigan community understands climate change is an existential threat that will exacerbate inequality and make our planet unliveable. In this community conversation on climate action, we bring Michigan and community voices together to amplify our shared commitment to tackle the climate crisis, create sustainable and just systems and center environmental justice. How can we come together in this critical moment, and what is our roadmap for the path ahead? Join us in this unique conversation structured as a town hall and information session to learn what is happening at the university, local, state and federal levels and how you can get involved. Help us plan for a sustainable event. RSVP today to ensure we have an accurate food count, minimizing waste and maximizing the impact of our gathering. Together, we can lead by example in sustainable event practices. This event will also be live-streamed. If you check off the “watch via livestream” option on the registration form, we will email the livestream link before the event. |
January 12, 2025 – Home Efficiency and Electrification – Save Money and the Planet
A non-technical presentation introducing practical tips on how to reduce home energy consumption, use cleaner energy and SAVE $$ with the many federal, state and local incentives available.
Topics include:
> Reasons for shifting from using natural gas to electricity in our homes
> Home energy audits
> Home weatherization
> Heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction stoves, heat pump dryers, EVs and solar.
Speaker: Speaker: Rich Fein – Chair, Ann Arbor CCL Electrification & Efficiency Action Team
Location: Ann Arbor District Library – Westgate Branch, 2503 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
January 16, 2025 – IES Energy Seminar – Po-Chun Hsu – Electrochemically Active Metasurfaces and Radiative Thermoregulating Materials for
Human-Building-Energy Nexus
Where: LEC Johnson Rooms
When: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Bio: Global warming is essentially an optothermal problem which the balance between solar heat gain and radiative heat loss is changed by the greenhouse gas emission. Immense opportunities for energy and sustainability lie in understanding and manipulating materials’ optical properties, which can originate from multiple length scales, from free charge carriers and the bound vibrational mode to nanocavity resonances. Meanwhile, electrochemistry is a powerful tuning knob for inducing drastic optical property change, varying the carrier density or even trigger a phase transformation in an electrically addressable manner, which is particularly desirable in many energy and sustainability applications where tunable range, scalability, and non-volatility are crucial. Integrating with metasurface concepts will provide additional degrees of freedom to boost performance and achieve multifunctional control. In this talk, I will present our research group’s recent progress in three aspects: (i) Wearable photon-engineered textile for multispectral and multifunctional radiative heating and cooling. (ii) High-metallicity electrochromic polyaniline for near-perfect dynamic thermal meta-emitter. (iii) Reversible metal electrodeposition for solar and mid-infrared control for all-year-round renewable thermoregulation for net-zero-energy buildings.
Abstract: Po-Chun Hsu is an Assistant Professor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, focusing on light- and heat-managing materials for energy, sustainability, and health. He earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering and was a postdoctoral researcher in Mechanical Engineering, both at Stanford University. Before joining the University of Chicago, he was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University from 2019 to 2022. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, shortlist for the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2023, EcoMat Young Researcher Award, Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (China), Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers, and Sony Faculty Innovation Award. His project in cooling textiles was selected as Top Ten World-Changing Ideas by Scientific American.
January 27, 2025 – Paving the Way: Taking Bold Action Toward Environmental Justice
Paving the Way: Taking Bold Action Toward Environmental Justice
Monday, January 27 | 5:30 p.m. | Rackham Auditorium
915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Join us for an event that’s more than just a celebration—it’s a call to action. In alignment with the University of Michigan’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium’s 2025 theme of “Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality,” We invite students, staff, faculty and the greater community to a powerful and inspiring gathering.
This panel will spotlight leaders who are transforming the fields of environmental justice, energy and sustainability. These trailblazers are challenging the status quo, breaking down barriers and carving out their own paths toward a more just and sustainable future. Their journeys reflect the spirit of Dr. King’s vision for “divine discontent”—never settling, always striving for a better world.
January 28, 2025 – SEAS Leadership Speaker Series
On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, Valerie Brader from Rivenoak Consulting will be presenting for the SEAS Leadership Speaker Series.
When: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: DANA 2315 and livestreamed
January 31, 2025 – IES Fellows Symposium
IES is hosting the fellows symposium to celebrate the 2024 IES fellows cohort, share their work, introduce the 2025 cohort, and enjoy a meal together. We welcome our UM energy experts community, our fellows, and their guests to attend. If you have not received an invite and believe you should receive one, please contact [email protected].
February, 2025
February 5, 2025 – Environmental and Energy Law Program (EELP) Lecture Series – Equitable Implementation of Federal Climate Policies and Investments
On Wednesday, February 5th, Shalanda Baker, Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, will present on equitable implementation of federal climate policies and investments
When: Noon to 1 PM
Where: Jeffries Hall, 1020
February 6, 2025 – IES Energy Seminar Series – Richard Laine
Where: TBD
When: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
February 11, 2025 – SEAS Leadership Speaker Series
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, Jonathan Smith, Senior Chief Deputy Director from Labor and Economic Opportunity, will be presenting for the SEAS Leadership Speaker Series.
When: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: DANA 2315 and livestreamed
February 26, 2025 – EELP Lecture Series – Pursuing Tribal Environmental Justice in the Line 5 Oil Pipeline Dispute
On Wednesday, February 26th, Riyaz Kanji will present on tribal EJ in the line 5 oil pipeline dispute.
When: Noon to 1 PM
Where: Jeffries Hall, 1020
Notice: Events Webpage May be out of date from March, 2025 through May, 2025
IES Events page is regularly updated by IES Program Manager, Kira Edwards. Kira will be going on maternity leave approximately early March. In advance, she will upload events, but some event information may not be updated after February. In addition, events announced last-minute may not be included on this page.
March, 2025
March 11, 2025 – SEAS Leadership Speaker Series
On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, Regina Strong from EGLE will be presenting for the SEAS Leadership Speaker Series.
When: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: DANA 2315 and livestreamed
March 17, 2025 – EELP – What does the future hold for Title VI and Env. Justice?
On Monday, March 17th, 2025, Patrice Simms from EarthJustice will present on the future of Title VI and environmental justice.
When: Noon to 1 PM
Where: Jeffries Hall, 1020
April, 2025
April 15, 2025 – SEAS Leadership Speaker Series
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Hilary Doe, Chief Growth Officer from State of Michigan, will be presenting for the SEAS Leadership Speaker Series.
When: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: DANA 2315 and livestreamed
April 19, 2025 – Past, Present, and Future of Climate Accountability: Finding Liability for Big Oil’s Climate Deception
On Wednesday, April 9th, Alyssa Johl and Naomi Spoelman will present on Big Oil’s Climate Deception
When: Noon to 1 PM
Where: Jeffries Hall, 1020
May, 2025
Energy Events Archive
Submit Upcoming Energy Events
If you know of an energy event and would like to share, we greatly appreciate it!
Additional Sources for Events
Please check the following for additional events relevant to energy:
University of Michigan Events (search energy)
Ann Arbor Sustainability Newsletter & Events
Ann Arbor District Library Events (search: website, for: events, “energy”)
Washtenaw County Events (most are not energy related but some may be)
Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Events (not all local, some are virtual)
Department of Energy – BioEnergy Technologies Office Events (not all local, some are virtual)
Department of Energy – Grid Modernization Initiative (not all local, some are virtual)
Department of Energy – Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (not all local, some are virtual)
Department of Energy – Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (not all local, some are virtual)