About the Center

The Pace Energy and Climate Center promotes economic and equitable alternatives to the world’s growing dependence upon traditional fuels—a dependence that produces severe environmental, economic and social harm. These alternatives form the basis of our vision for a sustainable energy future—a future that is more environmentally benign and that attends to the long term economic needs of nations, regions, and communities.

Our immediate focus is on the electricity industry. Within this focus, we promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean distributed generation technologies—options that are cost effective means to reduce the negative climatic, air, water, land and human health impacts from current patterns of electricity production and consumption. Using research, education, and negotiation we reach out to individuals, institutions and governments involved in energy decision making. We participate in regulatory proceedings, usually representing coalitions of stakeholders supportive of clean energy technologies. We litigate when we must. The education of the next generation is a common thread to all our work.

Collaboration with other Centers at Pace
The Pace Energy and Climate Center is able to draw upon the expertise of other Centers on the Pace Law School campus that are engaging in work related to climate change and environmental issues. For example, the Land Use Law Center is dedicated to fostering the development of sustainable communities in New York State. Under the direction of Professor John Nolon, the Land Use Law Center is currently developing a “Land Use Stabilization Wedge” that would provide an agenda for mitigating climate change by using the existing legal authority of state and local governments to regulate and guide land use.

The Kheel Center on Resolution of Environmental Interest Disputes will provide educational programs for law students and lawyers in the techniques of discovery, fact-finding and other means of alternative dispute resolution to resolve environmental “interest disputes,” those that do not lend themselves to resolution by litigation. The Kheel Center will have a focus on using alternative dispute resolution techniques to resolve the many issues surrounding climate change, and will also assist law firms in establishing legal practices in this field.

The Energy and Climate Center’s access to these resources on the Pace Law School campus expands the breadth of the Center’s expertise and produces synergies that improve the cost-effectiveness, quality and impact of the Center’s efforts.