Penn IUR's Mark Alan Hughes to lead new Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Mark Alan Hughes will lead the new Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, established at PennDesign with a $10 million gift from Scott, C’94, W’94, and Wendy Kleinman. The Center, which is scheduled to launch in Fall 2014, will advance energy productivity by reframing the relationship between research and practice in support of policy innovation. Hughes, Professor of Practice at PennDesign and former Chief Policy Adviser to Philadelphia’s Mayor Michael A. Nutter, will lead the Kleinman Center with a focus on “collective intelligence” in which research is one of several contributors to improving practice. 

The Center will focus on overcoming persistent barriers to energy productivity in order to construct energy policy options that provide fairness for stakeholders, reliability for investors, and opportunity for innovators. It will provide a forum that brings together eminent scholars and multiple stakeholders in a collegial and productive environment that generates tangible progress on energy policy. It will also expand the engagement of faculty and students through distinguished guests, visiting fellows, lectures, courses, internships, and research support.