Los Angeles Works with UCLA On Research, Deepen Water Conservation and Efficiency

UCLA and the city of Los Angeles’s water and power utility (LADWP) are working together to research ways to enable the city to manage water supplies more sustainably and to become more energy efficient and reliant on clean energy. They plan to identify research that would move the city to greater use of recycled water, increase water and energy conservation and efficiency as well as electrification of the transportation network, and the use and production of local water, and also strengthen climate adaptation planning. UCLA will administer the $5 million US fund provided by LADWP and collaborate with universities throughout the city over the next five years.

“This targeted research will assist LADWP, the city and the region in efforts to reduce Los Angeles’ carbon footprint and become even more sustainable in the near future,” said Nancy Sutley, chief sustainability officer for LADWP.

The partnership will also establish two key committees: the Sustainable LA Research Management Committee, which will determine the annual research agenda, projects, budgets and research teams; and, a research advisory subcommittee to provide guidance to the research management committee on potential research projects and faculty research expertise in the future.

The project is part of the UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge which has set the goal of transitioning Los Angeles County to 100 percent renewable energy and water self-sufficiency by 2050.

“UCLA is excited to work with LADWP as a research partner to answer some of the city’s most critical water and energy sustainability questions,” said Mark Gold, the university’s associate vice chancellor for environment and sustainability. “Partnering with LADWP and other research universities will accelerate the regions progress to achieve these mandates.”