Center for Environmental Politics Talk:Using Behavioral Science to Encourage Household Energy Investments: Lessons Learned and Policy Opportunities

Kim Wolske is a research associate, assistant professor in the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a research fellow with EPIC, the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago. Dr. Wolske’s work draws on the fields of environmental, social, and cognitive psychology to examine the behavioral dimensions of energy and climate issues. She is particularly interested in understanding the motivations and barriers associated with consumer adoption of efficient and renewable energy technologies and using behavioral science to improve the design of public-facing policies and programs. For the past several years, she has partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to investigate strategies for accelerating consumer demand for residential rooftop solar. Her other research examines public perceptions of climate change and related technologies, such as carbon dioxide removal.