UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Tw in Cities Campus The la w Sc h oo l Walter F. Mondale Hal l Room 285 229 - 19th Aven ue Sou th Min neapolis, MN 554S5 612-625- 1000 Fa x: 612 -625 -2 011 http:// www.law.umn. edu / December 7, 20 19 Dear Govern or Wal z: I write to appl y to be a member of the Governor 's Adv iso ry ouncil on Clim ate Change. I am a Di stin gui shed McKni ght Uni ve rsity Professor at th e Uni ve rsity of Minn esota Law Schoo l where I have been a member of th e fac ulty sin ce 2006. My teac hin g and sc holarship is in th e area of energy law, enviro nmental law, and natu ra l resources law. A show n in my CY, my sc holarl y resea rch and writing foc us on energy tran si ti on and cl imate cha nge- how to integrate more renewa bl e energy into the electri c grid ; how to upport tran sportation electrifi catio n; th e barri ers to buildin g th e ph ys ica l infrastructure needed to bring abo ut energy trans iti on; reg ion al differences releva nt to energy transiti on; th e ro le of energy poli cy in add ress in g clim ate change; and th e impacts of energy tra nsiti on on publi c actors, private actors, and co mmuniti es. For instance, tran spo1iation el ctrifi ca ti on, if done properl y, has th e potenti al to signifi ca ntl y improve air qu ali ty in low-in come and di ver e co mmuniti es, whi ch arc often located n ar hi ghwa ys and other so urces of transportation emi s ions. But it is important to ensure th at the benefi ts of EVs are not onl y reduced air pollution , but also in clude increased transportati on opti ons fo r low- in co me and di verse co mmuniti es throu gh inves tm ents in EV charging infrast ructure in public places and multi-unit housin g. Lik ew ise, reducin g th e use of oil and gas resources in electricity and tran sportation systems ca n result in job losses in fo sil fu el industri es, such as the refi nin g indu stry in Minnesota , whil e spurring job gro wth in th e wind and so lar sectors. Much of th e controversy over new oil pipelin es, lik e th e Enbrid g Lin e 3 pipeline, foc uses not onl y on clim ate impacts but also these eco nomi c im pact on va ri ous sectors of the loca l and national eco nom ies . My resea rch and writing foc us on these tradeoffs in th e co ntex t of transportation electrifi ca ti on and fossi l fu el and renewabl e energy in frastructure. In my sc holarship , I id enti fy not on ly the sources of co ntroversy but also potenti al so luti ons , all of which will be hi ghl y releva nt to the adv isory coun cil 's wo rk on implementin g poli cies to promote clean energy and combat clim ate change . These iss ues are ce ntral to my work in tea chin g as well a my research and wr itin g. Fo r instance , in my energy law cla s, we di scuss the laws and poli cies gove rnin g th e electri city and tra nsportati on secto rs a we ll as the nergy choices (a nd lack of choices) ava il abl e to different co mmuniti e . ome of th ese di ffe rences are reg ional- such as ampl e wind energy in the upper Midwest- whil e oth ers are in co me-based- such as more limited access to so lar energy or el ctri c ve hi cles in low- inco me co mmunities. These differences requ ire carefu l pl annin g, di cuss ion of approp ri ate subsidi es, and support !o r tec hnology impl ementati on th at ca n tai lor nergy transitio n across a ran ge of urban and rural geographi es. Finally I that my prlol' (0 my academic career gnu) me a broader Ihan must academics in [his field, Prior (0 my reaching career, was a parlm'r ar Dorsey Whimey law firm in Minneapolis, where prucuccd enyimnmemai law and land use I represemed small companies. large campanics. iribes, and leeai In a range of umironmcmal issues. I relain strong ties In sialc regulaluia. ilnd ihe pracnung bare Thus. I am confidem I would bring ii uniquc hIcnd nfacadcmic and real--world experience lo the adus'nry council, ll would b: an honor in cunmbuie Io [he work 0| admory COUHEII and [he Sla|c oi by |h|S mlc. Very truly yours, 7} Alcxandru B. Kla>> [7min 111$th McKnight Lmversny Profcssor akiassguiim :du