Since 2018, UCLA has served as a critical policy and technical research partner to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)—the nation’s largest municipal utility—through a long-standing Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
This enduring partnership leverages UCLA’s world-class expertise to help the Los Angeles region meet its ambitious energy and water sustainability and equity goals.
At the heart of this partnership is UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLAGC), which acts as the connective tissue between LADWP and UCLA’s vast research community. The UCLA–LADWP partnership, anchored by SLAGC and enabled by the MOA, continues to demonstrate the power of university-utility collaboration.
Together, they are breaking down institutional silos, accelerating climate solutions, and building a more resilient, equitable Los Angeles.
Driving strategic research with regional impact
LADWP Innovation Workshop
Following the devastating January 2025 fires, LADWP called on UCLA to convene experts on four critical areas. SLAGC co-developed an outcomes-focused agenda, mobilized UCLA’s top experts, and provided logistical and facilitation support to help shape LADWP’s investment strategies in these areas.
Equitable Access to Local Water
Building off UCLA’s LA100 Equity Strategies work, Luskin Center for Innovation was recently tapped to support public engagement and understanding of—as well as evaluate the equity of the LADWP and Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) city-wide flagship water recycling program.
Energy Affordability + Electrification
Getting to 100% carbon-free electricity will make home electrification an ever more valuable climate change mitigation strategy—but how might higher electric rates and increased usage affect energy bills? LADWP commissioned UCLA researchers to develop the LA Residential Energy Transition (RESET) Tool to answer this question.
LA100 Equity Strategies
When LADWP needed a trusted partner to support LA100 Equity Strategies—the follow-up to its 100% renewable energy roadmap—SLAGC brought together a multidisciplinary group of over 20 UCLA experts in engineering, law, labor studies, public health, and urban policy to co-create a robust research portfolio.
SLAGC coordinates across campus and engages with LADWP to identify shared regional sustainability and equity, connecting decision makers with cutting-edge, societally relevant research, and providing administrative and programmatic support to deliver timely, actionable results with minimal burden.
Since the partnership’s inception, SLAGC’s small but dedicated team has:
- mobilized dozens of faculty, researchers, postdocs, and graduate students from departments spanning urban planning, engineering, environmental science, public health, and more.
- facilitated or supported the launch of more than 20 unique projects, each focused on tackling the Los Angeles region’s most pressing energy, water, and related equity challenges.
Through sustained collaboration and mutual trust, UCLA and LADWP are not only meeting the moment—they are shaping the future.
