This seminar presents recent work utilizing high-resolution smart meter electricity data to inform climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, with a focus on residential air-conditioning (AC) access and usage. Drawing on a novel dataset of over 8.8 billion hourly electricity consumption records from  approximately 200,000 households across Southern California, my research group has developed data-driven methods to estimate AC ownership and operational patterns with unprecedented spatial and temporal granularity. I will introduce analytical frameworks that: (1) characterize the functional relationship between temperature, humidity, and residential electricity demand; (2) infer household-level AC ownership; (3) identify the socio-economic, geographic, and technical drivers of AC adoption and usage; and (4) investigate correlations between AC access and public health outcomes during extreme heat events.

Beyond cooling, we analyze how households across climate zones and socio-economic classifications use electricity at hourly, daily, and seasonal timescales, uncovering substantial variation in load profiles and peak demand behavior. This work reveals stark disparities in cooling access and energy use, with significant implications for energy justice and climate resilience. It also demonstrates how smart meter data can be leveraged to design more equitable, targeted demand-side management programs that support both public health adaptation and electricity-sector decarbonization.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Kelly Sanders is an Associate Professor in the University of Southern California’s Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research evaluates strategies to accelerate decarbonization and electrification, analyzes tensions between climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, and quantifies the environmental impacts of energy and water services. In 2024, she served as Assistant Director for Energy Systems Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, advising the Biden Administration on energy and climate mitigation priorities—particularly at the intersection of artificial intelligence, U.S. load growth, grid modernization, and clean energy commercialization. Dr. Sanders has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy, MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35, and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists’ 40 Under 40 for her contributions to the energy field. She holds a B.S. in Bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University, and an M.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.