Assistant Professor, Environmental Science and Policy
Faculty Directory
Research Focus
My work examines how institutional relationships and catastrophic events drive energy and environmental policymaking and change. Specific areas of focus include sustainability and resilience challenges in the energy-water nexus, solutions that leverage energy-water interdependencies, and energy system transitions in Japan, India, and China. My research in these areas helps to integrate energy and water policies and practices at international, national and local levels, bridging relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with national policies and local initiatives. My research concurrently contributes to existing work on community resilience by identifying institutional, socio-economic, and ecological challenges to local energy and water systems, as well as integrative solutions to these challenges. Finally, my work highlights the qualitative institutional factors that influence energy and water policy implementation and transitions, providing insights necessary for understanding the potential for success of technical solutions to energy and water system challenges.
Current Projects
■ Empowering Community Resilience: Identifying Parameters for Leveraging Storm Water Management for Green Electricity: This project aims to identify technological, ecological, geographical, socio-economic and institutional challenges to deployment of hydropower micro- turbines with battery storage, as well as potential solutions. The project also will analyze the potential for small-scale clean power applications such as cell phone charging stations, emergency lighting, and mini-fridges. Results will yield valuable lessons for local and overseas communities facing energy and water system resilience challenges.
■ Food-Energy-Water Nexus Solutions (FEWS) Project: In collaboration with faculty in food/nutrition and engineering, this project involves research on food, energy, water and climate challenges facing low income, rural communities. Through needs assessments, the project enables collaboration with communities to determine their food, energy and water needs and develop potential solutions.
Select Publications
■ Sklarew, J. (Forthcoming). The influence of institutional relationships on policy change during focusing events. In Managing Challenges for the Flint Water Crisis. Tonya Neaves, Drew Williams, Katie Simon, and Jennifer Sklarew, eds. Westphalia Press.
■ Sklarew, J. (2018). Power fluctuations: How Japan’s nuclear infrastructure priorities influence electric utilities’ clout. Energy Research & Social Science, 41, 158-167.
■ Sklarew, J. & Sklarew, D. (2017). Empowering resilience in energy and water systems: Addressing barriers to implementation of urban hydroelectric micro-turbines. In The CIP Report. Center for Infrastructure Protection & Homeland Security.