David Phillips

Associate Vice President, Energy and Sustainability

David Phillips provides strategic leadership for capital programs, energy and sustainability initiatives across the University of California, which includes ten campuses, five medical centers, and three national labs. Responsibilities include Physical, Environmental, and Capital Planning; Design and Construction; Facilities and Asset Strategies; Real Estate; Energy; and Sustainability. David and his 50-person team help connect researchers, students and operations staff to integrate sustainable practices in support the University’s mission. David has been in this role since 2015, after working at UC Davis for over 20 years.  One key focus is developing plans and actions to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions and implement UC’s transition to fully decarbonized campus energy systems.

David was formerly Director of Utilities at UC Davis, where he managed their city-scale water, waste and energy systems. Developing practical solutions to cost-effectively accomplish sustainability goals has been a career focus. While at Davis, David developed one of the country’s largest on-site solar power plants, oversaw an on-site waste treatment system to reduce campus landfill disposal by 25 percent and led the regulatory approval process for several wastewater recycling projects. He was also a key contributor in the successful partnership with local agencies to develop a new treated surface water supply for the campus.

David has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from UC Davis and is a California-registered professional engineer.