David B. Spence, a professor in the School of Law, has been named the grand prize winner of the 2025 Hamilton Book Awards for his book "Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship."
Spence’s book is the first to provide a comprehensive scholarly analysis of the political and legal challenges shaping the nation's energy transition. Drawing on political science, psychology, history, communication and media studies, "Climate of Contempt" argues that bitter partisanship is the key barrier to enacting effective policies to reduce carbon emissions. Spence, an expert in energy law, explores how polarization, partisanship and misinformation affect energy policy and offers a path forward for building a broader climate coalition.
The Hamilton Book Awards are among the highest honors of literary achievement given to authors at The University of Texas at Austin. Sponsored by the University Co-operative Society and the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors, the awards are named for the late Robert W. Hamilton, emeritus professor in the School of Law and former chairperson of the Co-op’s board of directors.
"The Hamilton Book Awards honor the power of books as a vital form of research and scholarship and celebrate UT authors who transform their expertise into works that enlighten and engage readers far beyond academia," said Fernanda Leite, interim vice president for research.
Spence holds the Rex G. Baker Centennial Chair in Natural Resources Law and also teaches in the McCombs School of Business. He has published extensively on the economic and environmental regulation of the energy industry, spanning both fossil fuels and clean energy sectors. Prior to publishing "Climate of Contempt," he co-authored the leading energy law casebook, "Energy, Economics, and the Environment."
"I am very humbled and grateful to have won this award, especially given the high quality of the other nominated works," Spence said. "I owe a debt of thanks to the selection committee, the Co-op, and the Office of Research for all their work, and to my colleagues at the UT School of Law and McCombs School for creating the kind of supportive environment that enabled me to write this book in the first place."
Doug Lewin, host of the Energy Capital Podcast and author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, called Spence’s book a "remarkable piece" and highly recommends it for anyone interested in the energy transition and the history of energy-related regulations or who wants a deeper understanding of the current political landscape.
"I believe this book is perfect for this moment and one of the best I've read on climate policy — and I read a lot on climate policy," Lewin wrote.
All 30 authors who were nominated for the 2025 Hamilton Book Awards were honored at a ceremony on Oct. 20. In addition to Spence, three finalists were also recognized:
- Christopher Long, professor, School of Architecture, for "Lucian Bernhard"
- David M. Rabban, professor and the Dahr Jamail, Randall Hage Jamail, and Robert Lee Jamail Regents Chair in Law, School of Law, for "Academic Freedom: From Professional Norm to First Amendment Right"
- Micheal Sierra-Arévalo, associate professor, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts, for "The Danger Imperative: Violence, Death, and the Soul of Policing"
To learn more about 2025 Hamilton Book nominees and to purchase their books, visit the Gallery of Nominees.