Some (Very) Modest Progress on EV Charging Policy
Three new bills address challenges, but bigger opportunities await
Last week, Governor Newsom signed a batch of legislation intended to promote installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers around the state. California is home to over 200,000 publicly accessible EV chargers, which is both an outstanding infrastructure achievement and a far cry from the million chargers that the California Energy Commission estimates we will need to serve EV drivers around the state by 2030. (This target, and the two million plus target for 2035, is pre...
CONTINUE READING‘Solar for All’ Victories and the Future of Grantee Litigation
Two courts vacated U.S. EPA’s termination of solar funds. Guest contributor Adam Earl King outlines what to watch for on appeal.
Guest contributor Adam Earl King is a student at The University of Texas School of Law (JD ’27) and a Summer ’26 Legal Research Assistant at UC Berkeley's CLEE. This time last year, local-government and non-profit grantees’ hearts dropped when EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced via X that he’s ending the “boondoggle.” The so-called “boondoggle” was Solar for All (SFA), a $7 bn program designed to subsidize residential solar in low-income commun...
CONTINUE READINGWho Cares About Affordability and Gas Prices? Not DOT
The Trump administration's new CAFE standards actually make cars LESS fuel efficient, defy Congressional intent, and increase air and climate pollution.
The Trump Administration today issued new fuel economy standards that require average fuel economy that will be LOWER by 2031 than what Congress mandated for 2020. While consumers are paying an average of $4.49 a gallon of gas, the Department of Transportation is setting standards that require only 34.9 miles per gallon (MPG) by 2031 even though Congress required standards of at least 35 MPG for vehicles manufactured six years ago. In other words, we are backsliding ...
CONTINUE READINGBy Our Powers Combined, We Are Captain Planet
Facing climate disasters, the GCF Task Force is putting the network theory of governance into practice.
I don't need to tell you that the last several months have seen an increasing number of climate-related disasters, including severe heatwaves throughout Europe and droughts that are impacting water supply and reducing ship passages through the Panama Canal. This year’s super El Niño has exacerbated the ongoing fires across Indonesian Borneo. It is projected to result in significant impacts globally (drought, fire, floods, extreme storms and heat, impacted food systems...
CONTINUE READINGElection 2026: Governor’s Races
Some key races are still too close to call.
When election night rolls around about a month from now, keep on eye on Governors’ races. They tend not to get national attention, but they’re critical in terms of state climate and energy policy. Although governorships were once considered relatively weak offices, they have generally accrued greater power, just as Presidents have done at the federal level. Who’s steering state government matters. States are key players in the energy transition. The Federal Power...
CONTINUE READINGBan The Palm?
Streets For All Wants To -- But Is it More About Attention Than The Environment?
Nine times out of 10, when you see a graphic about Los Angeles, somewhere in it you will see a palm tree. It’s the iconic image of this city. When Walter O’Malley built Dodger Stadium, he made sure to include towering palm trees at the Stadium. The problem is that that’s mostly a lie. Palm trees are not native to Los Angeles. They are tropical plants, and this region is very much not tropical (at least not yet). Only one species derives from southern Cali...
CONTINUE READINGI Skipped NY Climate Week and Read These Books Instead
The Drain is a roundup of environmental and climate news from Legal Planet.
Climate World descended on New York City this week for the annual mad dash of panel discussions, press briefings, newsmaker interviews, influencer gatherings, and sponsored parties that is NY Climate Week, but I stayed home and read books instead. To be more specific, I went to my local bookstore (Village Well in Culver City!) and bought 4 new climate books that I've been excited to read: “The Carbon Wave: A Story of Democracy, Parenthood, and the Rac...
CONTINUE READING“National Security” is Becoming a Punch Line
Whenever he wants to roll back environmental protections, Trump cooks up a new national security justification.
Here's a new one: "Why did Trump's chicken cross the road?" The answer: "National security!" In a more serious vein, a recent NY Times article recounts how often President Trump has invoked national security. It dissects his latest and most absurd claim: that his planned "Arc de Trump" monument will be filled with snipers, ammunition, and drones. It turns out that the snipers would be in an excellent position to target visitors to Arlington National Cemetery but...
CONTINUE READINGWhither the Governor’s Mansion?
Some big environmental battles are brewing in Sacramento. But where will the next Governor stand?
Those of you who tuned in to the extra-long season finale of my favorite reality TV show, the California State Legislature, on September 1 (a full half-day after session was supposed to end, mind you: Drama!) may have, as I did, audibly gasped at the moment when the Assembly simply declined to vote on a compromise wildfire bill proposal (after a deal had reportedly been struck in the wee hours of the weekend: Drama!). The last-minute maneuver punted a critical conver...
CONTINUE READINGUCLA Law Clinics File Brief in the “Mecheros” Case
UCLA’s Human Rights Litigation Clinic and Environmental Law Clinic represent experts in a long-running case that seeks to stop harmful gas flaring in Ecuador.
Guest Contributors Incia Haider and Enrique Garcia are J.D. candidates of UCLA School of Law, ‘27. This month, the Human Rights Litigation Clinic and the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at UCLA School of Law filed an amicus brief with the Constitutional Court of Ecuador on behalf of a group of law professors and international legal scholars: our own Kate Mackintosh of UCLA Law, Sarah Dorman at Northwestern, Camilo Sanchez at the University of...
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
The Drain is a roundup of climate and environmental news from Legal Planet delivered to your Inbox once a week.
