Smoothing the Path for Transmission Lines
Fights over who should pay for power lines may become much easier to solve.
New high-power transmission lines have to run a regulatory gauntlet to get approved. One of the biggest barriers, however, isn’t about whether the line can be built but who will pay for it. That has turned out to be a much knottier problem than you might think. A decision by the D.C. Circuit on Friday, however, has given the go-ahead for a rough-and-ready solution that’s far from precise but eminently reasonable. Hopefully this will serve as a template for other po...
CONTINUE READINGCarrying the Freight
Decarbonizing trucking comes with some unique challenges.
A quarter of carbon emissions from transportation come from heavy-duty trucks. They are also disproportionate sources of air pollution. Addressing these emissions will be challenging and will require a multi-prong strategy. For distances under a few hundred miles, electrification offers the most promising solution. California and fourteen other states plan to make 30% of new heavy-duty truck sales zero emission by 2030. That primarily means battery vehicles. We ne...
CONTINUE READINGJason Gray Joins the Emmett Institute as Project Director, Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force
Climate policy expert brings regulatory expertise to project focused on tropical deforestation and low-emissions development
This month, the Emmett Institute is excited to welcome climate policy expert Jason Gray as the newest member of our team. In his new role as Project Director of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, Jason will help direct a major sub-national coalition focused on reducing tropical deforestation and advancing inclusive, equitable, low-emissions development at jurisdiction scale. Jason’s work will be conducted in collaboration with other UCLA partners,...
CONTINUE READINGMajor Questions About Today’s Big Climate Case
Here's what you need to know about today's oral argument in W. Va. v. EPA
The Supreme Court is hearing oral argument this morning in West Virginia v. EPA. The case is a challenge by the coal industry and coal states to EPA's power to limit carbon emissions by power plants. Here's what to look for today. Q: What is the case about? A: In practical terms, the question is what EPA can do to reduce carbon emissions from the power industry. The Trump EPA said it could only take very narrow actions to reduce emissions from coal-fired power pl...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia needs water law reform
Time to update 19th century law to meet 21st century reality
California's water law was developed in the 19th century. It has not been comprehensively reformed since, despite substantial population growth, changing social values, and the appointment 45 years ago of a blue-ribbon commission to recommend changes. Now the "new normal" of the anthropocene promises reduced water availability coincident with increased demand. It is past time for comprehensive reconsideration of California's water law system. Fellow Planeteer Rick Fr...
CONTINUE READINGAir Quality as Environmental Justice
National air quality standards may be among the most powerful levers for environmental justice.
The environmental justice movement began with a focus on neighborhood struggles against toxic waste facilities and other local pollution sources. The EJ focus now includes other measures to ensure that vulnerable communities get the benefit of climate regulations. The most powerful tool for assisting those communities, however, may be the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The NAAQS (pronounced “knacks”) are supposed to be the maximum amount of air pol...
CONTINUE READINGWhy CEQA is a Useful Tool for Environmental Justice Communities in California
A local environmental justice group’s victory in a recent California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) exemption case highlights the importance of CEQA for environmental justice communities in California. After the group, Cudahy Alliance for Justice, challenged the City of Cudahy’s approval of an elementary and middle school on a hazardous waste site, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel ruled that the approval was unlawful under CEQA. This post discuss...
CONTINUE READINGDon’t Leave the Public Out of the Public Utilities Commission
California may have denied due process for those questioning PGE's penalty for starting the Kincade Fire
The Sonoma County District Attorney has been pursuing criminal charges against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) for its role in sparking the 2019 Kincade fire, which reportedly destroyed 374 structures and led to over $600 million in damages. These criminal charges returned to the news today because the District Attorney has asked to postpone the related trial as it pursues a settlement with PG&E. This would not be the first deal PG&E would ha...
CONTINUE READINGSea Level Rise Legislation Gets Second Chance
Senator Ben Allen introduces SB 1078, drawing on vetoed SB 83 (2021)
This week, Senator Ben Allen introduced SB 1078, a bill that would create a Sea Level Rise Revolving Loan Pilot Program to help coastal cities plan proactively for the effects of climate change. The law draws heavily from the framework of SB 83, which students in the California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic worked on, and which passed the California Legislature in September of last year before ultimately being vetoed by Governor Newsom. SB 1078’s...
CONTINUE READINGJustice 40 and Identifying Disadvantaged Communities
Why race is an important factor to consider
Last Friday, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released its long-awaited Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. The screening tool will guide the Biden Administration’s implementation of its Justice40 Initiative that directs that 40 percent of certain federal investment programs benefit disadvantaged communities. However, like may legal scholars predicted and the White House foreshadowed, the screening tool does not include race as an indicator, wh...
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