Reducing Financing Costs for New Transmission in California
New CLEE Report Release & Webinar on Wednesday, November 13th at noon PT
California will need a significant build-out of new high-voltage transmission lines to meet state goals for renewable energy deployment and a decarbonized grid by 2045, which requires quadrupling its current in-state solar and wind capacity. But if this new infrastructure is paid for solely through electricity rates, it could increase them significantly, when they have already increased roughly 50% over the past three years for investor-owned utility customers. In res...
CONTINUE READINGNo More ‘House of Horrors’ Thanks to These New Laws
Several California laws prohibiting dangerous chemicals from household products go into effect on or after January 1, 2025.
Halloween is the one time when we welcome ghouls, ghosts, and goblins coming to our homes (and, if your neighborhood is anything like mine, a variety of tiny superheroes). This season, however, the Legislature is dealing with a different kind of house of horrors: dangerous chemicals in everyday products that affect millions of Californians’ health. From cancer-causing food dyes to lung-damaging fiberglass in our furniture, California’s State Legislature and the G...
CONTINUE READINGHalloween Ideas for a Warming Planet
Pretty or scary or brave? There’s a climate costume to suit all tastes and all ages.
Children will be roaming the streets tonight dressed as Superheroes, Princesses, and Evil Villains. But really, these invented figures can’t hold a candle to the real ones in our world. Continuing a longstanding tradition -- three years in a row! -- here are some possibilities for this year: The Villains Cruela de Coal. This is an easy make-over of the Disney costume. Just coat the costume with soot. The Climate Troll. Demented muttering is the key to this c...
CONTINUE READINGA Framework for Equitable Climate Infrastructure Investments
Reframing Infrastructure Investments to Realize an Equitable Transition
Achieving climate goals requires significant investments in clean energy, transportation, and other climate technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have resulted in historic levels of public investment to transform existing energy and transportation systems and lay the foundation for emerging climate technologies. Accompanied by federal and state commitments to pr...
CONTINUE READINGWith a Week to Go, Where Do the Elections Stand?
The Presidential, Senate & House elections will have immense repercussions in terms of energy and environment.
This elections seemunusually weighty in its policy implications. In terms of energy and climate policy, the two parties parties are far apart -- Republicans favor energy dominance through massive fossil fuel production, Demorats favor clean energy. To the immense frustration of people on both sides, things haven't moved much since September, when I last wrote about the state of the race. As usual, I’m basing my assessment on two experienced prognosticators, Sabato...
CONTINUE READINGThe 2024 Election Outcome Could Boost the Case for Geoengineering
A Trump victory would increase the odds that we will ultimately need to start blocking solar radiation as a last resort to limit climate change.
The U.S. and other countries are currently stumbling their way to a sharp reduction in carbon emissions. At this point, the effort has been a mixed success. We definitely seem to be on the path to reducing emissions but having trouble doing so quickly enough. A Trump victory would set back this effort and increase the odds of very destructive impacts from global warming. We could end up with little choice but to pursue some high-risk efforts to reduce warming. Propo...
CONTINUE READINGThe Yankees Already Beat the Dodgers at One Thing
The Yankees recently dropped Hess Oil from their outfield scoreboard. But in LA, the Dodgers’ Big Oil sponsorship with 76 gas is on full display in the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers and the Yankees in the World Series. That’s the zenith of baseball rivalries and I’m rooting for the home team. Which is why I hate to say it, but the Yankees have already beaten the boys in blue at one thing: their climate commitment. As of this season, the Yankees dropped their most visible Big Oil sponsor from the stadium scoreboard—a billboard for Hess Oil. Meanwhile, the Dodgers keep on shilling for 76 gas by putting that big orange ball l...
CONTINUE READINGAn Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention Research
Can the AGU's new principles defuse controversy and enable responsible research?
Research into climate intervention techniques, especially solar geoengineering, has long been controversial. Scientists as well as publics and policy makers have been divided on its risks and merits. In recent years, experiments proposed or undertaken in the USA, Sweden and Mexico have triggered vociferous opposition. Growing and unregulated commercial interest in the technologies seems likely to further polarize debate. In this context a new initiative by the AGU to ...
CONTINUE READINGSix Sleeper Proposals in Project 2025
Project 2025 isn’t just its headline proposals. It’s a thorough, detailed attack on environmental protection.
The Project 2025 report is 920 pages long, but only a few portions have gotten much public attention. The report’s significance is precisely that it goes beyond a few headline proposals to set a comprehensive agenda for a second Trump Administration. There are dozens of significant proposals relating to energy and the environment. Although I can’t talk about all of them here, I want to flag a few of these sleeper provisions. But does Project 2025 even matter, you ...
CONTINUE READINGNew Environmental Laws Focus on Public Health
Many of the environmental-focused bills that the governor signed this year involve ways to alleviate the health disparities faced by frontline communities.
The California State Legislature is now finally in its off-season. Governor Newsom had until Monday, September 30th to sign or veto bills that the legislature passed and sent to his desk. In a final tally of bills, according to CalMatters, Governor Newsom vetoed approximately 18% of the nearly 1,000 bills that landed on his desk in the final days of session, or close to 1 in 5 bills. Taking into consideration all the bills presented throughout the year, the overall veto ...
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