Region: California

California Extends its Cap-and-Trade Program Through 2030

It wasn’t pretty, but it passed

What tools will California regulators be able to use to reach the state’s ambitious 2030 climate emissions goal?  That commitment, enshrined into law last year, says that California will reduce its statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in the ten years between 2020 and 2030, and forms the core of California’s climate leadership. But important …

CONTINUE READING

California Supreme Court Upholds Regional Planning Agency’s Greenhouse Gas CEQA Analysis, and Sets Out Principles to Ensure Better Analysis in the Future

Decision Will Help Ensure Development and Transportation Planning in California Supports GHG Reduction Efforts

In May, Rick Frank posted his reflections on the oral argument in the California Supreme Court on Cleveland National Forest Association v. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and predicted that SANDAG would win the case.  His prediction has proved correct with the release of the Court’s opinion last week – but SANDAG’s narrow win provides a …

CONTINUE READING

Thoughts on AB 398

New bill to extend state’s cap-and-trade program is a compromise worth making

The Governor and state legislative leaders announced a deal on a bill to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program to control greenhouse gas emissions through 2030, along with companion legislation to increase emissions reductions for conventional pollutants from major stationary industrial sources (a key point for environmental justice groups).  Some leading business groups have endorsed the …

CONTINUE READING

New Research Shows California’s Cap-And-Trade Program Is Net Economic Benefit For San Joaquin Valley & Inland Empire

Results from forthcoming economic study included in new op-ed

The California Legislature may vote on reauthorizing California’s cap-and-trade program as soon as Monday. The program needs a two-thirds vote to inoculate the auction mechanism to distribute allowances from legal challenges, which is a heavy political lift that has required a lot of compromise and concession. But in the midst of the debate, state legislators …

CONTINUE READING

Hoping New Reservoirs Will Immediately Store More Water in California? That’s Unlikely.

Emmett Institute’s Latest Pritzker Brief Looks at the Timeline and Legal Requirements for Implementing New Surface Water Storage Facilities

Surface water storage has become a hot topic in California. The recent drought led voters in 2014 to approve California’s Proposition 1 water bond, which, in part, earmarked $2.7 billion for the public benefits of storage projects. It’s very likely that at least some of that money will go to a large surface water storage …

CONTINUE READING

New Report: How To Boost EV Charging Infrastructure

UCLA Law hosts free report release lunch event at noon, with live webcast & keynote by Energy Commissioner Janea Scott

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent one of the most promising clean technologies, in terms of their potential benefits for the electricity grid, local air pollution, and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Not to mention they’re fun to drive. The good news is that as EV prices have dropped by nearly half the …

CONTINUE READING

Yikes, Is It Pledge Week Already?

Yes, this is your biannual opportunity to invest in our work.

Like everyone else, I’m sure you find fundraising appeals annoying.  That’s why we hardly ever do them. But twice a year doesn’t seem like too much of an imposition, and this is a really important time. This is our first “ask” since the new Administration took office. There’s an especially critical need today for policy-driven research …

CONTINUE READING

Breaking News: California Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Appeal On Industry Challenge To Cap-And-Trade Auction

Industry once again loses leverage over shaping the program post 2020

The California Chamber of Commerce has just lost its case against the state’s cap-and-trade auction, with the news from the Los Angeles Times that the California Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from the state appellate court. This means the auction mechanism in the cap-and-trade program is valid at least through 2020. As …

CONTINUE READING

Professor William Boyd Joins UCLA Faculty

Leading Energy and Environmental Law Scholar Will Bring Key Expertise to Emmett Institute

We are very excited to announce that Professor William Boyd of the University of Colorado Law School is joining the UCLA Law faculty effective July 1, 2018. He will hold a joint appointment with the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Professor Boyd is one of the nation’s leading scholars of energy and environmental …

CONTINUE READING

Boosting Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure To Meet Demand

Free luncheon and report release event at UCLA Law on Thursday, June 29th, with keynote by Energy Commissioner Janea Scott

Few clean technologies are as central for meeting climate change goals as electric vehicles.  Yet in places like California, which leads the U.S. with approximately 300,000 EVs on the road, the needed charging infrastructure is lagging.  Analysts estimate that the state will need as many as 220,000 publicly accessible EV charging ports by 2020 to …

CONTINUE READING

Join Our Mailing List

Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.

TRENDING