California Archives - Legal Planet

California

Trump’s Offshore Wind Ban vs. China’s Wind Juggernaut

Why is the Trump administration kneecapping the U.S. offshore wind industry while China becomes a global giant?

This January, when I was in Beijing for a workshop at Tsinghua University on offshore wind, presentation after presentation from Chinese experts revealed just how China has become an absolute juggernaut in offshore wind. Professors from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Tsinghua walked us through the governance structure — state planning, targets, industrial …

Continue reading “Trump’s Offshore Wind Ban vs. China’s Wind Juggernaut”

Did California Policies Make the LA Fires Worse?

California’s environmental and climate regulations did not make the climate-fueled Palisades and Eaton fires more destructive or harder to fight. Here’s why.

We know climate change is partly to blame. Are California’s environmental policies regarding land and water management also to blame for the supercharged firestorm that has ravaged Los Angeles? It’s not just conspiracy theories on social media or misguided news stories; that’s the position of some congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump, who hold power over future …

Continue reading “Did California Policies Make the LA Fires Worse?”

Huge Snub for Big Oil at the Supreme Court

Oil companies failed to persuade the justices to shield them from the growing number of state lawsuits seeking damages for the harms caused by climate change.

Big Oil has failed to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to shield it from numerous state climate lawsuits filed across the country seeking damages for the harms caused by climate change — harms like the historic, supercharged urban fires burning in Los Angeles. The justices held a conference on Friday, January 10 to determine whether …

Continue reading “Huge Snub for Big Oil at the Supreme Court”

The Fires in Los Angeles

Wildfire policy and the tragic fires in Southern California?

National attention is (rightly) focused on the terrible fire situation in Los Angeles. At the moment, the top priority is supporting first responders who are trying to control the fires, prevent more damage, and help the people who have lost homes and loved ones. There is (of course) a bunch of chatter on social media …

Continue reading “The Fires in Los Angeles”

Good & Bad Environmental News From the U.S. Supreme Court

Escalating Legal Attacks on California’s Longstanding Clean Air Act “Waiver” Authority

This past week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued important orders in two closely-related environmental cases previously decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Last Friday the justices granted review in Diamond Alternative Energy v. Environmental Protection Agency, agreeing to decide whether fossil fuel manufacturers have legal standing to challenge an …

Continue reading “Good & Bad Environmental News From the U.S. Supreme Court”

California Can Protect Climate Policies—and Pocketbooks

Lawmakers can use climate policies to alleviate some cost burdens. They should also resist the narrative that climate progress is driving affordability concerns.

Affordability is the name of the game at the California Legislature this session, with leaders in both the Assembly and the Senate talking explicitly about cost of living. But legislators’ focus on bringing costs down for average Californians doesn’t need to come at the expense of forward-thinking climate policy. Here are a few things legislators …

Continue reading “California Can Protect Climate Policies—and Pocketbooks”

Community Benefits Tools and Policy Drivers:

Select mechanisms can help ensure that energy projects deliver meaningful benefits for California communities

This is the third in a series of posts detailing CLEE’s new set of resources on Equitable Climate Infrastructure Investment. Communities and local and state governments are increasingly turning to community benefits tools to support an equitable climate transition, catalyze substantive long-term investments in community priorities, and achieve effective, durable projects. CLEE’s new report, Community Benefits Tools and California …

Continue reading “Community Benefits Tools and Policy Drivers:”

Trump-Proofing Time at the California Legislature?

Governor Newsom has called a special session for December 2nd. How can California lawmakers ensure California’s climate and environmental progress in the years ahead?

During the last Trump administration, California emerged as a serious counterweight to federal government backsliding on climate and the environment, and last week, some California lawmakers publicly recommitted to resisting future Trump administration efforts to reduce environmental and climate protections. On November 7, Governor Newsom issued a proclamation calling the Legislature into a special session …

Continue reading “Trump-Proofing Time at the California Legislature?”

President-Elect Trump vs. California: What Lies Ahead?

Will It Be Environmental Law & Policy Deja Vu All Over Again? Or Even Worse?

Californians who care about the environment likely–and justifiably–feel whipsawed this week. Former President Trump (#45) has re-emerged as President-elect Trump (#47), interrupted by the intervening four years of the Biden-Harris presidential administration. (Actually, this presidential whipsaw has been going on for decades: think Bush Sr.-Clinton-Bush Jr.-Obama-Trump-Biden-Trump redux.) In general, California’s progressive environmental laws and policies …

Continue reading “President-Elect Trump vs. California: What Lies Ahead?”

The Dangerous Hypocrisy of Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to slash government and regulations for a Trump administration—even though California regulations helped build his companies.

Our chances of helping avoid the most catastrophic climate disruptions just dimmed dramatically. Donald Trump’s victory and self-declared mandate means a lot of things—among them, that crucial climate and environmental policies are threatened like never before. There will be plenty to say in coming days about what this means for America’s role in the world …

Continue reading “The Dangerous Hypocrisy of Elon Musk”

Join Our Mailing List

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

Crisis at DOJ’s Environment & Natural Resources Division

Guest contributors Sommer Engels, Andrew Mergen, and Justin Pidot write that dismantling ENRD will be disastrous for future administrations, the American people, and even for the Trump Administration.

Trump’s War Against NEPA

One of Trump’s Executive Orders Heralds a Revolution in NEPA Practice

Surfing the Wave of Executive Orders

As an old song says, “Mama Miá, here we go again!”

What is a species?

Revisiting a key case in the history of the ESA

Huge Snub for Big Oil at the Supreme Court

Oil companies failed to persuade the justices to shield them from the growing number of state lawsuits seeking damages for the harms caused by climate change.

Project 2025 Envisions Congressional Override of Biden Era Regulations

Paper #2 in Monograph Series

Trump Goes to War Against Environmental Justice

Apparently it’s “woke” to worry about excessive pollution in minority communities.

Climate Takeaways from Newsom’s Budget Proposal

The Governor’s proposed 2025-26 budget would tap the recent voter-approved climate bond and seek new emergency funds.

Did California Policies Make the LA Fires Worse?

California’s environmental and climate regulations did not make the climate-fueled Palisades and Eaton fires more destructive or harder to fight. Here’s why.

California

Why is the Trump administration kneecapping the U.S. offshore wind industry while China becomes a global giant?

California’s environmental and climate regulations did not make the climate-fueled Palisades and Eaton fires more destructive or harder to fight. Here’s why.

Oil companies failed to persuade the justices to shield them from the growing number of state lawsuits seeking damages for the harms caused by climate change.

Wildfire policy and the tragic fires in Southern California?

Escalating Legal Attacks on California’s Longstanding Clean Air Act “Waiver” Authority

Lawmakers can use climate policies to alleviate some cost burdens. They should also resist the narrative that climate progress is driving affordability concerns.

Select mechanisms can help ensure that energy projects deliver meaningful benefits for California communities

Governor Newsom has called a special session for December 2nd. How can California lawmakers ensure California’s climate and environmental progress in the years ahead?

Will It Be Environmental Law & Policy Deja Vu All Over Again? Or Even Worse?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to slash government and regulations for a Trump administration—even though California regulations helped build his companies.

Join Our Mailing List

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

TRENDING

Would elimination of civil service protection increase government efficiency? Probably not.

We have weathered past threats to energy security through democratic processes, not by executive fiat.

AKA it should be much easier to put in a heat pump water heater.

Flooding the zone has short-term benefits but possible long-term costs.

Trump and House Republicans are trying to ‘flood the zone’ when it comes to wrongly blaming California environmental regulations for the LA fires.

Guest contributors Sommer Engels, Andrew Mergen, and Justin Pidot write that dismantling ENRD will be disastrous for future administrations, the American people, and even for the Trump Administration.

Why is the Trump administration kneecapping the U.S. offshore wind industry while China becomes a global giant?

The effect of tariffs on energy markets is complex, and a lot depends on the details.

Here are five ways states can save climate policy despite Trump.

Paper #2 in Monograph Series

Guest contributors Sommer Engels, Andrew Mergen, and Justin Pidot write that dismantling ENRD will be disastrous for future administrations, the American people, and even for the Trump Administration.

One of Trump’s Executive Orders Heralds a Revolution in NEPA Practice

As an old song says, “Mama Miá, here we go again!”

Revisiting a key case in the history of the ESA

Oil companies failed to persuade the justices to shield them from the growing number of state lawsuits seeking damages for the harms caused by climate change.

Paper #2 in Monograph Series

Apparently it’s “woke” to worry about excessive pollution in minority communities.

The Governor’s proposed 2025-26 budget would tap the recent voter-approved climate bond and seek new emergency funds.

California’s environmental and climate regulations did not make the climate-fueled Palisades and Eaton fires more destructive or harder to fight. Here’s why.

It’s supposed to be cost-saving, but the savings are trivial on the scale of the federal budget.