Climate Policy
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:”
CONTINUE READINGThe 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”
CONTINUE READINGA Data-Driven Case for Level 1 EV Charging in Multifamily Housing–and its Equity Implications
New data insights from a community choice aggregator elevate the role of Level 1 charging in an equitable (and rapid) EV transition
Discussions about Level 1 (L1) and Level 2 (L2) electric vehicle charging generally posit a simple tradeoff: L2 (which requires a dedicated high-capacity electrical hookup) offers greater speed and convenience, while L1 (which can run on a standard 120V outlet) offers broader scale and affordability. L1’s benefits find particular traction in residential charging spaces–where drivers …
CONTINUE READINGIn Their Own Words: Climate Policy and the Party Platforms
The GOP and Democratic Platforms take starkly different approaches.
The two major parties have very different views about energy policy and climate change. Here are their official views, in their own language. Compare and contrast!
CONTINUE READINGEV Charging Access for Multifamily Housing Residents
New CLEE report highlights key findings for equity-oriented program design
The rapidly approaching electric vehicle (EV) transition that California and a dozen other states have committed to enact over the coming decade mounts pressure on state and local governments to deliver millions of new EV chargers across various location types. Homes constitute the core of a convenient and reliable charging network, and EV charging infrastructure …
Continue reading “EV Charging Access for Multifamily Housing Residents”
CONTINUE READINGClimate Policy, Minnesota-Style
Tim Walz’s selection as a VP candidate has put the state’s policies in the limelight.
Although Minnesota isn’t considered a swing state, it’s not Deep Blue either. Biden got 52% of the vote in 2020. Control of the legislature has been contested, with Democrats having a narrow margin in both Houses recently. The state adopted a forward-looking climate policy in 2007, but by 2015 progress had stalled. Given this background, …
Continue reading “Climate Policy, Minnesota-Style”
CONTINUE READINGThe Best Reason for Optimism About Climate Action
As the saying goes, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Renewable energy costs have plunged to an extent few people realize. If cellphone prices had dropped as fast since 2010 as the cost of solar power, you could buy a new iPhone for about thirty bucks today.
CONTINUE READING35 Major Climate Initiatives Under Biden
By any measure, it has been an eventful four years for climate policy, with billions in spending and many major regulations finalized. Here’s a timeline of the Top 30 actions.
In light of President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race yesterday, we thought it was appropriate to update this piece about the climate legacy of the Biden-Harris Administration. In his four years in office, Donald Trump rolled back essentially every existing federal policy to limit climate change. The picture under the Biden Administration has …
Continue reading “35 Major Climate Initiatives Under Biden”
CONTINUE READINGHere We Go Again! (Maybe)
The possibility of a second Trump presidency looms ahead. Time for some contingency planning!
As the Project 2025 report shows, people on the other side are doing their own contingency planning, and so should climate advocates. We can expect many of the same actions, beginning with massive regulatory rollbacks (over a hundred rollbacks last time around).
CONTINUE READINGHow are California’s New Climate Adaptation and Resilience Grant Programs Performing?
CLEE reports analyze state’s highly in-demand adaptation and resilience grants for crucial local climate action
California is rapidly experiencing the impacts of a changing climate, from devastating wildfires and persistent droughts to rising sea levels, extreme heat, and erratic precipitation patterns. Climate adaptation is crucial for building resilience to these and other risks, thereby protecting California’s communities, economy, environment, and public health. However, effective adaptation requires significant investment, particularly in …
CONTINUE READING