retrofits Archives - Legal Planet

retrofits

The Tea Party Embraces Local Energy Efficiency Financing?

It looks like we’ve finally found an environmental issue that can attract strong bipartisan support. The PACE program allows municipal bond financing to pay for energy efficiency retrofits and solar panels, among other environmentally benign building improvements, to be repaid through property tax assessments. But the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) essentially squashed the residential …

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GOP Will Filibuster the PACE Bill, Unless…

A prediction: the Republicans will filibuster Mike Thompson’s bill concerning PACE once it gets to the Senate. At this point, the Republicans (led by Senator Mitch McConnell, pictured right) are simply uninterested in principles or policy. That’s particular true in the shadow of the upcoming midterms: stopping the bill will simply be another way to …

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FHFA strangles PACE clean energy financing program

Yesterday, the Federal Housing Finance Administration, the agency that regulates bankrupt mortgage insurers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, issued a letter effectively destroying the promising energy efficiency and renewable energy financing program called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). I blogged about Fannie and Freddie’s lender letters on the PACE program a few weeks ago. PACE …

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Fannie and Freddie stop the PACE of clean energy

One of the biggest barriers to getting homeowners to retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient and install renewables like solar panels is the high up front costs. While these investments pay out over time, most residents lack the thousands of dollars they need to pay for these upgrades. The City of Berkeley …

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

Reflections on “Yes they can control the weather.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene is wildly wrong about government scientists controlling hurricanes. There is a rich history of weather modification experiments that make that false claim more dangerous.

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.

The Morning After

Given Trump’s victory, what can be done to save the planet?

California Must Not Abandon its Climate Leadership

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard has been successful. CARB should update the program without undermining its fundamental features.

NEPA in the Supreme Court (Part I)

A pending case could mean radical retrenchment of a foundational environmental law.

Model Uncertainty in Politics and Climate Policy

The polls could be systematically off, not just due to random error. That’s a worry with climate models as well.

Still Crazy After All These Years

There’s been an alarming growth of conspiracy theories, often antisemitic ones, to explain extreme weather events.

We Need a Circular Economy for EV Batteries

California got close to making suppliers ensure EV batteries are managed responsibly at end of life. Here’s why 2025 should be the year California creates a circular economy for EV batteries.

The Dangerous Embrace of Convenient Narratives Over Inconvenient Truths

As it turns out, Nature doesn’t care what stories you post on social media or spin on TV.

New 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.

retrofits

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

TRENDING

The Burden on Ratepayers Is Not Sustainable

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

New Trump administration policies will impact the energy industry, but maybe not in the ways Trump supporters expect, writes Guest Contributor Allan Marks.

New CLEE report examines a prerequisite for fair and effective water markets

Understanding how causation applies for NEPA reviews.

Our guide to understanding how causation applies for NEPA reviews.

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?

Here’s why the Supreme Court should reject radical arguments for limiting environmental impact statements.

A pending case could mean radical retrenchment of a foundational environmental law.

Strategies for embedding community input in project design.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is wildly wrong about government scientists controlling hurricanes. There is a rich history of weather modification experiments that make that false claim more dangerous.

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

Given Trump’s victory, what can be done to save the planet?

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard has been successful. CARB should update the program without undermining its fundamental features.

A pending case could mean radical retrenchment of a foundational environmental law.

The polls could be systematically off, not just due to random error. That’s a worry with climate models as well.

There’s been an alarming growth of conspiracy theories, often antisemitic ones, to explain extreme weather events.

California got close to making suppliers ensure EV batteries are managed responsibly at end of life. Here’s why 2025 should be the year California creates a circular economy for EV batteries.

As it turns out, Nature doesn’t care what stories you post on social media or spin on TV.

Many of the environmental-focused bills that the governor signed this year involve ways to alleviate the health disparities faced by frontline communities.