California
How Can Local Governments Plan for Equity in EV Infrastructure?
In August, the California Air Resources Board finalized regulations that will phase out the sale of new internal combustion engine automobiles by 2035. The regulations (known as Advanced Clean Cars II) deliver on a commitment Governor Newsom made in a 2020 executive order and build on decades of emissions reduction programs from CARB. In turn, …
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CONTINUE READINGConcealing Plutocracy
California’s battles over rooftop solar obscure the real culprits: Gavin Newsom and Silicon Valley billionaires
The LA Times’ inestimable Sammy Roth reports on the attempt of California’s investor-owned utilities to end “net metering,” whereby utilities must pay customers with rooftop solar for their excess electricity. Roth has been highly skeptical of the utilities’ drive: it’s an age of climate crisis, and the state’s Public Utilities Commission is going to reduce …
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CONTINUE READINGSupercharging Electrolyzers to Support Zero-Emission Hydrogen Generation
New CLEE/UCLA report identifies policy solutions to grow electrolyzer adoption
Join us for a webinar on December 13 at 12 PM to discuss the report’s findings. Hydrogen could play a critical role in helping California to decarbonize its electricity grid and achieve carbon neutrality. The gas can be generated from surplus renewable energy resources (like solar or wind) to create zero-emission (or “green”) hydrogen. The …
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CONTINUE READINGGlobal ZEV Infrastructure Innovations Accelerating Transportation Decarbonization
New CLEE/TDA report offers case studies from California, Rotterdam, British Columbia, Portugal, Costa Rica and Ghana
Last month at COP 27 in Egypt, CLEE partnered with the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance (TDA) to release a brief with six case studies of jurisdictions supporting the zero-emission vehicle market and installation of charging infrastructure. We at CLEE (including my co-authors Shruti Sarode and Ethan Elkind) worked with leading practitioners from around the globe to …
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CONTINUE READINGHow Can Local Governments Pay for Climate Action?
San Francisco Analysis Points the Way for Peers
As my colleague Katie Segal wrote earlier this week, our team at CLEE recently released a report detailing how San Francisco can fund its ambitious Climate Action Plan. As more local governments in California and around the country develop robust climate action plans–and as federal action to reduce emissions remains unpredictable as ever–it is increasingly …
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CONTINUE READINGCalifornia’s Secret Weapon: The Scoping Plan
There’s no substitute for a comprehensive policy vision.
The scoping process has been key to California’s success in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The process requires the government to assess past progress, project future emissions, and come up with a strategy to meet its climate goals. In contrast, in many states – and at the federal level – there’s no real mechanism for a …
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CONTINUE READINGEPA Proposes Rejection of San Joaquin Valley Air District PM2.5 SIP Submittal
Emmett Institute White Paper Cited to Demonstrate Proposal’s Insufficiency
Earlier this month, EPA announced its proposed disapproval of San Joaquin Valley’s State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal to address fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Among EPA’s reasons for proposing disapproval of the plan: The strategies to reduce building heating emissions—from things like water heaters and space heaters—were inadequate because they failed to consider zero-emission standards. …
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CONTINUE READINGKey House Races in California
Three seats are up for grabs, and the races are very tight.
Three U.S. House races in California are rated as toss-ups. They could well be part of a Republican wave in November. On the other hand, if the wave falters, these seats could be crucial to control of the House, or to how much of a Republican margin Kevin McCarthy will be able to work with …
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CONTINUE READINGNew Legislation Starts Process of Strengthening Protections for Outdoor Workers
AB 2243’s provisions prompt Cal/OSHA to look at heat and air quality regulations in light of increasing temperatures and poor air quality
Thank you to Jasmine Robinson, Advanced California Environmental Legislation and Policy Advocacy Clinic student, for her research support. Last month, AB 2243 (E. Garcia & L. Rivas, 2022) was chaptered, requiring the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) to consider adopting rules requiring (1) employers to distribute copies of heat-related illness prevention plans …
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CONTINUE READINGExtreme Heat: A Hot Issue in Sacramento
Looking back on the 2021-2022 session, California Legislators made progress on extreme heat, but gaps remain
This post is co-authored by Jasmine Robinson, Advanced Clinic Student, UCLA California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic In the midst of a record-breaking heat wave, the California State Legislature wrapped up a legislative session that considered numerous bills on heat mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency. There were some big wins, including a bill to create the …
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