Energy

Two more recent NEPA studies

These studies have better methodological approaches, and highlight the ways in which NEPA does (and does not) matter for renewable energy

In a prior blog post, I criticized a recent NEPA study from the Breakthrough Institute for some key methodological limitations.  Two more studies of NEPA have since come out from Resources for the Future that I want to highlight because I think they have stronger methodological foundations.  There are still important limits on what these …

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The Imperious Presidency

Executive Orders by Biden and Trump speak volumes about their perspectives.

It’s not a surprise that Trump has little respect for expertise and immense antagonism toward those he views as his enemies.  What’s striking, however, is that way that these attitudes leak into even the most formal government documents, where they shape the official justifications for presidential actions.  To borrow a phrase from Justice Scalia, sometimes a wolf comes in sheep’s clothing. But “this wolf comes as a wolf.”

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Which Effects Count?

Conservatives argue that only the effects that they care about should matter.

Not that long ago, conservatives demanded that the government balance costs and benefits.  They still do, but with a twist: They demand special limits on consideration of environmental effects. But that makes no sense.  Whatever rules we have about costs should apply to all types of costs, and the same with benefits.  The result of the skewing the analysis is, not surprisingly, that we get conservative results more often.

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“Hi, Can you Hear Me?” A CPUC Debrief

The California Public Utilities Commission heard an earful about neighborhood decarbonization. Here’s the input from Californians who support climate action.

More people who want climate action should attend public forums like the ones that the California Public Utilities Commission held last Thursday regarding the selection of neighborhood decarbonization projects. More of us should sit on these calls and sign up to speak. Even if we aren’t party to a specific proceeding or don’t feel expert …

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Emergency Powers Aren’t What They Used to Be

In the post-WW2 era, courts bent over backwards to accomodate emergency actions. Not true today, as Trump is finding out.

In mid-century America, emergency powers were truly potent. But those days are gone. In his two terms as President, Trump has declared 21 national emergencies, including eight since January 20. This glut of “emergencies” can only further discredit the whole concept. He and his advisors seem to see those as creating nearly magical legal powers, allowing them to deport people without hearings, run roughshod over environmental safeguards, and impose tariffs willy-nilly. They are probably in line for a disappointment. Judges are no longer in awe of emergency powers.

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Gas Utilities Can Do Better on Neighborhood Electrification

The state’s largest gas utilities are trying to delay priority zones for decarbonization and to block public access to important data. The CPUC should push them to do more.

Last fall, I wrote about the promise of SB 1221, a law that created a pathway for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to approve pilot projects that will support priority “neighborhood decarbonization zones” to transition away from building gas service toward zero-emissions alternatives, including electrification and thermal energy networks. Now, the gas utilities have …

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How Trump’s War on Research Hurts the US Economy

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The economic evidence confirms the huge benefits of government support for research.

One of the victims of the Trump Administration has been scientific research, notably including research on the environment, clean technologies, and even public wealth. The government’s own research capacity is under attack from agencies from EPA to NIH, grants to universities have been cancelled, and future funding from agencies like NIH and NSF is in peril. Yet the Administration has given little though about how this effects competitiveness in a high-tech world.

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Can Residential Electrification Support Energy Affordability?

New UCLA report illustrates potential savings across household types and energy upgrade scenarios, write guest contributors Rachel Sheinberg and Lauren Dunlap.

As the L.A. City Council considers repealing the city’s All-Electric Building Ordinance, reacting to the 2023 decision in California Restaurant Association v. Berkeley, new UCLA research suggests that electric buildings can save LA households hundreds of dollars each year on energy bills. Over the past decade, Los Angeles city leadership has put forth a suite …

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Data Center Permitting: A Roadmap     

AI is fueling a surge in data center construction. Here’s what you need to know.

Data Centers have significant environmental footprints, which is going to raise several permitting issues except for those using clean energy sources. The permitting issue are mapped out in this post. The Trump Administration is clearly going to do its best to free the industry from environmental limits. We’ll see how successful that is going to be.

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Listing Trump’s Environment and Energy Executive Orders

I’m counting 35 so far. But I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that I’d missed something.

I’ve put together a list of all the Trump 2.0 executive orders that I could identify dealing with environment or energy.  Just to keep you reading, I should tell you that the most important ones are near the end. Whatever you might say about Trump, no one can question his zeal for eliminating environmental protections.

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