Transportation

Getting Creative on Vehicle Emissions

UCLA Law set to host a symposium on April 9 on ways to charge ahead on cutting emissions.

These are tough times for lovers of zero emission vehicles–and clean air.  I probably don’t need to recite the threats to both, but here’s a sampling: the Trump Administration has pledged to roll back federal air quality standards and mobile source emissions standards; is gutting funding for EV charging networks (and is even, maddeningly, shutting …

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Our 2012 Report Predicted the Future of Electric Vehicles in 2025: How Off Were We?

Time to open up the 2012 time capsule PDF

Back in 2012, CLEE and the Emmett Institute released a report called “Electric Drive by ’25,” with the relatively bold subtitle “How California Can Catalyze Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles by 2025.” The report cited 2011-12 EV sales as reason for optimism on achieving mass adoption by 2025: Early results from the introduction of new …

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State-Level Actions To Decarbonize Aviation

New CLEE report explores the risks of federal preemption.

Aviation is a significant and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. But the federal government in the United States has failed to address it so far. In response, some state policy makers and advocates are now considering legal avenues to effectively require the use of sustainable aviation fuels, which emit less carbon than traditional jet …

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Banking and Exchange Programs to Mitigate Vehicle Miles Traveled

The 1950s has been called the decade of the American Dream. The United States economy grew by 37 percent, and homeownership surged as suburban houses—equipped with their white picket fences—“sold like hotcakes.” But this American Dream has come at a steep cost. Let’s fast forward to today; more than half a century of government housing …

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Congress Lacks Authority to Review California’s Car Waiver

It’s a complicated issue but the answer is clear: the Congressional Review Act does not apply.

States get many kinds of waivers from the federal government. For example, many states (including quite a few Red states) have received waivers from some Medicaid requirements. Overturning the EPA vehicle waiver would expose all state waivers to the risk of being overturned under the Congressional Review Act, contrary to the plain language of that statute.

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Trump’s Seven Most Anti-Environmental Moves — and How to Push Back

There were dozens of actions, all harmful to the environment. These are the worst of the worst.

In the month since he reentered the White House, Trump has dedicated himself to knee-capping environmental protection through a series of executive orders. These orders aim to eliminate crucial environmental regulations, eviscerate key agencies like EPA, arbitrarily halt government funding, and eliminate environmental restraints on the private sector. But these are not done deals, and there are ways of pushing back.

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What can we learn from EU’s battery regulation?

New CLEE report with model policies to ensure a responsible EV battery supply chain

From cars and trucks to buses and trains, electric vehicles are playing an increasingly vital role in decarbonizing mobility and reducing oil dependence However, this transition brings with it a significant challenge: the immense pressure on battery supply chains. As demand for EVs increases, consumer countries will need to develop and implement policies that address the …

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Tariffs and Clean Energy: What You Need to Know

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

International trade economics is complicated, and we can’t be certain of how tariffs will work out, particularly in the long term when economies have fully adjusted to them.  Trump’s hope is that the tariffs will cause a boom in U.S. production, although there is also evidence that protected industries are less efficient and innovative, resulting in higher consumer prices. Impacts on clean energy could be negative, The same is true for impacts on fossil fuels.

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The Green-State Playbook

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

Trump’s election is a body blow to U.S. climate policy, but there are ways that those states can fight Trump and move forward on their own plans. To cut to the chase, here are five key strategies for green states — starting with lawsuits against the Trump Administration, which were highly successful in Trump’s first term.

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Trump’s War Against NEPA

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

What’s going on here is pretty obvious, It’s not “improving environmental rules.” No, the title of the subsection is “Unleashing Energy Dominance through Efficient Permitting.”  Anything that gets in the way of fossil fuel development – which is what Trump means by energy dominance – is going to get steamrolled.  Including the environment.

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