EPA’s transfer of primary enforcement authority to states for carbon capture and storage projects may decrease permitting delays but raise legal questions.
Louisiana has become the third state in the United States to...more
California’s first upcoming offshore wind lease sale, scheduled for December 6, 2022, is the next major step forward for clean energy in the Golden State.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the State of...more
12/5/2022
/ BOEM ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Clean Energy ,
Commercial Leases ,
Contract Terms ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Leases ,
Offshore Lease ,
Offshore Wind ,
Outer Continental Shelf ,
Public Bidding ,
Renewable Energy ,
Wind Power
Three funding opportunity announcements and a finance program provide significant investments to support carbon capture and sequestration.
Demand for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to meet global and national...more
Key Points -
..The draft Clean Hydrogen Production Standard (CHPS) proposes a lifecycle GHG emissions target of 4 kg CO2e per kilogram of hydrogen, which is in line with the clean hydrogen production tax credit in the...more
The climate bills championed by Governor Newsom stand to alter the state’s climate policy for years to come.
On August 31, 2022, the last day of its 2021-2022 session, the California Legislature passed four climate bills...more
9/9/2022
/ CARB ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Nuclear Power ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pipelines ,
Setback Rules
Governor Newsom introduces five ambitious proposals that could alter California’s climate policy for years to come.
On August 12, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom submitted five climate proposals (the Climate...more
8/29/2022
/ CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Net Zero ,
Oil Wells ,
Pollution Control ,
Proposed Legislation
The Act promises to touch on almost every aspect of US climate policy.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act (the Act), which expands clean and renewable energy production,...more
8/24/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Tax Incentives ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Forest Service ,
Green Banks ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Mineral Leases ,
Offshore Lease ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Energy Incentives ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
The action marks the clearance of another significant hurdle toward BOEM’s offshore wind lease sales in federal waters offshore California, anticipated to occur this fall.
In the first half of 2022, the Bureau of Ocean...more
6/17/2022
/ BOEM ,
California Coastal Commission ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Critical Habitat ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
Fishing Industry ,
Marine Life Protections ,
NOAA ,
Offshore Lease ,
Offshore Wind ,
Renewable Energy ,
Wildlife Protection
We analyze the key CEQA cases from 2021 and their effects on development in California this year and beyond. Every year, we publish a comprehensive summary of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) judicial opinions and...more
If adopted, the Senate bill would require large US companies doing business in California to report Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions as of January 2024.
The California Legislature is considering a bill to impose corporate...more
The president’s executive order aims to use the US government’s procurement power to achieve “carbon pollution-free electricity” by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
On December 8, 2021, President Biden issued an...more
1/12/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Electricity ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Net Zero ,
Public Agencies ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sustainability
CEQA Case Report: Understanding the Judicial Landscape for Development -
In a partially published opinion issued April 4, 2018, Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute v. City and County of San Francisco, Case...more
The California Assembly is expected to vote this summer to establish increased renewable energy targets and set a target of 100% clean energy by 2045.
SB 100, Senator Kevin De Leon’s renewable energy bill, would increase...more
Trump Administration is weighing potentially comprehensive overhaul to regulations governing federal environmental review to cut red tape and avoid excessive delay to process.
The White House Council on Environmental...more
DRECP under review in an effort to alleviate burdens on energy development.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently issued a notice of intent to review the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) for...more
Reversing a long-standing federal legal position, the US Interior Department recently stated that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) does not impose liability for the incidental take of protected birds. The 41-page...more
On March 19, 2017, 52 new or reissued nationwide permits (NWPs) for discharges into “waters of the United States,” issued pursuant to Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act...more
Modifications and updates to the general permits will impact both new and ongoing projects, including in energy, mining, transportation, and construction sectors.
Key Points:
- Nationwide Permits 12 and 14, which...more
Lead agencies cannot ignore the Coastal Act’s ESHA requirements in CEQA documents and defer analysis for later Coastal Commission review.
Key Points:
..CEQA requires an EIR to identify potential environmentally...more
On December 14, 2016, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) finalized its proposed revisions to the Eagle Rule (Final Rule) and released its Record of Decision (ROD). The Final Rule allows companies and others to obtain...more
On July 5, 2016, the public comment period closed for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) proposed revisions to the rules authorizing eagle take permits under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) and...more
Phase I of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) has now been approved, paving the way for streamlined permitting and environmental review of qualified renewable energy projects on Bureau of Land Management...more
California energy agencies and key stakeholders have finished the first step of a statewide planning process to evaluate transmission needs in the state and the region. This process, called the Renewable Energy Transmission...more
5/18/2016
/ Bureau of Land Management ,
CAISO ,
California Energy Commission ,
Comment Period ,
CPUC ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Transmission Grid ,
Transmission Lines
On May 2, 2016, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) announced its second attempt to revise its rules authorizing eagle take permits under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). The rule would extend the...more
The end of the California State Legislature’s regular session for the year culminated in a frenzy of action, with Assembly members scrambling to pass dozens of bills before midnight on September 12, 2015. The California...more
9/21/2015
/ CAISO ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
CPUC ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
ISOs ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Portfolio Standards ,
Transmission Grid