California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
6/24/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
CEQA ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Energy ,
Demolition ,
Density Bonus ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Impact Fees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Natural Resources ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sackett v EPA ,
Water Conservation ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands ,
Wildfires
Senator Mike Crapo released draft text of the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the budget reconciliation bill on June 16. The Senate draft budget includes positives for the large-scale solar market, such as amending...more
As climate variability and drought continue to challenge California’s water supply, the state is renewing its focus on seawater desalination as part of a diversified water portfolio. While only a handful of large-scale...more
6/20/2025
/ California ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Policies ,
Government Agencies ,
Natural Resources ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Stakeholder Engagement ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Supplies
Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use...more
6/20/2025
/ California ,
Climate Change ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Natural Resources ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Supplies
New U.S. solar capacity will be more than 10% lower in 2030 than in 2025, according to a forecast by the Solar Energy Industries Association and energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. The outlook includes the expected effects...more
6/13/2025
/ Budget Cuts ,
California ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Storage ,
Federal Budget ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Tariffs ,
Tax Credits
On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court held that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — which requires federal agencies to analyze the environmental impacts of projects that they carry out, fund, or approve — does not...more
6/9/2025
/ California ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Storage ,
Environmental Policies ,
Government Agencies ,
NEPA ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
SCOTUS ,
Solar Energy ,
Wind Power
The California Independent System Operator Board of Governors has approved the ISO’s 2024-2025 transmission plan, recommending 31 infrastructure projects to help meet projected load growth and changing grid conditions....more
The Trump administration took steps to rescind a Biden-era regulation that lowered fees for renewable energy projects on federal lands, saying the rule unfairly favored development of wind and solar facilities. The Interior...more
Attorneys general from 17 states, including California, and Washington, D.C., are challenging an executive order President Donald Trump signed during his first day in office, pausing approvals, permits, and loans for all wind...more
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has recommenced the review of solar, storage, and geothermal project applications on federal lands. This follows a 60-day suspension of all renewable energy authorizations, including...more
Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to lay the groundwork for building a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta before his term expires, and state water regulators are considering whether to grant a...more
4/28/2025
/ California ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
Permits ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Water Rights
Fighting about rooftop solar in California never seems to get old. Kicking off the latest conflict is legislation that would reduce the benefits that longtime solar customers receive for extra electricity they produce and...more
At a March 25 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, seven major U.S. grid operators, including the California Independent System Operator, testified that the nation’s power system is under...more
With the promise of newer, cheaper nuclear power on the horizon, U.S. states are vying to position themselves to build and supply the industry’s next generation as policymakers consider expanding subsidies and paving over...more
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved new maintenance and operation standards for battery storage resources, including requiring facility owners to develop emergency response and emergency action...more
The Northwest’s largest hydropower supplier announced it intends to join a new day-ahead energy market based in Arkansas over one based in California. Bonneville Power Administration officials announced in a draft policy...more
California Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) has introduced AB 1260, legislation designed to strengthen and expand the initial framework for California’s community solar + storage program established by AB 2316. The...more
The U.S. is considering alternatives to multibillion-dollar power capacity auctions as demand surges, driven by AI and data centers. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold a two-day conference in June 2025...more
A new bill has been introduced in California’s state legislature that would add an assessment of funding opportunities for offshore wind port infrastructure to the governor’s Five-Year Infrastructure Plan. Introduced on...more
Clean energy installations in the U.S. reached a record high last year, with the country adding 47% more capacity than in 2023, according to new research from energy data firm Cleanview. Boosted by tax credits under the...more
The California Public Utilities Commission on January 30 streamlined its transmission permitting requirements as part of a broader effort to meet the state’s clean energy goals. Among the changes, the CPUC now requires...more
2/7/2025
/ California ,
Clean Energy ,
CPUC ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Infrastructure ,
New York ,
Offshore Wind ,
Public Utilities Commission ,
Public Utility ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Transmission Grid
President Donald Trump’s ban on new offshore wind leases won’t halt giant wind farms already planned off California’s coast, but industry officials say the policy shift is a blow to a renewable energy industry still working...more
President Donald Trump on Monday issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior to develop a new plan within 90 days “to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to...more
1/27/2025
/ California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Crops ,
Department of the Interior ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Farmers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
State and Local Government ,
State Water Boards ,
State Water Project ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies ,
Wildfires
President Joe Biden has designated two more national monuments in California, spanning 848,000 acres - the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. The Chuckwalla National Monument creates...more
1/20/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Conservation ,
Data Centers ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Consumption ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Land ,
National Monuments ,
New Jersey ,
Offshore Wind ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Farm
Traditional sources of freshwater are dwindling as a result of increased demand, reduced natural replenishment, volatile weather patterns, and extended-duration droughts. Desalination, the industrial-scale removal of salt...more
1/16/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
Natural Resources ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Health ,
Sustainability ,
Wastewater ,
Water ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Quality