Staying on top of the legal and policy developments in the climate change arena is no small task. As a special service to our members, the Environmental Law Institute provides a series of monthly conference calls with national experts on climate law and policy to keep you up to date and to answer your questions.
Topics addressed in this month's call:
- Federal Circuit decision in St. Bernard Parish v. US (re MRGO liability)
- NRDC v. NHTSA (2d Cir. re penalties for violations of vehicle fuel efficiency standards)
- NRDC v. Perry (9th Cir. re publication of energy conservation rules)
- Exxon v. Massachusetts AG (Massachusetts Supreme Court -- Mass. AG investigation may proceed)
- State v. Klapstein (Minn. Ct. App. -- allowing necessity defense)
- Draft NHTSA/EPA rollback of Obama vechicle standards now at OMB
- EPA carbon-neutral biomass policy
- New Jersey passed two energy bills. One increases the state RPS to 50% by 2030 and sets a goal of 2,000 MW of energy storage by 2030. The other creates a ZEC program to provide subsidies for the state’s remaining nuclear power plants.
- The Hawaii legislature passed a law to reform utility regulation in the state toward a performance-based model. The Ratepayer Protection Act (SB 2939) directs the PUC to design incentives and penalties that link utility revenue to several customer-focused performance metrics by 2020.
- Attorneys General from 17 states sue Trump Administration over proposed rollback of vehicle GHG emissions regulations.
- Ohio Public Utility Commission approves $10 million EV charging infrastructure plan for AEP Ohio.
- Maryland passed legislation expanding existing "Coast Smart" requirements for state and state-funded local projects, and adding new planning requirements for local jurisdictions that experience nuisance flooding.
- The Village of Newtok, Alaska is receiving $22 million in federal and state funds to continue efforts to relocate the community away from the river-driven erosion that threatening the village.
- Louisiana announced projects in six parishes to be funded through the LA SAFE program, which provides funding to communities to implement adaptations or other measures that will improve their resilience to future sea-level rise, land loss, and flooding.
- New York Gov. Cuomo announced new energy efficiency goals that would increase the state’s current 2025 energy savings goal by 50%.
Speakers:
Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director, Climate Center, Georgetown University
Michael B. Gerrard, Professor, Columbia Law School; Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Robert Sussman, Principal, Sussman & Associates
Materials:
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ELI Monthly Climate Briefings are made possible by the
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NOTE: This call/recording is for ELI members only. No comments may be quoted
or used without the express written permission of ELI and the panelist.