Renewable Energy Focus:
Solar sector created more jobs in 2014 than oil and gas extraction industry -
The solar industry added jobs at a rate nearly 20 times faster than the national average last year, according...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: State court may tighten review process for building super-sized homes - SFGate.com - Dec 8:
In a case that could redefine the scope of California’s environmental laws, the state Supreme...more
12/16/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Building Permits ,
Building Standards ,
Construction Industry ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
San Diego ,
Single Family Housing ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus - Heat, drought worsen smog in California, stalling decades of progress: Los Angeles Times - Nov 10:
Heat and extreme drought have worsened smog in California over the last year, stalling...more
11/18/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Chemical Safety Board ,
DOGGR ,
Drought ,
Eminent Domain ,
Environmental Policies ,
Farms ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pesticides ,
Refineries ,
Well Drilling
Environmental and Policy Focus - Environmental groups fight Southern California tar sands oil project: Courthouse News Service - Oct 13:
Kern County illegally approved expansion of a local refinery that will let it...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Obama to designate portion of San Gabriel Mountains a national monument: Los Angeles Times - Oct 8:
President Obama plans to announce Friday that he will set aside roughly half of the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California becomes first state to ban plastic bags: SFGate.com - Sep 30:
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill Tuesday that makes California the first state in the nation to ban single-use...more
10/6/2014
/ Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Energy Projects ,
Grocery Stores ,
New Legislation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pharmacies ,
Plastic Bag Bans ,
Public Disclosure ,
Redevelopment ,
Retailers ,
State and Local Government ,
Trains ,
Wind Farm
Renewable Energy Focus - DOE study finds U.S. wind power industry competitive on a global scale: REVE - Sep 20:
The Global Wind Network recently completed an Energy Department (DOE) funded study that took a critical...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: California acts to manage statewide groundwater issues: Allen Matkins - Sep 19:
Faced with record drought and depleted groundwater supplies statewide, the California Legislature has...more
9/29/2014
/ Beachfront Properties ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Projects ,
Groundwater ,
New Legislation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Renewable Energy ,
Right of Access ,
Trains ,
Wastewater ,
Water Supplies
Environmental and Policy Focus: House GOP bill would speed up environmental reviews: KPCC - Sep 9:
As negotiations over compromise drought legislation flounder in Congress, House Republicans are pursuing an alternative...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Federal agency to resume leasing for hydraulic fracturing in California: ABC News - Aug 28:
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will resume issuing oil and gas leases next year for...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: U.S. EPA settles case over destruction of rare Central Valley wetlands: EPA - Aug 14:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced a...more
8/27/2014
/ Clean Water Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
National Park Service ,
Oil & Gas ,
Redevelopment ,
Settlement ,
Water ,
Water Supplies ,
Wetlands
Environmental and Policy Focus - Appellate court upholds environmental work for high-speed rail via Pacheco Pass: Fresno Bee - Jul 24 --
State appeals justices on Thursday upheld a lower court's approval of an...more
8/11/2014
/ CEQA ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Marijuana ,
Oil & Gas ,
Railways ,
Water
Environmental and Policy Focus - Richmond approves massive Chevron refinery project with $90 million in community benefits: Contra Costa Times - Jul 30:
Chevron's five year-plus quest to initiate a $1 billion upgrade...more
8/6/2014
/ Caltrans ,
Chevron ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Highways ,
Infrastructure ,
Municipal Bonds ,
Oil & Gas ,
Refineries ,
Trade Associations ,
Waste Treatment Facilities ,
Water ,
Well Drilling
Environmental and Policy Focus - Kings County lawsuit challenges Fresno-Bakersfield high-speed rail: Fresno Bee - Jun 5:
The Kings County Board of Supervisors, the Farm Bureau, and a group of county residents filed...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: California is ahead of EPA on climate rules - Los Angeles Times - Jun 5:
In 2006, when California adopted AB 32, its landmark global warming law, it acted virtually alone. Now, the state...more
6/10/2014
/ BP ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Fracking ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Real Estate Development ,
U.S. Navy
Environmental and Policy Focus: U.S. officials cut estimate of recoverable Monterey Shale oil by 96% - Los Angeles Times - May 23:
Federal energy authorities have slashed by 96 percent the estimated amount of...more
5/28/2014
/ California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Diesel Fuel ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Monterey Shale ,
NRDC ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Refineries ,
Surface Transportation ,
Trucking Industry ,
Water
Renewable Energy Focus - White House announces new action on solar energy: TIME - May 9 -
The White House is announcing executive actions to advance clean energy on Friday, including $2 billion worth of upgrades to...more
5/27/2014
/ California Energy Commission ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Tax Incentives ,
France ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
ISOs ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
Production Tax Credit ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Farm ,
Tax Incentives ,
Wind Power
Environmental and Policy Focus - White House proposes new fuel efficiency rules to reduce emissions from heavy trucks: Los Angeles Times - Feb 18 -
President Obama moved ahead Tuesday with plans to further tighten...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Ninth Circuit debates application of dormant Commerce Clause - CourtHouse News - Jan 22:
A Ninth Circuit appellate panel’s rejection of a challenge to the “life-cycle analysis” approach...more
On January 9, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9, announced that it will require oil and gas operators engaged in hydraulic fracturing off the southern California coast to disclose any chemicals...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Judge recommends approval of California natural gas plant -- UT San Diego - Jan 7 -
An administrative law judge has urged the California Public Utilities Commission to authorize...more
Gov. Brown wants to use cap-and-trade fees to fund high speed rail project - Insurance For Less - Jan 8:
Gov. Jerry Brown announced plans to provide new funding for California’s high speed rail project from corporate...more
1/14/2014
/ Air Pollution ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fracking ,
Funding ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
High-Speed Rail ,
Oil & Gas ,
Plastic Bag Bans ,
Public Projects
Environmental and Policy Focus: California's New Hydraulic Fracturing Law Cited In Pending CEQA Lawsuit: EnergyWire - Oct 30 --
Earlier this year, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthworks and...more
Environmental and Policy Focus -- Greenhouse Gas Dispute Dismissed Over Lack of Standing to Sue - CourtHouse News - Oct 17:
Environmental groups lack standing to challenge the Washington state Ecology Department's...more
Renewable Energy Focus -- 3 models that could help utilities make money from solar power - Green Tech Solar News - Sep 30:
Much like tech companies of the 1990s, utilities face an “unavoidable shift” and don’t have any...more
10/18/2013
/ Air Pollution ,
Battery ,
Biofuel ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Ethanol ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Global Warming ,
Offshore Wind ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Solar Energy ,
Waste ,
Water ,
Wind Power