Navigating Environmental Restrictions on Alternative Project Delivery for Complex Infrastructure Projects
On-Demand Webinar | Charting a Course for Offshore Wind Energy in California
[WEBINAR] Update on the California Environmental Quality Act: What’s New for 2018
[WEBINAR] Building a Solar Energy Project in 2018
How Trump's Infrastructure Plan Impacts the Energy Industry
BB&K's Charity Schiller Discusses CEQA Baseline
The Trump administration last Wednesday proposed to loosen federal protections for endangered species. A draft rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would...more
President Trump issued an executive order this Tuesday taking aim at state and local climate change laws and policies, including California’s landmark market program for reducing greenhouse gases. The order directs U.S....more
As part of a continued effort to expedite rebuilding after Los Angeles' devastating firestorms, Governor Gavin Newsom this week suspended California environmental laws for utility providers working to reinstall key...more
In a show of bipartisan and bicameral unity, California lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping 20-bill legislative package aimed at overhauling the state’s housing development process. Branded as the “Fast Track Housing”...more
Senator Scott Wiener is back with another bill – SB 79 – to provide for streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying housing development projects near transit across California. For qualifying projects...more
In part one of the Housing New Laws series from Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), attorneys cover important new housing legislation for 2025 that updates the Housing Accountability Act and relates to housing development fees....more
The “California Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform Final Report – March 2025” (the “Report”), published earlier this month, sounds an alarm bell regarding the need to overhaul the state’s “failed approach to...more
On March 1, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to expedite critical fuels reduction projects to address “catastrophic wildfire risks created by forest conditions across the state.” The Governor’s proclamation...more
On February 20, 2025, Senator Scott Wiener introduced Senate Bill No. 607 (SB 607), a proposed law that is relatively short in text length, but which would engender major CEQA reforms if enacted as currently drafted. The...more
As the two-month anniversary of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties approaches, on March 1, 2025, Governor Newsom issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency to expedite fire-prevention projects....more
Executive Order N-20-25 aims to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires....more
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 12 issued an executive order in response to the devastating wildfires, suspending environmental reviews required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and permitting...more
On January 12, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (EO N-4-25) to suspend permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act, with the...more
In response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 on January 12, 2025 to expedite the recovery process in affected communities. The following...more
On January 12, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 suspending the application of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act (Coastal Act) for projects to...more
In response to Southern California’s widespread fire devastation and concerns about how bureaucratic red tape might adversely impede recovery efforts, the Governor’s Office has issued an executive order to streamline the...more
The Court of Appeal held that before issuing a CEQA Class 32 exemption, the City of Los Angeles was required to assess whether the project was consistent not only with the applicable zoning ordinance but also with the area’s...more
Last month, through the annual process known as the “May Revise,” California Governor Gavin Newsom released an update to the 2023-24 state budget proposal that he first introduced in January. The updated budget proposal sets...more
On April 20, 2022, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted new recommended thresholds for determining the significance of individual projects’ greenhouse gas impacts under the California Environmental...more
While the 2020-2021 California Legislative Session was dominated by the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and the ultimately unsuccessful Gubernatorial recall election, there were significant efforts made to change statewide...more
Despite a record-breaking 19 housing bills that were signed into law in 2019, California's housing supply and homelessness crisis continues and has been further exacerbated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On May...more
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), codified at Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq., is arguably California’s preeminent and most comprehensive environmental law. Originally published in Riverside...more
Aptos Council v. County of Santa Cruz ruling also clarifies CEQA "Piecemeal" Doctrine - The Sixth District Court of Appeal's recent decision in Aptos Council v. County of Santa Cruz provides useful California...more