Tag Archives: climate planning

EPCA Preemption: What are its limits and How May it Harmonize with the Direct Regulation of Emissions from Appliances

This is Blog #4 on this this topic that will look at two issues.  First, where is the line between what is preempted and what is not under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)? This will look at rules … Continue reading

Posted in Air Pollution, All-electric, APCD, Building Peformance Standard, Energy, Energy Efficiency, EPCA, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas, Litigation, Nitrous Oxides, Ozone, Reach Codes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blog # 3 on EPCA Litigation: What can the Limited Case Law Tells Us About Interpreting the EPCA?

This blog will continue the discussion on the EPCA specific to two past, unpublished EPCA cases that predate the litigation against the City of Berkeley. The first is a building performance regulation that applied to both existing and new construction … Continue reading

Posted in All-electric, Building Peformance Standard, climate planning, Energy, Energy Efficiency, EPCA, Federal Preemption, GHG targets, GHGs, Litigation, Reach Codes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Implications of CRA v. Berkeley on All-Electric Building Codes and Reach Codes in California

On April 17, 2023, a three judge panel for the Ninth Circuit issued an Opinion in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley finding that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) preempts a City of Berkeley’s ordinance that prohibits … Continue reading

Posted in Air Pollution, All-electric, climate planning, Energy, Energy Efficiency, EPCA, Federal Preemption, GHG targets, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas, Reach Codes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Legislative Update: Review of Trends through the 2022 Summer Recess

This blog was drafted by Allie Maggart, a 2024 J.D./M.A. joint degree candidate at the University of San Diego School of Law and Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, with minimal edits. As the legislative calendars move towards the … Continue reading

Posted in Air Pollution, CEQA, climate planning, CPUC, Energy, GHG targets, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coming to Terms with Climate Commitments: How difficult is carbon neutrality to achieve?

In my last post on “coming to terms” with climate commitments, I focused on the terms and the meaning of various climate commitments. It is important to understand what they mean but it is equally important to understand the magnitude … Continue reading

Posted in climate planning, GHG targets, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Legislative Update: Passed Bills Enrolled to the Governor for the 2021 Session

The deadline to pass bills occurred on September 10, 2021 for the current 2021 session. The Governor has until October 10th, 2021 to sign or veto these bills. You can link to our Legislative Database to view relevant bills from … Continue reading

Posted in Air Pollution, CEQA, climate planning, CPUC, Energy, Energy Efficiency, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Transportation, Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Rise of Reach Codes

Last week, the California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted energy efficiency standards to be included in the 2022 state building standards (Title 24, Part 6). The new energy code will further increase building energy efficiency and reduce emissions from California buildings … Continue reading

Posted in climate planning, Energy, Energy Efficiency, GHGs, Renewable Energy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reduce, Preserve, Remove: A Framework for Climate Action

Sometimes we get so focused on our silos that we don’t see connections across silos or the broader context. At EPIC we spend a lot of time working on policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but during a recent project on carbon … Continue reading

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Water and energy, rain and drought….

At this time (2018-2019), the region has experienced extremely high rainfall, with reservoirs filled to the brim. But just last year, we were concerned about the lack of rain, how much water we can save, and in that context, how … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Greenhouse Gas, Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Cost of a CAP Part 5: The Cost (or Benefit) to Participate

How is this CAP going to impact my constituents? Jurisdictions who are in the process of adopting or updating their climate action plans (CAPs) are concerned with more just the budgetary impacts and overall cost-effectiveness of CAP measures. There is … Continue reading

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