Monthly Climate Change Briefing: February 2018

When
February 12, 2018 4:00 pm — 4:30 pm
Where
Teleconference

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.

SmokyPlanet

Topics addressed in this month's call:

  • NJ and NY’s recent announcements about offshore wind

  • New Jersey Gov. Murphy directed the state Department of Environmental Protection and Board of Public Utilities to being the rulemaking process for New Jersey to rejoin RGGI.

  • California announced a new, more ambitious EV goal of 5 million EVs on the road by 2030, and will dedicate $2.5 billion toward meeting that goal.

  • Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper released a state plan to grow the state’s EV market.

  • A member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state utility regulator, proposed a "grid modernization plan" that calls for generating 80% of Arizona's electricity from renewable energy by 2050, deploying 3,000 MW of energy storage by 2030, and advance programs for energy efficiency and EVs.

  • California finalized its 2018 update of its statewide adaptation strategy, Safeguarding California. In his State of the State speech, Governor Brown also announced that he will form a task force of experts to examine how changes in forest management policies could reduce wildfire risks, and improve resilience and carbon storage.

  • EPA backpedaling on reconsideration and delay of landfill methane standard.

  • Upcoming developments on vehicle GHG standards.
  • Withdrawal of Kathryn Harnett-White nomination to be CEQ chair.
  • EPA release of draft GHG Inventory for 2016.
  • DC Circuit denial of rehearing in decision striking down EPA's HFC standards.

  •  Supreme Court denial of cert in cases about Pacific Bearded Seal ESA listing; Connecticut's renwable energy programs; Murray Energy's demand for an EPA study about effect of Clean Air Act on coal jobs.

  • New lawsuits by municipalities seeking money damages from fossil fuel companies -- suits by City of NY, and City of Richmond, California.

  • In other such suits against fossil fuel companies, motions regarding removal to federal court, and adding third party defendant (Statoil).

  • New developments in suits by Exxon seeking to block NY and Massachusetts investigations.

  • DC Dist. Court decision directing FWS to conduct new study re Yellowstone bison population.

  • The inclusion of the tax incentive for carbon capture and storage that was enacted as part of the CR.

Speakers:
Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director, Climate Center, Georgetown University
Michael B. Gerrard, Professor, Columbia Law School; Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Manik Roy, Senior Fellow, DEPLOY/US [formerly, ClimateWorks Foundation]
Robert Sussman, Principal, Sussman & Associates

Materials:
If you are an ELI member and are logged onto the Members site, you will see links below to available materials/recordings from this session. If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.


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.