http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/berkeleylaw_clee/rss Recent eScholarship items from Center for Law, Energy & the Environment Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:33:36 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5w85k0gm When appropriately designed and implemented, water markets can enhance climate resilience for people and ecosystems in water-scarce regions. However, adequate information about water diversion and use is a necessary precursor. Based on expert discussions and additional research, this report explores what information on surface water and groundwater diversion and use is currently available in the U.S. Southwest, what diversion and use information is needed to support fair and effective water markets, and how existing information gaps can be addressed. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5w85k0gm Wed, 2 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Bruce, Molly Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael Dahlke, Helen E Grimm, Robyn Null, Sarah Bruno, Ellen Khan, Safeeq Naumes, Sarah Viers, Joshua https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9rf665g8 California has increasingly emphasized efforts to develop voluntary agreements (VAs) with water users as a means of achieving regulatory goals in certain watersheds. In theory, a VA can combine the protectiveness of a regulatory backstop with the creativity and flexibility of a negotiated deal to produce outcomes as good as, or better than, those achievable through strict application of regulatory requirements alone. However, reality has not always measured up to this ideal. This policy paper uses the Bay-Delta watershed as a case study to inform five principles to guide the appropriate use and evaluation of VAs. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9rf665g8 Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Marcus, Felicia Green Nylen, Nell Owen, Dave Kiparsky, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6s6822f1 Droughts are becoming more frequent and intense in California. Many California watersheds experience seasonal water scarcity nearly every year. To protect water rights, human health and safety, and the environment from serious harm, California’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) needs to be able to routinely curtail unlawful water uses. But it has struggled to carry out this basic function, running into resource constraints and technical, legal, and political barriers. This report describes the legal context for and history of curtailments in California. It also recommends actions the SWRCB and State Legislature can take to build a framework for fair and effective curtailment in California. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6s6822f1 Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Owen, Dave Harder, Jennifer Kiparsky, Michael Hanemann, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9x62x0g2 <p>California’s water management systems are struggling to meet environmental and human needs in the face of stresses from climate, population, and land use changes. Calls to improve the operation, management, and infrastructure of water systems are frequent. Making rational and equitable water management decisions depends upon timely knowledge of the current and projected state of the water system. This, in turn, requires robust data and information. Currently, California’s water data fall far short of the fundamental goal of being complete, accessible, and usable—that is, readily available in formats that suit users’ needs, at relevant spatial and temporal resolutions that are useful for making the decisions at hand. Data sources are incomplete and inconsistent. Fragmented data systems often cannot exchange data with one another. Existing data are frequently difficult to access or use. Ironically, the birthplace of modern information technology lacks both basic information and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9x62x0g2 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Cantor, Alida Kiparsky, Michael Kennedy, Ronan Hubbard, Susan Bales, Roger Pecharroman, Lidia Cano Guivetchi, Kamyar McCready, Christina Darling, Gary https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pd1702n <p>California recognizes a human right to safe, affordable drinking water. However, small and disadvantaged communities can find it especially challenging to fund the water systems necessary to achieve this goal. Small water systems are responsible for the bulk of the state’s drinking water quality violations, and an estimated 300 disadvantaged communities in California are served by systems that fail to meet state drinking water standards.</p><p>Water system consolidations can create economies of scale that help address persistent water system inadequacies in small and disadvantaged communities. More than 100 consolidation projects have been completed or are ongoing in California, and many more communities are likely to pursue consolidations in the future. While consolidation offers many potential benefits for communities served by unreliable water systems, the costs and benefits associated with different consolidation options have not been well documented. During the current... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pd1702n Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Pannu, Camille Kiparsky, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fk087g3 <p>California’s long-term economic prosperity and environmental sustainability will depend on how much and where housing gets built in the state. Residents in the largest coastal cities in California encounter some of the most unaffordable homes in the nation, caused in large part by a thriving economy and a multi-decade-long undersupply of housing relative to population and job growth. In addition to the income squeeze of unaffordable homes and long commutes, the housing shortage creates environmental challenges. Most prominently, building more auto-dependent housing far from job centers generates more traffic and air pollution while destroying open space and agricultural lands. Furthermore, these development patterns undermine that state’s long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals, including newly legislated 2030 targets. California instead could meet long-term economic and environmental objectives by building the right type of housing in the right places. That means homes that... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fk087g3 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan N. Galante, Carol Decker, Nathaniel Chapple, Karen Martin, Amy Hanson, Marilee https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9bf6k94v Powering the Savings: How California Can Tap the Energy Efficiency Potential in Existing Commercial Buildings https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9bf6k94v Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/93n5x6q5 Planting Fuels: How California Can Boost Local, Low-Carbon Biofuel Production https://escholarship.org/uc/item/93n5x6q5 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9262h15p Wasting Opportunities: How to Secure Environmental &amp; Clean Energy Benefits from Municipal Solid Waste Energy Recovery https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9262h15p Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan Szabo, Daniel Gergely https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8x37h8b4 <p>California droughts are likely to become more frequent, longer, and more intense in the future, posing increasing challenges for water management, and raising the stakes for effective drought response. This project aims to help state water governance and decision-making structures adapt to this changing climatic reality.</p><p>The State Water Resources Control Board (Board) has significant responsibilities for California water rights administration and oversight, and the decisions it makes affect how scarce water resources are allocated among different human and environmental uses during droughts. We analyzed the strategies the Board used for water rights administration and oversight during the last four major statewide droughts, in water years 1976–1977, 1987–1992, 2007–2009, and 2012– 2016. The Board employed an array of different drought response strategies that varied in depth and breadth from drought to drought. We discuss thirteen types of strategies organized into four... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8x37h8b4 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael Owen, Dave Doremus, Holly Hanemann, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8tf6g8w6 <p>With California’s drought risk, flood risk, and demand for water all increasing, effective monitoring is more important than ever to water decision making. Stream gages monitor the most basic vital sign of California’s waterways—stream flow.1 Stream flow data support day-to-day decisions about how to manage water and operate water infrastructure. In turn, those decisions have important implications for flood control and the water supplies upon which residential, industrial, agricultural, and environmental water users depend. Stream flow information also provides technical insights into basin hydrology, and those insights aid long-term water planning. As pressures on the state’s water systems intensify, the need for accurate and timely stream flow information will continue to grow. Opportunities for better water management created by groundbreaking legislation such as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the Open and Transparent Water Data Act, and Proposition... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8tf6g8w6 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Miller, Kathleen Green Nylen, Nell Doremus, Holly Fisher, Andrew Fogg, Graham Owen, Dave Solis, Samuel Sandoval Viers, Joshua Kiparsky, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8kg6t2jx Trees and Power Lines: Minimizing Conflicts between Electric Power Infrastructure and the Urban Forest https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8kg6t2jx Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Most, William Brock Weissman, Steven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8k00h572 Effective Governance for Multi-Jurisdictional, Multi-Sector Climate Adaptation https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8k00h572 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Weissman, Steven Varghese, Subin Wood, Zachary https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mf3p66c <p>California will need widespread consumer adoption of electric vehicles in order to achieve the state’s environmental and energy goals. Governor Brown set a goal of reaching 1.5 million zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) on California’s roadways by 2025, and as of June 2017, Californians were driving almost 300,000 electric vehicles.</p><p>Achieving the state’s electric vehicle goals will require a significant boost to charging infrastructure. This need is particularly acute for residents who do not live in single family detached homes, where more than 80 percent of current electric vehicle owners reside. Overall, approximately 40 percent of Californians live in multi-unit dwellings (with even higher percentages in the state’s urban areas), such as apartments, townhouses, and condominiums, with impeded or no access to charging.</p><p>This infrastructure deployment is unlikely to occur without policy action. Charging stations and installation and maintenance typically entail high... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mf3p66c Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/76c2j7jt The Statewide Benefits of Net-Metering in California &amp; the Consequences of Changes to the Program https://escholarship.org/uc/item/76c2j7jt Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Weissman, Steven Johnson, Nathaniel https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73h394j1 Renewable Energy Beyond 2020: Next Steps for California https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73h394j1 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/720033b2 <p>California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), passed in 2014, recognizes and addresses connections between surface water and groundwater. The statute is California’s first statewide law to explicitly reflect the fact that surface water and groundwater are frequently interconnected and that groundwater management can impact groundwater-dependent ecosystems, surface water flows, and the beneficial uses of those flows. As such, SGMA partially remedies the historically problematic practice of treating groundwater and surface water as legally distinct resources. SGMA requires groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) to manage groundwater to avoid six undesirable results, including significant and unreasonable adverse impacts on beneficial uses of surface water. While this aspect of SGMA is clearly important, significant uncertainties exist regarding how GSAs will actually define and achieve this goal. Addressing SGMA’s requirements for groundwatersurface water interactions... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/720033b2 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Cantor, Alida Owen, Dave Harter, Thomas Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6484j1r5 Ex Parte Requirements at the California Public Utilities Commission: A Comparative Analysis and Recommended Changes https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6484j1r5 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Weissman, Steven Behles, Deborah https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5sn6m31b Electric Drive by ‘25: How California Can Catalyze Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles by 2025 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5sn6m31b Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5rm2d5xw Addressing Climate Change Without Legislation: Volume 2: FERC https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5rm2d5xw Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Weissman, Steven Webb, Romany https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5hn1n2p4 <p>Groundwater sustainability depends on balancing aquifer inflows and outflows. Extraction (pumping of groundwater, typically for human use) and recharge (inflow of water to an aquifer from the land surface and streams) are central components of this water balance. Often, increasing demands for groundwater are exacerbated by stresses on limited surface water supplies. Changes in land use and shifting climate can result in less infiltration of precipitation into the ground, reducing recharge. Increasing water scarcity has led to increased pumping, and in turn, unsustainable management of groundwater in many basins, resulting in depleted supplies, degraded water quality, and other impacts. Conservation strategies have reduced demand in some basins, and there are also opportunities for increasing recharge; both strategies can help to tip the water balance towards sustainability. Natural recharge occurs across the landscape, in forests and fields, and below rivers and streams; it... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5hn1n2p4 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Kiparsky, Michael Fisher, Andrew T Hanemann, W Michael Bowie, John Kantor, Rose Coburn, Chris Lockwood, Brian https://escholarship.org/uc/item/55d2z0fp California’s Transition to Local Renewable Energy: 12,000 Megawatts by 2020 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/55d2z0fp Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Russell, Jeffrey Weissman, Steven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/543174qd A Path Forward: Identifying Least-Conflict Solar PV Development in California’s San Joaquin Valley https://escholarship.org/uc/item/543174qd Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Pearce, Dustin Strittholt, James Watt, Terry Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5182t9q5 Addressing Climate Change Without Legislation: Volume 3: USDA https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5182t9q5 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Webb, Romany Weissman, Steven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/50m0h67f <p>California’s housing affordability crisis has rightly received a great deal of attention by state lawmakers, the press, academics, and ordinary Californians. Important questions raised in this discussion are: What laws or regulations might impede housing construction in high-cost areas? What solutions might help reduce those barriers with a minimum impact on other important values, such as environmental protection, public participation, and equitable treatment of low-income communities of color? More specifically, does state environmental law (the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA), or local land-use regulations, constrain housing development? To help answer that last question, we collected data on all residential development projects (of more than five units) over a three-year period in five Bay Area cities (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Redwood City, and Palo Alto). We analyzed the law applicable to these residential development projects, including the local... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/50m0h67f Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 O'Neill, Moira Gualco-Nelson, Giulia Biber, Eric https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5043w5fm Designing Effective Groundwater Sustainability Agencies: Criteria for Evaluation of Local Governance Options https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5043w5fm Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Kiparsky, Michael Owen, Dave Green Nylen, Nell Doremus, Holly Christian-Smith, Juliet Cosens, Barbara Fisher, Andrew Milman, Anita https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4s75r3v6 Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing in California: A Wastewater and Water Quality Perspective https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4s75r3v6 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Kiparsky, Michael Hein, Jayni Foley https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4mt6v7k4 Legal Analysis of Barriers to Adaption for California’s Water Sector https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4mt6v7k4 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Hanemann, Michael Lambe, Deborah Farber, Daniel https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4kr684wp Knowledge Is Power: How Improved Energy Data Access Can Bolster Clean Energy Technologies &amp; Save Money https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4kr684wp Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hs5c7fs <p>Federal policy receives the bulk of the nation’s attention to energy and climate matters, from President Obama’s Clean Power Plan to President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Yet much of our nation’s energy and climate policy is made by governors, state legislatures and agencies across the country. However, it can be very difficult to track these disparate actions to understand where progress is being made and which states are falling behind. Beyond the Beltway provides insight into the range of factors – political, geographical, economic and more – that determine the immensely varied state energy and climate policies across the nation.</p><p>This Report is a compilation of a series of Legal Planet blog posts written in late 2017 and early 2018. Legal Planet is a collaborative effort of the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law and is accessible at www.legal-planet.org. The original posts were compiled here and edited for consistency.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hs5c7fs Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Farber, Daniel A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3w0613m7 <p>Although green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is critical to solving stormwater management challenges, GSI is evolving technology with inconsistent performance and uncertain costs. Our report recommends enhancing learning from local implementation efforts to address knowledge gaps and speed cost-effective deployment. We identify key actions the EPA and state water quality authorities can take to help drive data collection and sharing.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3w0613m7 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qd7b1xh Integrating Solar PV and Distributed Renewable Energy Policies and Programs into California City and County General Plans https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qd7b1xh Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Williams, Christopher Goodman, Mark Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gw9b87q Addressing Climate Change Without Legislation: Volume 1: DOI https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gw9b87q Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Webb, Romany Weissman, Steven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3b20z94m <p>California’s freight system is integral to the functioning of the state, national, and global economies. It includes all forms of commercial transportation of freight to, from, and within the state and is responsible for one third of the state’s economy. The vehicles, equipment, and infrastructure that constitute this system are also collectively responsible for six percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 50 percent of statewide diesel particular matter emissions, and approximately 45 percent of statewide nitrogen oxides emissions. In order for California to meet its ambitious climate, air quality, and public health goals (particularly in disadvantaged communities), the state will need to realize significant reductions from the freight sector. These goals lead the nation. California’s air quality standards for health-harming “criteria” pollutants in all cases are equally or more stringent than corresponding national standards while SB 32 (Pavley, 2016) and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3b20z94m Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Lamm, Ted Elkind, Ethan N. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3656z6k6 <p>This issue brief considers whether groundwater recharge currently qualifies, or should qualify, as a beneficial use of surface water under a California water right. Currently, the lack of an explicit policy regarding recharge for non-extractive purposes — that is, for purposes such as combatting subsidence, raising regional groundwater levels, or supporting baseflow or ground-water dependent wetlands — creates uncertainty and confusion. To bring much needed clarity, the State Water Resources Control Board (the Board) should provide guidance explaining that recharge for non-extractive purposes can be a beneficial use of water. That guidance should explain the conditions under which recharge for nonextractive purposes is beneficial and the evidence water managers should provide to support a beneficial use determination.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3656z6k6 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Miller, Kathleen Green Nylen, Nell Doremus, Holly Owen, Dave Fisher, Andrew https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3643z0qx The Right to Self-Generate as a Grid-Connected Customer https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3643z0qx Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Wellinghoff, Jon Weissman, Steven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3337d9qc Electric Vehicle Paradise: How Hawaii can Lead the World in Deployment https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3337d9qc Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan Ku, Anne https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32s208mv Reuse and Repower: How to Save Money and Clean the Grid with Second-Life Electric Vehicle Batteries https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32s208mv Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3161b5w8 California’s Cap-and-Trade Auction Proceeds: Taxes, Fees, or Something Else? https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3161b5w8 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Lambe, Deborah Farber, Daniel https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2sj6b6nd Beyond User Acceptance: A Legitimacy Framework for Potable Water Reuse in California https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2sj6b6nd Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Harris-Lovett, Sasha Binz, Christian Sedlak, David L Kiparsky, Michael Truffer, Bernhard https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2kd665c7 Climate Actions for California: Recommendations for Governor Brown’s Final Term https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2kd665c7 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2k1223mb <p>August 7, 2017, was Donald Trump’s 201^st day as President of the United States. Eric Biber and Dan Farber marked the occasion with an analysis looking back at the Trump Administration’s impact on environmental law in the United States during its first 200 days and exploring the most likely future developments that we may see in the remaining years of its term. Approaching its subject primarily by channels of government decision-making – legislation, budget, enforcement, executive orders, and state and local action – <em>200 Days &amp; Counting</em> reviews the Administration’s environmental proposals and offers a prognosis of what may come next.</p><p>Acknowledging that there is still significant uncertainty regarding the ultimate impact of the Administration’s environmental policies, the authors conclude that major statutory revisions are unlikely; significant regulatory rollbacks will be slow; federal agency and research budgets may be substantially reduced; and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2k1223mb Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Farber, Daniel A. Biber, Eric https://escholarship.org/uc/item/29v6j2dr A High Speed Foundation: How to Build a Better California Around High Speed Rail https://escholarship.org/uc/item/29v6j2dr Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1dh9m4v5 <p>The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), passed in 2014, is changing the way California manages its groundwater resources. SGMA calls for the creation of local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and tasks them with developing and implementing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) to achieve sustainable groundwater management. SGMA offers GSAs a broad palette of tools to choose from and significant flexibility to tailor their management activities to local conditions and needs. Because it allows GSAs to assign groundwater extraction allocations to pumpers and to authorize transfers of these allocations under certain circumstances, SGMA potentially opens the door for the development of local groundwater markets. In such a market, a willing seller might trade a portion of their groundwater extraction allocation to a willing buyer, allowing the buyer to pump groundwater in the seller’s stead.</p><p>In concept, markets can be used as tools to efficiently achieve... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1dh9m4v5 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael Archer, Kelly Schneir, Kurt Doremus, Holly https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17j6522p Integrating Infill Planning in California’s General Plans: A Policy Roadmap Based on Best-Practice Communities https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17j6522p Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Williams, Christopher Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/16s189xj Grading California’s Rail Transit Station Areas https://escholarship.org/uc/item/16s189xj Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan Chan, Michelle Faber, Tuong-Vi https://escholarship.org/uc/item/14p0h9mp <p>The San Joaquin Valley plays a critical role in shaping California’s climate policy and is worthy of study due to its function as a bellwether of the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Reducing emissions is vitally important for the San Joaquin Valley. The Valley’s topography traps pollution, and air quality and the resulting health conditions are far worse in the Valley than in other region of the state. The region also faces more socioeconomic challenges than the state as a whole. Thus the Valley is vulnerable to both climate change and to climate policy. If policymakers can make climate policy work for the Valley, it will work for the state and demonstrate that these policies and programs can work for vulnerable communities around the world.</p><p>In the California Legislature, some San Joaquin Valley (“Valley”) representatives have raised concerns about the impact the state’s climate policy and programs could have on jobs. But claims and counter-claims about the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/14p0h9mp Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Jones, Betony Elkind, Ethan Duncan, Kevin Hanson, Marilee https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0rd2p5wk <p>This analysis presents costs and benefits to the Inland Empire economy—including job gain and loss—of cap and trade, the RPS, distributed solar programs, and energy efficiency programs overseen by the CPUC. We used publicly available data to determine the costs and benefits of these programs between 2010–16, and then modeled the regional economic impacts using IMPLAN. after accounting for the full costs of these programs to industry, the region received $9.1 billion more than was spent, and saw 41,000 more jobs gained than were lost. When accounting for the ripple effects of this influx of capital (the secondary and tertiary spending that occurs), the Inland Empire saw a total of $14.2 billion in economic activity and 73,000 jobs as a results of California’s major climate programs. Over 90 percent of the direct impact is due to the proliferation of renewable energy powerplants in the region.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0rd2p5wk Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Jones, Betony Elkind, Ethan Duncan, Kevin Hanson, Marilee https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0kx7z6p2 Moving Dollars: Aligning Transportation Spending With California’s Environmental Goals https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0kx7z6p2 Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Elkind, Ethan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0k22v5xk Citizen Enforcement and Sanitary Sewer Overflows in California https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0k22v5xk Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Sherman, Luke Kiparsky, Michael Doremus, Holly https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0h08w6zr The coast is a California icon. It powers a robust economy, provides the home for vibrant communities, and draws visitors from across the planet to its beautiful beaches and sparkling waters. Recognizing the importance of this unique resource, California has long been a leader in coastal protection and management. In 2016 California celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Coastal Act. This landmark legislation was enacted in 1976 to enhance public access to the shoreline, protect coastal natural resources, and balance development and conservation. Over the intervening decades, the state’s coastal management program has evolved into a complex network overseen by the Coastal Commission and myriad local, state, federal, nongovernmental, and private partners. Though the road has not always been smooth, California’s coastal management has enjoyed many collaborative successes and provided a model for other coastal states and nations. Today, however, the California coast arguably... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0h08w6zr Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Diamond, Jordan Doremus, Holly Manupipatpong, Mae Frank, Richard Oh, Shauna Hecht, Sean Sivas, Deborah Armsby, Matt Herbert, Jocelyn https://escholarship.org/uc/item/04f3q44h <p>In California, droughts are likely to become more frequent, longer, and more intense in the future, posing increasing challenges for water management, and raising the stakes for effective drought response. This project aims to help state water governance and decision-making structures adapt to the changing climatic reality. In a companion report in this volume, we analyzed the strategies the State Water Resources Control Board (Board) used for water rights administration and oversight during the last four major statewide droughts. Our findings suggest that more proactive planning and preparation, enabling reduced reliance on in-drought improvisation, would improve the Board’s future drought responses. This report builds on that retrospective analysis with specific recommendations.</p><p>Our vision is simple: During droughts, California’s limited water supplies should be allocated among different human and environmental water uses transparently, efficiently, and predictably,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/04f3q44h Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Green Nylen, Nell Kiparsky, Michael Owen, Dave Doremus, Holly Hanemann, Michael