After the California Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that Monterey County could not enforce its voter-approved ban on new oil and gas wells, there has been a wave of threatened and actual litigation by the oil and gas industry against local ordinances seeking to constrain oil and gas development. This has generated regulatory uncertainty and may chill local governments not already subject to litigation in their efforts to rightfully exercise their land use authority.
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J.D Environmental Law

UCLA School of Law professor Ann Carlson has been honored with election to the membership of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies.

The urgent challenge of climate change and the growth of new distributed energy resources has disrupted the electricity sector, creating space for new stakeholders and new visions. But these debates over the energy transition are playing out against a cost-of-living crisis in California. The soaring costs of our electric power system are compounding this broader cost-of-living strain and burdening a substantial number of low- and middle-income customers. So, how can policymakers work toward the state’s climate goals and prioritize equity?
The focus of global attention in recent years has been China's top-down, state-driven approach to environmental protection and "ecological civilization." What role is there for China's civil society groups these days in mitigating China's environmental impact globally and at home? How do they approach their work? What are the opportunities and risks involved? We are joined by several of China's leading environmental advocates to discuss this important topic.
Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Dz0K4fyknUeaUMNeP56btaLviW5IGg1JhmNGSSylymJUMVlURlRQVjhERDNLTzFEQTNBRk1NUVNPWS4u.

In the fall of 2021, Sean Anderson ’22 walked into the first day of UCLA School of Law’s California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic and took on an assignment that would ultimately become his job — though he didn’t know it at the time.
Date: Wednesday, April 17 at 12:15pm
RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/o5zrLJBouwC5feEU8
“Highly Charged,” An expert panel focused on the role of rate design in promoting equity as we decarbonize the electric power system, including a discussion of California’s often misunderstood Income-Graduated Fixed Charge.
Change is coming to the way we pay our electricity bills in California thanks to what’s called an “income-graduated fixed charge.” But the proceeding charged with implementing that change has become politically fraught. This ongoing debate is comprised of multiple interrelated questions about equity, decarbonization, and reliability of the electric power system. Divergent visions for the future of the power sector sit at the center of the discussions over how we should distribute systemwide costs, which electricity rate design will best support greenhouse gas emission reductions, and how we can ensure reliable electricity service at the same time essential electrification efforts increase strain on the grid.
Come hear a discussion about the opportunities and limitations to rate design as a tool to enhance equity in the state. Our panelists include tenant, ratepayer, and environmental advocates, as well as a Senior Analyst at the Public Utility Commission and UCLA’s own energy law expert, Professor William Boyd.
Panelists:
Nihal Shrinath, Associate Attorney, Sierra Club
Sylvie Ashford, Energy & Climate Policy Analyst, the Utility Reform Network
Chelsea Kirk, Director of Policy and Research, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
Ankit Jain, Senior Analyst, California Public Utility Commission
William Boyd, Professor of Law and Emmett Institute Co-Director, UCLA
Lunch served on a first come, first served basis for those who RSVP by 04/14/24