We regularly produce original research and analysis that highlight attorney general work on clean energy and the environment and provide commentary on important and timely topics in these areas of work.
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Issue Briefs
Congress: Opportunities for Attorneys General in Environmental, Energy, and Climate Policy
With environmental, clean energy, and climate legislation gaining traction in Congress, there are many opportunities and avenues for state attorneys general to advance their priorities.
March 1, 2021
Hampden T. Macbeth -
Articles
Disorder in the Courts — More Than Usual Transition Upheaval
“In the Courts” Column: If past is prologue, as it often is in politics, the Obama-Trump transition can serve as a guide for what the new Biden administration can expect in its first few weeks and months.
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Blog
The Power Grid in Focus
FERC is taking a leadership role on climate and the grid with a broader proceeding to examine the threat that climate change and extreme weather events pose to grid reliability.
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Blog
Wheels of Change
As agencies adjust to the direction of the new Biden administration, there are two important trends on display: one with the agencies and the other in court.
February 11, 2021
Bethany Davis Noll -
Blog
Perseverance and New Beginnings
The Biden administration has made quick moves to return to a climate-driven agenda. But if those policies are to be long-lasting, then there is much work to be done. It is time for a different type of advocacy.
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Projects
Midnight Watch Project
Tracking last-minute actions by the outgoing Trump administration on environmental, climate and energy issues during the presidential transition through Inauguration Day on January 20.
January 20, 2021
State Impact Center -
Blog
Full Court Press
Over the past four years, state attorneys general have successfully executed the legal equivalent of a full court press against the Trump administration’s assault on our nation’s climate, clean energy and environmental laws.
January 7, 2021
David J. Hayes -
Articles
"Tired of Winning": Judicial Review of Regulatory Policy in the Trump Era
While prior administrations prevailed in approximately 70% of legal challenges to agency actions, the Trump Administration’s success rate was 23%.
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Articles
U.S. Domestic Climate Policy — Looking Forward
There are two broad categories of actions that the Biden administration can and seems likely will take to address climate change aggressively.
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Articles
Preparing for Climate Disasters
With new funding to reduce risks before calamity strikes, the Biden administration has an opportunity to ensure that state and local governments have the resources and capacities needed for effective mitigation projects that will meet multiple community needs.
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Reports
Full Court Press: How State AGs Guarded Against the Trump Administration's Anti-Regulatory Agenda
This report highlights actions taken by state attorneys general to defend against the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory assault and build a cleaner, healthier, more just world for future generations.
January 1, 2021
David J. Hayes / Jessica Bell / Hampden T. Macbeth / Stephen Read / Sydney Colopy / Matthew Lehner -
Articles
Rulemaking Developments in 2020
Marked by a deadly pandemic and a consequential election, 2020 also produced a number of rulemaking developments, particularly in the courts. The Trump Administration continued to struggle in court in its final year, while it forged ahead with its own regulatory plans, grappled with calls for regulatory flexibility in response to the pandemic, and kicked off new initiatives. There was relatively little action on regulation in Congress, compared to previous years.