Legal Planet

Legal Planet is a joint effort between faculty members at UC Berkeley School of Law and UCLA School of Law, offering valuable insights and analyses on energy and environmental law and policy. This blog leverages the unique research strengths and expertise of legal scholars and think tanks from both schools. It's important to note that the views and opinions shared by our contributors are solely their own and do not represent the positions of their institutions or employers. Our mission is to carve out a distinctive niche in the blogging world by connecting the fields of law and policy, while also making the latest updates accessible and easy to understand for a broad audience. We cover a range of topics, including court rulings, regulatory developments, and state legislation that impacts climate change policy, water management, toxic waste disposal, renewable energy, air quality, land use, and more.

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Supply-Side Regulations & Clean Vehicles

4 days ago | legal-planet.org | Chloe Smith

As Congress votes to undermine California’s sovereignty to set supply-side standards on polluting vehicles, CLEE’s research shows why these policies are so effective In May 2025, both the U.S. House and Senate passed resolutions to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waivers, which allow the state to enforce stricter vehicle emissions rules than federal standards (see Ann Carlson’s post on this issue).
Environmental Rollbacks: Will the Trump Administration Overplay Its Hand?

1 week ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

The odds are good that Trump agencies will go too far out on a limb. It’s no secret that Trump is likely to roll back as many environmental regulations as he possibly can, starting with the Biden Administration’s climate rules. In pursuit of that goal, he has pushed agencies to adopt high-risk legal arguments for rollbacks rather than more reliable strategies.
What Happened to EPA Enforcement?

1 week ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

Enforcement efforts peaked long ago and have been in long-term decline. Trump will accelerate that.
Trump Goes Nuclear

1 week ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

Four new executive orders try to launch a nuclear renaissance. On Thursday, I posted a list of Trump’s energy and environmental executive orders. By Friday, It was obsolete. Four new Executive Orders shove safety and environmental concerns to the curb to make the American nuclear industry great again.
The CEQA Poison Pill In SB 607

2 weeks ago | legal-planet.org | Ethan Elkind

Weakening the statewide standard of review benefits polluting facilities For California to meet its climate goals and bring down prices on basic needs like housing, transportation and energy, it will need to dramatically increase infill housing, transit and clean energy facilities, among other projects.
Executive Disorders

2 weeks ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

One after another, Trump has let loose destructive blasts at the environment to promote fossil fuels, mining, and logging. We all know that Trump has issued a slew of executive orders since taking the oath of office. We also know that many of these are aimed to promoting fossil fuels, mining, and logging at the expense of the environment, while disfavoring renewable energy. Still, it’s impressive when you put the list together to see the full onslaught.
No, DOE, You Can't Roll Back Product Efficiency Standards

3 weeks ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

Congress wanted greater energy efficiency over time and banned rollbacks. The Department of Energy is proposing to rescind key energy efficiency requirements. It is beyond ironic that this is happening at a time when the President has proclaimed an energy emergency. Trump says the grid is struggling desperately to meet surging power demand. That’s a strange time to eliminate regulations that are saving energy.
EPA Steps Through the Looking Glass

3 weeks ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

You can’t accuse EPA of hiding the ball. It has announced its new mission: promoting fossil fuels. According to Trump’s EPA, the greatest day in the agency’s history was not, as you might think, a day when it did something to protect the environment. Instead, according to Trump’s EPA, the agency’s finest moment will be eliminating protections against air and water pollution.
Brazil Steps Ahead of the U.S. on Climate Policy

1 month ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

A new emissions trading system is a major step for Brazilian climate policy. During the Obama Administration, an effort to create a carbon trading system passed the House but petered out in the Senate. Obama tried to do something similar with the Clean Power Plan, which the Supreme Court rejected. Now Brazil has gone ahead where the U.S. federal government has failed. The country has now started to implement an important law passed in December.
Willful Ignorance as Government Policy

1 month ago | legal-planet.org | Daniel A. Farber

The Trump Administration is systematically shutting down sources of vital information. The Trump Administration is closing 25 scientific centers that monitor water levels across the U.S., which is vital information during floods and droughts. The centers also monitor aquifer levels and underground plumes of pollution. The government has canceled the leases for the centers, which will begin closing soon.