New California law allows state to bypass local restrictions in siting large-scale renewables

On June 30, 2022, the State of California joined the State of New York in adopting legislation that allows state authorities to bypass local laws in permitting large-scale renewable energy projects. California’s new law, AB 205, gives the California Energy Commission (the “commission”) authority to issue a certificate for any: […]

Removing Carbon Dioxide Through Ocean Fertilization: Legal Challenges and Opportunities

By Korey Silverman-Roati Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will be needed, alongside deep emissions cuts, to achieve global temperature goals. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has emphasized that, to limit warming to 1.5oC or 2oc, in line with the Paris Agreement, global carbon dioxide emissions must reach net-zero between […]

Guest Commentary: A new frontier in (Dutch) climate litigation: Greenwashing advertisements on CO2 compensation

By Marlies Hesselman* The first week of July 2022 brought on several major developments in climate litigation in the Netherlands, with possibly significant ramifications for a new type of global climate litigation. After landmark decisions in Urgenda and Shell, plaintiffs are asking a Dutch court to weigh in on a […]

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation Denies an Air Quality Permit to a Cryptocurrency Mining Facility, Citing Sabin Center White Paper

By Jacob Elkin On June 30, 2022, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation denied Greenidge Generation LLC’s application to renew a Title V air quality permit for the Greenidge Generating Station. The facility, previously permitted as a natural gas-fired “peaker” plant, has recently ramped up its power generation to […]

Advancements in climate rights in courts around the world

By Maria Antonia Tigre While the United States Supreme Court yesterday delivered a major setback to the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in West Virginia. v. EPA, courts in other countries this week have issued decisions that demonstrate that courts worldwide remain an important forum for the potential […]

Defending Renewable Energy Against Local Opposition in Ohio and New York

To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has found that, by 2030, the world needs to be installing four times more wind and solar energy per year than the record-breaking levels set in 2020. This will require an immense mobilization of resources. Reaching the […]

Permitting Seaweed Cultivation for Carbon Sequestration in California: Barriers and Recommendations

By Korey Silverman-Roati Growing interest in using the oceans to enhance removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has in turn spurred more interest in seaweed cultivation. A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) concluded that the “ocean holds great potential for uptake and longer-term sequestration […]