Lindsay Dofelmier

Today IPAA presented its issue priorities to the Trump Transition team. The memo details priorities including equitable tax policies for energy businesses, sensible environmental regulations, reform of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/#permitting reform, access to federal lands and waters, reforms to the Endangered Species Act, and lifting the pause on issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (#LNG) export facilities. Read here or at https://lnkd.in/gMD2qUWi #energyproduction #oilandgas #upstream #taxpolicy #energypolicy #environmentalpolicy

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NW Natural bills have gone up more than 50% since 2020 and now they want to raise rates again. A public meeting on NW Natural’s proposed rate increase starts TONIGHT at 6pm on Zoom. Oregon utility regulators need to hear from NW Natural customers! Share how an 18% increase in your gas bills would impact your family. To share your story, email [email protected] with subject line "Testifying at NW Natural rate case hearing." Join the meeting here: https://bit.ly/3w55WAN Can’t make the hearing? Submit written testimony by emailing [email protected] with the subject line: "NW Natural General Rate Case." More details here: https://lnkd.in/gh5ek_Bg

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Constitutional limitations to raising revenue are becoming increasingly relevant for water and other governmental agencies as well as their customers and landowners in response to aging infrastructure, climate change and regulatory requirements Last Thursday, the California Supreme Court issued a major win to the state and local governments when it ruled unanimously to bar an anti-tax initiative measure known as the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (“TPA”) from appearing on the November 2024 ballot. Cities, agencies and labor unions viewed the TPA as a threat to their ability to function efficiently and fund essential services in the state’s most sensitive communities. In contrast, business and taxpayer advocacy groups, led by the California Business Roundtable, argue that the court’s decision negatively interferes with the democratic system and diminishes citizen participation through the ballot initiative process.

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I-2117 seeks to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, a Cap and Trade program that is the most important climate legislation in the history of Washington State. Learn more in our blog! @no_on_2117 https://lnkd.in/gFxcEWuT

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🌍🚨 Environmental Groups Take Legal Action Against Suncor Energy for Pollution in Colorado: A Call for Enhanced Sustainability 🚨🌍 Earthjustice, representing GreenLatinos, the Sierra Club, and 350 Colorado, filed a lawsuit against Suncor Energy (SU.TO) in federal court. The suit alleges that Suncor's Commerce City refinery has significantly harmed local communities through persistent pollution. Key points: - Over 9,000 alleged Clean Air Act violations by Suncor over five years. - Violating federal limits for airborne particulate matter and emitting toxic substances such as benzene and formaldehyde. - Commerce City refinery processes around 98,000 barrels per day and has faced multiple issues, including a fire in December 2022 and numerous resident complaints. - In February, Colorado fined Suncor $10.5 million for air pollution violations between 2019 and 2021. This situation highlights the urgent need for stronger environmental regulations and sustainable practices. One powerful tool to address such environmental issues is carbon offsets. By investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, companies can counterbalance their carbon footprint and contribute to global sustainability. Implementing carbon offsets can: - Aid in reducing the impact of industrial pollution. - Support renewable energy projects and reforestation efforts. - Promote cleaner air and healthier communities. As we face the challenges of climate change, it's crucial for companies to take proactive steps in reducing their environmental impact. Carbon offsets represent a vital strategy in achieving a more sustainable and responsible future. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gjD8_KZP Interested in learning how carbon offsets can enhance your sustainability efforts? Contact us today to find out more. #EnvironmentalJustice #CleanAir #Sustainability #ClimateAction #CarbonOffsets #CorporateResponsibility 

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In the News: California Supreme Court Decision on Water Surcharges Check out this recent feature from Courthouse News, which discusses a pivotal decision made by the California Supreme Court regarding decoupling mechanisms and due process rights within the water industry. Important insights for anyone following state water regulations! Read the full article here:https://lnkd.in/gymcf5XN #WaterRegulation #CaliforniaLaw #CaliforniaWater

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MUST LISTEN - we love all of the Ripple Effect episodes but this one is special. TJ Budge does a FANTASTIC job of walking us through some very complicated it issues of conjunctive management of ground and surface water rights. Conjunctive management is going to become an increasingly important (and thorny) issues we are going to have to address here in the West. Idaho has been out in front and this is great opportunity to learn from their experience. Good job TJ Budge!! #waterpodcast #rippleeffect #waterpod #idahowater #idahowaterlaw #utahwaterlaw #utwater #waterlaw #waterconservation #waterrights #watermanagement

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Understanding the impact of Prop 4 is key to contributing to the debates around protecting California's water resources and wildlife. 🦅💧 It’s crucial to stay informed. Dive into this FAQ from Audubon and empower yourself with knowledge. 📚🌍 #CAwater https://loom.ly/E-9VMBc

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It's hard to manage water if you can't measure and located it's use! #water #watermanagement #waterpolicy #waterights #waterlaw #drought #aridification #climatechange #climateandwater #ClydeSnowWater

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A large majority of Washington state voters (62%) rejected a ballot initiative to repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, a carbon cap-and-trade law that has raised over $2 billion for the state. The Act mandates companies to purchase pollution permits at quarterly auctions, incentivizing businesses to cut their emissions while simultaneously generating funds for climate programs such as free public transport for youth and the installation of energy-efficient heat pumps. While similar cap-and-trade legislation exists in other states, Washington’s law is more ambitious, aiming to cut emissions in half by 2030 and by 95% by 2050. Carbon pricing has long been seen as politically risky, with opponents of the Act blaming it for raising gas prices. The ballot measure would have not only struck down Washington’s pollution pricing but also blocked the state from enacting similar policies in the future. Many are hopeful that voters' decision to keep the law will encourage more states to pass similar legislation. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gCQ75wtY via Grist

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ONE HOUR TO GO UNTIL FREE WEBINAR: Roadmap for Climate-Related Disclosures: California, SEC & CSRD Wednesday 31st July | 11am ET | 8am PT | 4pm BST Delivered in partnership with ClimeCo Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insight into upcoming climate-related disclosures and how you can prepare your business to meet approaching deadlines! Sustainability, policy and advisory experts; Kamayani Barshilia and Amanda Mast will discuss the steps your business can take to prepare for California Senate Bills 253 & 261, the SEC’s ruling, and the European Union’s CSRD. Our speakers will also cover: ⏱️Disclosure mandates and critical deadlines 📍The roadmap to compliance preparation, including specific actions, risks and opportunities 📝How to take advantage of planning efficiencies including considerations for internal team coordination through illustrative case studies REGISTER YOUR PLACE FOR FREE: https://hubs.ly/Q02G3wQB0 #Decarbconnect #ClimeCo #Climatedisclosures #SB253 #SB261 #SEC #CSRD #Decarbonisation #Sustainability #Sustainable #Compliance

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For the first time, a gas utility could be on the hook for its role in deceiving the public about the climate crisis. Multnomah, Oregon, has added NW Natural — Oregon’s oldest and largest supplier of “natural” gas, also known as fossil or methane gas — to the list of defendants in a lawsuit that seeks to make fossil fuel companies pay $52 billion for their role in the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome. Learn more from Emily Sanders in partnership with ExxonKnews and Covering Climate Now 🔗 https://loom.ly/T1rdQ5c

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DWR is proposing removal of the Sutter Extension Water District's Sunset Weir across the Feather River between Yuba City and Live Oak. This should be good for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, and for recreational boat travel on the river; and, it also presents an opportunity to improve public access to the right bank of the Feather River for bank fishing, launching and retrieving kayaks, canoes and other small craft, bird watching and other recreational activities. The current write-up says nothing about public river access, the public's right to be on the river and the temporarily dry bed and banks of the river below ordinary annual high water mark, the Public Trust Doctrine, and the public right to fish from and on state-owned lands. The Public Trust Doctrine requires state agencies to consider the effect of their proposed decisions on public trust interests, including the public' interest in access to and use of navigable waters (including their temporarily dry bed and banks), avoiding so far as feasible any adverse effect on those interests, and that this consideration must be given in a public manner facilitating public participation in the decision making. The comment period is August 1, 2024 through August 30, 2024. A public meeting is scheduled August 15, 2024, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm, ay the Yuba Cit Council Chambers on Civic Center in Yuba City. if you care about public access to California's inland waters generally, or to the Feather in particular. please comment in writing and if possible attend the meeting.

By a slim 51.5% - 48.5% margin, Washington State voters passed a ballot initiative on U.S. election day that would repeal provisions of a law intended to accelerate the transition away from gas by utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE), which is owned by Canadian pension funds. If certified, Initiative-2066 would remove requirements for PSE to study electrification efforts, prevent approval of utility rate plans that end or restrict access to gas, erase changes to the state's energy code that offer builders incentives for choosing electric heat pumps over gas furnaces, and ensure the the state's energy code cannot "prohibit, penalize or discourage the use of gas." PSE was opposed to the ballot initiative, which was pushed by gas companies, Republican superPACs and gas industry front groups. Clean energy supporters and opponents of the ballot initiative will likely launch a legal challenge to the ballot initiative, which they say is unconstitutional. “If it is allowed to stand, Initiative-2066 would guarantee higher energy costs in the coming years by rolling back tools that help utilities plan for the future. This poorly written initiative would have a host of consequences for energy affordability, clean air and the climate,” said Molly Gallagher, communications coordinator for the Statewide Poverty Action Network PSE is 23.9% owned by OMERS, 20.9% by the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), 15.8% by Ontario Teachers'​ Pension Plan and 13.6% by Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), as well as by Brookfield and a Dutch pension fund. Replacing fossil-fueled power generation with renewable energy and phasing out gas is a smart investment for Canadian pension funds and for the climate. But Initiative-2066 underscores the risks that gas and electric utilities must navigate in their efforts to decarbonize their businesses in line with net-zero commitments.

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