Vinson & Elkins Partner Matthew Dobbins shared insights with Argus on a legal challenge that may complicate California’s plans to implement updated cap-and-invest rules on September 1.
The environmental justice group Communities for a Better Environment filed a lawsuit on July 1 alleging that the California Air Resources Board violated the California Environmental Quality Act by adopting carbon market amendments based on an inadequate environmental impact assessment. Dobbins noted that the timeline for any court-ordered pause remains unclear.
“I don’t know that the environmental group here would necessarily be able to show imminent and irreparable harm per se to get an injunction,” he said.
The article explores the ripple effects a potential injunction could have on industrial participants, allowance allocations, biofuel benchmarks, and California’s broader 2045 net-zero goals, as well as the implications for the Western Climate Initiative’s expansion to Washington state.
Read more here.
Matthew Dobbins is a Partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Environment and Natural Resources practice. He advises clients on environmental regulatory matters, including climate policy, emissions markets, and energy transition issues.
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