Last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced a new rule that bans new, gas-powered cars in the state, starting with 2035 models. As the California legislative session draws to a close, various climate bills are being considered, including measures to: extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Power plant; develop rules for carbon capture, utilization, and storage; and increase the state's greenhouse gas reduction targets. In Idaho, Washington and Oregon, the states' attorneys general argued that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should reject a pipeline project as it does not serve the region's transition to clean energy. Western states failed to meet a federal deadline to develop a plan to conserve water resources from the Colorado River while Arizona and Nevada specifically are facing additional increases in water cuts starting in 2023. In D.C., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a hazardous substance. Further, the Biden-Harris administration announced a $560 million award to plug orphaned oil and gas wells throughout 24 states.
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