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Attorneys General Becerra and Schneiderman led a coalition that sued the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on June 13, 2017, for refusing to implement these standards in violation of the law.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that DOE violated its error correction regulation under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act by failing to publish in the Federal Register finalized energy efficiency standards for four products: portable air conditioners, uninterruptible power supplies, air compressors, and commercial packaged boilers.
Attorneys General Becerra and Schneiderman led a coalition of 13 Attorneys General, the California Energy Commission, and the City of New York in filing the lawsuit.
Becerra said the ruling means that the Trump Administration may no longer block common-sense energy efficiency standards.
“This is a tremendous victory for the American people and for our planet,” said Attorney General Becerra. “The California Department of Justice will continue to hold the Trump Administration, indeed all polluters, accountable. The stakes could not be higher – climate change is the most important global environmental issue of our time. Our citizens have a right to be part of the climate change solution.”
“The Trump administration has made a point of rolling back basic, common sense energy efficiency standards – putting polluters before everyday New Yorkers and Americans,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Our coalition of Attorneys General has made clear that we’ll use every tool at our disposal to protect our public health, our environment, and consumers’ pocketbooks.”
Schneiderman said the court decision is an important victory in fighting back against the Trump Administration’s “polluter first” agenda. “We will continue to fight to ensure the Trump administration meets its obligations to New Yorkers and the law.”
Over a 30-year period, these energy efficiency standards are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 98.8 million tons. That is comparable to taking more than 21 million cars off the road for one year. Consumer savings are estimated to be $8.4 billion.
The energy efficiency standards were approved by the Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at DOE in December 2016. As is required, the standards then underwent two procedural steps. First, they were subjected to a 45-day period for submission of correction requests. Once this period closed, the DOE was required to make any necessary corrections and submit these rules for publication in the Federal Register, making the rules legally enforceable. The DOE failed to complete this final step.
In the lawsuit, Attorneys General Becerra and Schneiderman highlighted that the states have significant interests in reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency, in protecting their populations and environments, and in enforcing the provisions of their laws designed to foster energy efficiency and reduce global warming-related impacts. Attorneys General Becerra and Schneiderman underscored that these efforts would be harmed by the DOE’s illegal decision not to publish the energy efficiency standards.
Attorneys General Becerra and Schneiderman were joined in the filing of this lawsuit by the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The California Energy Commission and the City of New York also joined in the lawsuit.
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This generous donation – five cents per oyster sold during the first quarter of the year – will be made to Restaurants Care, the program that gives cash grants to restaurant workers who face unexpected hardship.
“Each quarter, we choose a different cause to benefit from our Oyster Give Back program,” said Pete Sittnick, co-owner of San Francisco’s Waterbar. “This quarter feels particularly meaningful because it’s supporting people in our restaurant community who were affected by this natural disaster in our backyard. It really hits home for us.”
Four months after the Wine Country fires started to burn, thousands of residents continue to struggle to get back on their feet. Some of those most impacted are restaurant and winery workers – the very people who operate the long list of destinations that make up the Napa Valley and its critically-important food, wine and tourism industries.
The Restaurants Care program, a product of the California Restaurant Association Foundation or CRAF, continues to receive grant applications from restaurant workers in the area. As the shock of the disaster dissipates, the reality of rebuilding is sinking in.
One grant recipient, Socorro, C., lost everything in the fire. She worked as a prep cook at a campground in Santa Rosa. When the fires swept through the area, she lost her job and her home. She and her husband were bouncing from place to place when a grant from Restaurants Care helped her secure a new rental property.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Executive Director of CRAF, Alycia Harshfield. “People are still sorting out the damage and trying to rebuild their lives. We’re fortunate to have partners like Waterbar who understand that there is still a need in the community. This fundraiser will help us sustain our relief efforts in the North Bay.”
Restaurants Care is accepting grant applications at www.calrestfoundation.org/fires.
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This committee makes recommendations to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary on all matters pertaining to the Shipping Point Inspection Program.
The Shipping Point Inspection Program provides third party grading and certification services to the fruit, nut and vegetable industries throughout the state – ensuring that California’s specialty crops meet identified quality standards.
The program supports agricultural producers, packers, shippers and processors by providing a nationally and internationally recognized grading and certification service.
The committee makes recommendations to the Secretary on all matters pertaining to the Department’s Shipping Point Inspection program.
The committee, with the exception of the public member, is composed of shippers of fruit and vegetables using the inspection certification services of the CDFA.
The public member must be a resident of the state of California and not a producer, shipper, or processor nor be financially interested in any producer, shipper or processor.
Alternate members are appointed for each member and serve only in the absence of the designated member.
Seven appointments will be members, one appointment will be a public member, and nine appointments will be alternate members.
Terms will commence Jan. 1, 2018, and the term of office for a committee member is three years.
Members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses.
Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment should complete a prospective member appointment questionnaire, and attain a letter of recommendation from industry.
Nominations will be accepted until the positions are filled.
Applications should be sent to Thomas Osborn, CDFA Inspection and Compliance Branch, 1220 ‘N’ Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or via e-mail to
For further information on the Shipping Point Inspection Advisory Committee and vacancies, please contact Kevin Batchelor at 559-595-8000 or
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The bill would increase fines for serious violations of emissions standards that sicken people or force shelter-in-place orders.
“There are already fines on the books for illegal refinery emissions, but the most common fine hasn’t been increased since Richard Nixon was in the White House,” said Dodd. “When people are sickened by refinery emissions or forced to shelter-in-place, there should be stiffer penalties. My bill reinforces that oil companies should take proactive steps to avoid violations in the first place.”
Dodd’s bill, SB 1144, would triple existing fines for violations of emissions standards if the violations cause a health problem or impact over 25 people.
Existing law doesn’t allow increased penalties for violations that injure nearby residents or for refineries with multiple violations. Currently, the maximum amount for the most common level of fines is $10,000 and hasn’t been adjusted since 1974.
Dodd’s bill would set the new fine at $30,000, and if refineries are found negligent, the amount would go up to $75,000 per day.
In instances where a refinery fails to correct a known violation or intentionally violates standards, the violations would be even greater. For serial offenders with multiple serious violations within 36 months, the fines could be as much as $500,000 per day.
“Representing communities that house several refineries, I want to encourage the industry to be proactive in meeting their duty to neighboring residents,” said Senator Dodd. “This measure isn’t a silver bullet for addressing safety, but it certainly provides greater incentive to act responsibly.”
Dodd’s district includes the majority of the Bay Area’s refineries. In September 2016, numerous Vallejo residents were sickened by a refinery incident that triggered over 1,500 complaints.
The state’s Office of Emergency Services reported that area hospitals and medical facilities treated 120 patients for headaches, nausea, dizziness, and burning of the eyes, nose and throat.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management issued a notice of violation to the refinery in Rodeo for that incident.
In May, a power outage at a refinery in Benicia resulted in the release of over 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide and caused shelter-in-place orders for area residents, businesses and schools.
The funds from the fines in Dodd’s bill would be available to support more robust monitoring and enforcement. The bill is expected to come up for a committee vote next month.
Dodd represents California’s Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. Visit his Web site at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.