Ethan Elkind
@ethanelkind.bsky.social
Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law CLEE, author of Railtown (book on history of LA Metro Rail), and host of KALW’s State of the Bay.
I look at this map of bike paths and lanes in LA County and I want to say something like "thanks, fragmented governance among 88 different cities," but a huge share of this is the city of LA and it doesn't look any better. If your trip is more than a few blocks then you're probably dodging cars.
SB 79 at one month: 1) Very encouraging signs of developer interest in actually using the law 2) New projects are all in high resource areas with exclusionary histories 3) We won’t see the full impact in most of the state’s biggest cities for another 5 year 4) Beverly Hills is on some bullshit
Aaron 🏗️🚲🌲🏀@aceckhouse.bsky.social · 6d agoMost cities are doing their best to follow the law, but some are not. The worst is probably Beverly Hills, which is trying to use a shell game to disappear nearly 3,000 homes worth of zoned capacity. HCD should have nipped this in the bud, but there's still time for them to bring down the hammer.
I'm going to be at the Council of Infill Builders Summit in Los Angeles, August 19-20. Come by and say hi! Nithya Raman's going to be one of the keynotes, so we might get some new details on her plans for Los Angeles. www.councilofinfillbuilders.org/events/2026-...
2026 CA Infill Summit: Best Practices and Breakthrough Opportunities - Council of Infill Builders
The Council of Infill Builders' goal is to transform California’s urban landscape by championing sustainable land use that prioritize efficient growth, vibrant communities, and a resilient future for ...
councilofinfillbuilders.org
I'm going to be speaking at the California Infill Summit on Aug. 20 in DTLA. More about the conference here: www.councilofinfillbuilders.org/events/2026-... Half-priced tickets through the end of the week available here: www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/...
2026 CA Infill Summit: Best Practices and Breakthrough Opportunities - Council of Infill Builders
The Council of Infill Builders' goal is to transform California’s urban landscape by championing sustainable land use that prioritize efficient growth, vibrant communities, and a resilient future for ...
councilofinfillbuilders.org
The US auto industry will be next, if they're unable to adapt to the threat of low-cost EVs from China: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/b...
The German Auto Industry, a Pillar of the National Psyche, Is Trembling
The country’s iconic carmakers are struggling with tariffs, the growth of electric vehicles and intense competition from Chinese companies.
nytimes.com
Pretty amazing that nearly 1 out of 3 new cars sold around the world in 2026 will be electric: "Between March and June, sales roughly doubled in Australia, Brazil, India, South Korea and Vietnam compared to the same period last year." www.eenews.net/articles/dri....
Drivers flock to EVs amid rising gas prices from Iran war
Global sales of electric cars are expected to grow 10 percent this year, hitting 29 percent of total car sales.
eenews.net
Reasons to stay in the union: free trade among states, common currency, freedom of movement within the US, common defense, and perhaps most importantly: avoiding long term continental bloodshed like we've seen in Europe with its fractured governance over the past few millennia.
Bill McKibben@billmckibben.bsky.social · 2w agoAt a certain point California et al are just going to say, 'why are we staying in the union?'
Another good example here of how 1960s state planning laws in California spurred massive local downzoning, the effects of which were dealing with today in the form of brutal housing scarcity in coastal cities.
Andrew Bowen (he/him)@acbowen.bsky.social · 2w agoI wrote about the history of downzoning in San Diego and how it shaped the city’s growth and development. www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
With DOJ admitting politics determined Trump admin grant cancellations, California could stand to benefit greatly from the court reinstating billions in these grants, including for the ARCHES zero-emission hydrogen hub and zero-emission vehicle programs.
UC Berkeley Law@ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social · 2w ago“The government has stipulated that grants were cut off to states that voted against Trump. As far as I know, this blatant politics in cutting off grants is unprecedented. It also is illegal,” says Dean Erwin Chemerinsky to @latimes.com: https://lat.ms/3U0jaKE
Why Do Californians Pay More At the Pump? @severinborenstein.bsky.social breaks down down more than two decades of the state’s gasoline price premium. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/w...
Congress appropriated billions of dollars for new transit projects. Why is the Trump administration spending none of it? Why are even transit projects in red states going unfounded? New reporting in @nytimes.com (gift link): www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/u...
Don't miss @ethanelkind.bsky.social, Director of the Climate Program for @cleeberkeley.bsky.social, on @kqedforum.bsky.social this morning with Susan Helper, @matthewshaer.bsky.social, and @alexismadrigal.bsky.social www.kqed.org/forum/201010...
How the U.S. Auto Industry Is Losing the EV Race | KQED
Airdate: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 9 AM There was a time when U.S. automakers dominated the global car industry with their products and innovations. But when it comes to electric vehicles, which acco...
kqed.org
I'll be on @kqedforum.bsky.social 9am PT today talking about how US automakers are losing the EV race to China. Joining me on the panel will be @matthewshaer.bsky.social & Susan Helper. Stream live: www.kqed.org/forum/201010...
How the U.S. Auto Industry Is Losing the EV Race | KQED
Airdate: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 9 AM There was a time when U.S. automakers dominated the global car industry with their products and innovations. But when it comes to electric vehicles, which acco...
kqed.org
The plan to build 415 units in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood is a lesson in what residents might have to sacrifice as a result of years of blocking housing.
She’s pushed to build more housing across California. Now there’s a NIMBY fight in her backyard
The plan to build 415 units in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood is a lesson in what residents might have to sacrifice as a result of years of blocking housing.
bit.ly
Lucas Davis writes in Energy Inst blog that end of tax credits for heat pumps have had no discernible effect on heat pump sales. Bad news: some subsidy was wasted government spending. Good news: heat pumps now on a sustainable growth trajectory. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/13/w...
Will U.S. Households Still Buy Heat Pumps Without a Tax Credit?
From 2023-2025 there was a $2,000 U.S. income tax credit for heat pumps. Not anymore. The last few years were a great time to buy a heat pump. U.S. households installing a heat pump during 2023, 20…
energyathaas.wordpress.com
For LA rail history fans, some nice footage of the Red Car streetcar lines from the 1950s in this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsYs...
youtube.com
California’s new $3,500 EV rebate favors Rivian and Lucid over Tesla
California’s new $3,500 EV rebate favors Rivian and Lucid over Tesla
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 today, creating a new “MyFirstEV” program that gives first-time electric vehicle buyers a $3,500 instant rebate at the dealership starting later this summer. The point-of-sale discount is backed by $135.5 million in state funding, matched dollar-for-dollar by participating automakers — and a California-headquarters rule makes Rivian and Lucid the biggest winners, while Tesla qualifies only on its cheapest models.
electrek.co
I enjoyed listening to Bill McKibben on Ezra Klein's podcast. Its refreshing to hear a strong case for a future of clean energy abundance and highlight a lot of positive energy trends. That said, there are a few points where I'd add nuance to Bill's arguments. www.nytimes.com/2026...
If successful, Li-air batteries will kick jet fuel out of the sky and bunker fuel out of the ocean Li-ion: ~250-270 Wh/kg Li-air: 12 kWh/kg, near gasoline CATL eyes 12 kWh/kg Li-Air EV Bat interestingengineering.com/energy/catl-... Air Energy to Scale Li-Air Bat natlawreview.com/press-releas...
CATL eyes lithium-air EV batteries with theoretical 12,000 Wh/kg limit
CATL unveils a new strategic focus on lithium-air batteries, a "breathable" design that could eliminate EV range anxiety.
interestingengineering.com
New @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social report: Powering Down Prices: Policy Solutions to Lower California’s Electricity Rates: www.law.berkeley.edu/research/cle... by Travis Ritchie and @ethanelkind.bsky.social 🔌💡
Powering Down Prices: Policy Solutions to Lower California’s Electricity Rates
June 2026 California’s electricity rates have skyrocketed in recent years, driven primarily by the increasing costs of adapting to catastrophic wildfires and replacing distribution grid infrastructure...
law.berkeley.edu
“ In some cases, there are matching funds provided from the state and local level for these federal dollars, but it’s not clear where the matching funds are coming from,” says @ethanelkind.bsky.social, @cleeberkeley.bsky.social Climate Program director, to @kqednews.kqed.org: https://bit.ly/4vXK3wY
Opposition Group Says Bay Area Transit Doesn't Deserve More Money This November | KQED
The Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit says transit agencies should reallocate funding from other projects before seeking additional money from taxpayers.
kqed.org
California's next governor won't be able to solve our electricity affordability challenges on slogans alone, as my @cleeberkeley.bsky.social colleague Travis Ritchie writes in this new @calmatters.org op-ed. He details specific policy options from our recent report: calmatters.org/commentary/2...
Opinion | Lowering California's high utility costs takes more than flashy slogans. It needs these reforms
Wildfire spending is the largest driver of rate increases, adding hundreds of dollars to power bills. The state has let utilities work around cost limits.
calmatters.org
Great piece here exploring the national security implications of the US losing the battery race to China.
Josh Busby@busbyj2.bsky.social · last mo.Greg Pollock and I argue in @heatmap.news that electric vehicle manufacturing in the US is a national security priority. EVs are the largest source of demand for advanced batteries. Batteries are essential building blocks of the 21st century economy with important defense applications.
Many environmental justice groups have long hated "cap and trade" for allowing polluters to buy their way out of emission reductions. A new CEQA lawsuit targets California's recent changes to their program that gives fossil fuel companies more breaks, reducing funds for transit, clean water, etc.
Los Angeles Times@latimes.com · last mo.Environmental justice group sues California over carbon market overhaul
"BART is very central to the Bay Area economy and transit in general,” says Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at @cleeberkeley.bsky.social to @berkeleyside.org: https://bit.ly/4vYkmN6 #BerkeleyLaw @ethanelkind.bsky.social
BART, AC Transit and Muni are all-in on a November sales tax. Will voters bite?
June saw tax measures fail at the ballot across the Bay Area. Transit advocates are betting that a mass transit tax will be different.
berkeleyside.org
Elon Musk says that no one died because of his demolition of USAID, and that "Kristof is lying through his teeth." So here I invite him to join me on a visit to Africa to see for himself: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/o...
Opinion | U.S.A.I.D. Cuts Killed People. That’s the Truth.
nytimes.com
Happy "SB 79 Becomes Law" Day! Let the building begin!
SB 79 is activated tomorrow Bay Area. Heres the map: experience.arcgis.com/experience/9...
