I’ve never met someone “abundance-pilled” who really understood environmental review, law and policy, NEPA/CEQA, or the realities of siting transmission or renewable energy projects. Never once. They’re all just running their mouths on vibes. - ThreadSky

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social • 6 days ago

I’ve never met someone “abundance-pilled” who really understood environmental review, law and policy, NEPA/CEQA, or the realities of siting transmission or renewable energy projects. Never once. They’re all just running their mouths on vibes.

Reposted from Victoria Bogdan Tejeda

Anecdotal, but I’m hearing a lot about CA lawmakers being “Abundance-pilled” and proposing/backing bills that will rip the heart out of enviro review for almost ALL big projects (not just housing) and exempt/fast track permitting elsewhere. All over EJ, scientist, etc concerns. I hate this.

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michaelwara.bsky.social•6 days ago

Jennifer Hernandez at Holland & Knight. One of the most successful builder and clean energy side land use lawyers in California.

michaelwara.bsky.social•6 days ago

She represents that gigantic Solano County project among many many others. She thinks (and has long thought) that CEQA is structurally racist.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

I would agree with structurelally racist part in general, but how does this manifest in the salono project? I can anticipate there’s an issue as you get closer to urban areas with open space but I mean everywhere else in the state save for a few projects are flying through CEQA, scarce litigation.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

I’m guessing, maybe didn’t look at our Roosevelt Institute climate community Institute project on solar siting in CA in 2024 where we talk about mitigatigated negative declarations in Westlands case.. but I would encourage you to if you haven’t. pretty solid data.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

Well, I guess you’re proving the point by talking about the success part.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

Name projects, that’s the data.

michaelwara.bsky.social•6 days ago

TBC I’m not nec defending her position. But the business of building houses - or really new master planned communities - in California IS way way riskier (and so more expensive) because of CEQA. Whether that’s good or bad I’m not taking a position on. But it is a fact.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

My suspicion is that the bigger issue facing a Solano county solar project is that marin clean energy and or PG&E can find a cheaper power purchase agreement 500 miles away.

michaelwara.bsky.social•6 days ago

Oh no. She entitles solar in Kern and places like that. In Solano, this project: https://californiaforever.com

beeveeme.bsky.social•6 days ago

How much sprawl would we have without CEQA? It’s an interesting counter-factual math problem. If we had CEQA in the Legislature, CBO/LAO style, would we have better outcomes? A lot of developers say they just want clear rules, until they are clear and they don’t like them.

beeveeme.bsky.social•6 days ago

Hope: I agree with the left position that the good thing about tearing down the tortured equilibria of the past (e.g. sweeping but torturously vague laws with quixotic teeth) by an opponent that can destroy but not create is that a better model may be possible in the future.

beeveeme.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ah words. I have never taken her arguments to be good faith, so I do not think that counts. There are of course an infinite number of developer attorneys who argue neoliberal talking points about excessive regulation who understand regulation. If the point is that “abundance” is nothing new, yes!

rebeccasolnit.bsky.social•6 days ago

I'm sad that the word abundance has been coopted.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

💯 abundant clean water, abundant clean air, abundant wildlife, abundant open space, abundant free time, abundant healthcare. It’s an obvious discursive reputation of falsely constructed scarcity.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

*repudiation

christosilvia.bsky.social•6 days ago

I think it's a lot less about structure and a lot more about cowardly politicians and no urgency to change.

snoozebuttonben.bsky.social•6 days ago

I think the idea is basically we stop doing that stuff entirely and become more like the CCP that just takes what it wants and crushes opposition.

agelston.bsky.social•6 days ago

^this

agelston.bsky.social•6 days ago

Also you know they basically got rid of NEPA about 10 days ago?

lol

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

Oh yeah. In case you are missing the big picture, they also got rid of democracy in general.

agelston.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ok…. I’m not going to lol but it is my defense mechanism….. ahhhh

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

❤️

agelston.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yes but sometimes you gotta remember Cartman’s words of wisdom.

Or Nemik’s
https://youtu.be/aoJILDr94qc?si=hAEjid4azMI9NuA1

💕 means 😇😊😈 when you pass a point…

And that’s all internet!

vpski.bsky.social•6 days ago

Not quite yet. Although I don’t hold out much hope.
"Yes, NEPA is still in effect. However, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has rescinded its implementing regulations. This means individual federal agencies will now be responsible for their own implementation procedures.

tanujdeora.bsky.social•6 days ago

Whoa - All the clean (and non-clean) energy firms were lining up behind permitting reform, which was Abundance-pilling for sure.

They complaining about local issues all the time.

As folks who have successfully permitted hundreds of billions of $&& of projects.

What am I misunderstanding here?

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

Let’s talk, I’m not gonna try to overcome what has become group-think on social media.

dustinmulvaney.bsky.social•6 days ago

If I had to guess, based on your reaction here, you spend a lot of time talking to industries and industry associations, and close to literally no one else like from environmental / indigenous rights groups or things like that.

tanujdeora.bsky.social•6 days ago

I do spend more time with industry (and am more a product of that myself) but close to “literally no else” is untrue and unfair.

And I do value regulation! I was at CEQ for two years. But also understand that it is need of streamlining.

tanujdeora.bsky.social•6 days ago

I’m not looking to support any specific bill - especially one I’m not familiar with - but rather would love to better understand how ro streamline permitting effectively and efficiently - organize and inform difficult trade off decisions, a few of which I was involved in myself. Let’s chat offline!

kevinleecaster.bsky.social•6 days ago

Your statement about the energy firms being gung-ho for permitting reform is not surprising, but that wasn't happening with hardly anyone other than the few who stood to enrich themselves by gutting environmental protections.

nevindurish.bsky.social•6 days ago

It always floors people when I tell them how many GWs(and counting) of renewable energy products get built with zero NEPA involvement. Are reforms needed? Yeah, probably. But it’s not the impediment to development that so many people think it is.

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