The Supreme Court is set to hear two cases, Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Commerce, potentially erasing a tool for federal agencies to defend their environmental regulations against legal attack. This move aligns with conservative lawyers’ goal of weakening executive agencies and shifting power to Congress and the states. The Chevron doctrine, a legal theory established in a 1984 Supreme Court case, allows agencies like EPA to interpret ambiguous statutes like the Clean Air Act. While the court has shifted away from this doctrine in recent years, lower courts still use Chevron to uphold federal rules. Other cases include a case by California landowner George Sheetz against a traffic impact fee imposed by his county, which could limit public officials’ power to mitigate environmental impacts and fund infrastructure upgrades.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
