Green Building Law Update

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Archives: Climate Change

President Trump’s Bold Step to Rein in State Overreach in Climate Change

On April 8, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued a powerful and consequential Executive Order with the innocuous sounding title, “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach.” The impact of that Executive Order will be far broader than the title belies when it targets “burdensome and ideologically motivated ‘climate change’ or energy policies” .. of several … Continue Reading

NYC Building Electrification Ruling is Interesting But Not a Game Changer

By Stuart Kaplow on March 30, 2025 Posted in City, Climate Change, Codes and Regulations

It’s a brainy, nuanced take that will keep law professors buzzing.… Continue Reading

The Most Consequential Day of Environmental Deregulation in American History

By Stuart Kaplow on March 16, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Federal

The EPA’s core mission of safeguarding human health and the environment remains… Continue Reading

States Challenge Validity of New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act

By Stuart Kaplow on March 9, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, GHG

The recent enactment of the Climate Change Superfund Act in New York has set the stage for a significant legal battle over the scope of state authority to impose financial responsibility for purported climate related damages. The outcome of this litigation could have far reaching effects, influencing not only New York but the entire energy … Continue Reading

House Votes to Protect the Gas Water Heater in Your House

By Stuart Kaplow on March 2, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Federal

In this instance, the federal government was not coming for your gas stove, but it certainly was coming for your non-condensing natural gas powered hot water heater.… Continue Reading

EPA Moves to Overturn California’s Motor Vehicle Emission Standards

By Stuart Kaplow on February 23, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations

When Congress overturns these vehicle emission waivers the impact will be far greater than only motor vehicles sold in the future in California and even in the 11 other states that have coopted these regulations.… Continue Reading

SEC Climate Disclosure Rule: A Dramatic Reversal Under Trump

By Stuart Kaplow on February 16, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Federal

.. is deeply flawed and could inflict significant harm on the capital markets and our economy.… Continue Reading

Reverse Greenwashing: The Battle Over ExxonMobil’s Recycling

By Stuart Kaplow on February 2, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Green Washing, greenwashing

Reverse Greenwashing… Continue Reading

Anatomy of an Executive Order: Stopping the Wind

By Stuart Kaplow on January 26, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, Paris Accord, wind turbine

Candidate Trump said at a rally in New Jersey last May that he intended to sign an Executive Order on day one that would halt “horrible” offshore windmill projects. … Continue Reading

Maryland Governor Proposes to Ration Electricity

By Stuart Kaplow on January 19, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Energy, GHG, greenhouse gas

The hearing on HB 49 in the House is on February 12 at 1:00 pm and the cross filed SB 256 in the Senate on February 13 at 1:00 pm. In an unprecedented move, the Governor of Maryland has proposed legislation that would make Maryland the first state in the U.S. to ration energy use … Continue Reading

Citizens and Businesses Join Suing Maryland to Halt BEPS

By Stuart Kaplow on January 13, 2025 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, GHG, greenhouse gas

The Maryland BEPS regulations are preempted by federal law because they concern the energy use of appliances covered by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act and are therefore void and unenforceable.… Continue Reading

Top 10 (or 12!) List of Environmental Blog Posts

By Stuart Kaplow on December 29, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, LEED

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the environmental matters that dominated the year, those that captured attention, sparked debate, and influenced the trajectory of environmental policy and innovation. In the spirit of David Letterman’s iconic countdowns, we present a Top 10 List (with a bonus two for good measure!) of … Continue Reading

Heat Pump Shipments Are Declining Precipitously

By Stuart Kaplow on December 15, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental

It is all but certain that heat pump shipments will see a further decline in 2025.… Continue Reading

Maryland’s War on Fossil Fuel Appliances: Criminalizing Plumbers?

By Stuart Kaplow on November 24, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Energy, GHG, greenhouse gas

In the name of combating climate change, the Maryland government is driving policies to create an artificial energy scarcity that will require billions of dollars in new expense.… Continue Reading

Gas Stoves Saved: Washington Voters Reject All Electric Building Mandates

By Stuart Kaplow on November 10, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, GHG, State

While many Americans were focused on the presidential election last Tuesday, citizens from Washington State and others interested in energy were paying attention to a successful Washington voter initiative protecting access to natural gas for homes and businesses, including preventing regulatory actions to limit access to gas in favor of all electric buildings. On November … Continue Reading

Greenstalling Isn’t Real: Understanding Business Realities in Climate Action

By Stuart Kaplow on September 29, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, greenwashing

What’s clear is that “greenstalling” isn’t real. … Continue Reading

Eyeglasses versus Emissions: Are We Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture?

By Stuart Kaplow on September 22, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas

After all, the goal of climate change mitigation should not blind those who already face a vision crisis, it should illuminate a way forward that supports both the environment and human progress.… Continue Reading

Maryland 2024 BEPS Regulations: A Critical Analysis of Legal and Economic Risks

By Stuart Kaplow on September 8, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

We are available to assist Maryland businesses in navigating these regulatory challenges, including providing turnkey services for GHG tracking and compliance.… Continue Reading

Delay in Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting in California has Implications for All of Us

By Stuart Kaplow on September 1, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

SB 219 marks a significant moment in the evolution of climate disclosure laws… Continue Reading

The Paradox of Banning Electric Vehicles in Older Garages: Legislative Intent vs. Structural Reality

By Stuart Kaplow on August 4, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental

Residential condominium boards are increasingly restricting or outright prohibiting the use of such EV charging equipment within older garages… Continue Reading

With ‘new’ proposed Maryland BEPS regulations what does a Building Owner do now?

By Stuart Kaplow on July 28, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

After this was posted, on January 13, 2025 citizen groups and business associations jointly filed suit in the U.S. District Court against the Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment challenging the Maryland BEPS program as preempted by Federal statute and unenforceable as a matter of law. Read more here. After this blog was … Continue Reading

Reduce Methane Emissions with Kitchen Garbage Disposals

By Stuart Kaplow on July 21, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, greenhouse gas

By embracing in sink garbage disposals and complementing them with waste reduction and composting efforts, we can all play a part in slowing climate change and creating a more sustainable future.… Continue Reading

Court Dismisses Baltimore’s Climate Claims: Implications for Future Litigation

By Stuart Kaplow on July 14, 2024 Posted in City, Climate Change

This case is pathbreaking because it is the first time a state court has dismissed one of these several similar climate claim suits brought by states and local governments across the country. … Continue Reading

Maryland Governor Executive Order Mandates Climate Action

By Stuart Kaplow on June 23, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

The executive order mandates comprehensive economy wide actions in both the public and private sectors, to place Maryland ahead of all other states in mitigating climate change… Continue Reading