Title

Transportation, Clean Air, and Climate Policy—A Legislative Perspective?

Time

1:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Location

1605 Tilia, Room 1103, West Village

Abstract

• Short legislative history of the key interactions among transportation, clean air , and climate policy
• Review of the key programs and governance structures that oversee present day policies in this arena
• Thoughts, prognostications, and recommendations for the new governor and legislature on where we go from today on these issues

Biographical Sketch

Kip Lipper is chief policy advisor on energy, natural resources, and the environment to California State Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles).

Lipper has worked in the California Legislature for over 38 years.   He began his career in the mid-1970s as a field representative and later administrative assistant for then-Assembly Member Dennis Mangers (D-Huntington Beach) where he worked on the preservation of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.

From 1980-2004, he was administrative assistant later chief of staff for Assembly Member and Senator Byron Sher (D-Stanford).  During that same time period, Lipper also served as senior consultant to the Assembly Criminal Law Committee, chief consultant to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, and staff director to the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality.

Lipper has drafted and analyzed legislation on a broad array of environmental matters, including the California Clean Air Act, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, the California Beverage Container Recycling Act, and the California Integrated Waste Management Act, CEQA, and the Natural Communities Conservation Act.

 

He drafted and analyzed legislation on energy policy such as the state’s landmark 20%, 33%, and now 50% Renewable Portfolio Standard, energy conservation, electric vehicles, public interest energy research, and energy-agency reorganization and reforms.

He has worked on budget issues affecting energy, environmental, and resources agencies of CA state government.

Lipper was the lead Senate staffer on the drafting of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, as well as on companion landmark legislation establishing the nation’s first greenhouse gas emission performance standard for energy generation (SB 1368–Perata).  He has been deeply involved in the implementation of GHG laws passed and enacted by the CA Legislature.

Lipper helped draft and negotiate the 2009 historic Comprehensive Water Package, the nation’s first “Green Career Technical Education Program”, and CEQA reforms during the past decade.

In his first year as staffer for Senator De Leon, Lipper was lead staffer on SB 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015.  He also staffed SB 185, the first of its kind bill in the country to require the state’s two largest public pension funds to divest of their coal holdings.    He also staffed Senator De Leon on cap and trade issues, LA River issues, and on DTSC reforms.

Lipper has published papers on a range of environmental laws and policies, and has been a guest lecturer on environmental and energy legislation at the Stanford University Law School, Boalt Hall (UC Berkeley) Law School, King Hall (UC Davis) Law School, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), UCSD, Cal State Long Beach, and at CA State University Sacramento.

He was a member of the the Cal State Long Beach School of Engineering Distinguished Lecturer Series (2010), and a Guest Lecturer at the University of Southern California Environmental Law Program (2010).

Lipper was keynote speaker at the 2015 UC Davis King Hall Law School Environmental Law Society.

Lipper has received the following awards and commendations for his work on the environmental law and policy:

• CA League of Conservation Voters 2001 “Environmental Hero Award”
• American Lung Association 2006 “Clean Air Award”
• Coalition for Clean Air 2006 “Clean Air Leadership Award,”
• Special Achievement Award-CA Council for Land Trusts
• Special Recognition Award–Natural Resources Defense Council
• TURN Consumer Champion Award 2013
• Clean Power Champion Award—Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Tech