News & Highlights

In One Week, Trump Moves to Reshape U.S. Environmental Policy

“It’s really hard for the public to keep track of this news, but it’s really important that they do,” Mr. Mergen said. “We’re going to lose species and their habitats in a death-by-a-thousand-cuts way, but there are things that can be done to right the ship and help these species recover.”

CleanLaw — Behind the Curtain of the Clean Utility Transition

How do you drive clean energy adoption in investor-owned utilities?

Electricity Law Initiative Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief on Behalf of 11 Former FERC Commissioners

The brief seeks to preserve Congress’s authority to create and maintain bipartisan ratemaking commissions.

Voice of DOJ experience makes case for ‘deference doctrine’

Andrew Mergen sees urgent need to protect presumption of regularity.

CleanLaw — How Maine Became a Heat Pump Leader

How the state surpassed its clean energy goals ahead of schedule by focusing on affordability, simplicity, and strong local partnerships.

Now Hiring: Managing Attorney to Advance Equitable Climate and Environmental Policy

Lead legal and policy research at the Environmental & Energy Law Program on climate change, equitable disaster preparedness and response, and durable legal frameworks that drive meaningful engagement and produce more just outcomes for impacted communities.

EPA Proposes to End Greenhouse Gas Reporting

A summary of EPA's proposal to eliminate the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and a look at the potential impacts to federal, state, and industry efforts.

Harvard Law experts weigh in on climate law ‘retrenchment’ 

Attacks on statutes and regulations are unprecedented, panelists say during Harvard Climate Action Week.

How data centers may lead to higher electricity bills

In an interview with Harvard Law Today, Ari Peskoe explains the ways in which data centers sometimes obscure their effect on utility prices, and why state regulators may need to radically rethink their approach to rate-setting if they want to avoid higher energy costs for residents.

CleanLaw — What Science and the Law Say About EPA’s Authority to Regulate GHGs

Jody Freeman, Richard Lazarus, and Stanford’s Solomon Hsiang discuss EPA’s proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas regulations and the flawed science the proposal relies on.

EPA’s Proposal to Eliminate the Endangerment Finding and Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Analysis of EPA's proposal and assessment of its legal risks and gaps.

CleanLaw — Trump’s Move to Kill the Clean Air Act’s Climate Authority, Forever

In this joint Shift Key/CleanLaw episode, Jody, Rob, and Jesse discuss EPA's proposed roll back of the endangerment finding.

Trump’s EPA proposes to end the U.S. fight against climate change

President Trump has been trying to eliminate climate regulations since his first day back in office when he signed an executive order declaring the primacy of fossil fuels, writes Jody Freeman in the Los Angeles Times. The proposal to rescind the Endangerment Finding isn’t just another regulatory rollback. It’s an assault on the foundation of all federal climate policy.

Written Testimony of Andrew C. Mergen Before the Committee on Natural Resources

From the July 22, 2025, hearing on “Permitting Purgatory: Restoring Common Sense to NEPA Reviews.”

CleanLaw — Breaking Down Recent Changes to NEPA from Agencies, Congress, and the Courts

Hannah Perls talks to Andrew Mergen about the history of NEPA, how it has changed over time, and what the Trump administration is doing to upend decades of settled practice.

EPA Proposes to Eliminate Power Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations

We look at the inconsistent arguments within the proposal and discuss the potential legal risks if EPA were to finalize a rule consistent with the proposal.

Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepayers Are Paying for Big Tech’s Power

Research from the Harvard Electricity Law Initiative uncovers how utilities are forcing ratepayers to fund discounted rates for data centers.

Lone Wolf No More

Five decades in, the Endangered Species Act remains one of the country’s most muscular environmental laws — and, despite its popularity, a continued target.

‘A gamechanger’

Jody Freeman, Richard Lazarus, Andrew Mergen, and Carrie Jenks discuss the impact alumnus Dan Emmett’s $15 million gift to establish the Emmett Environmental Law Center will have for students, faculty, staff, and environmental law practitioners nationwide.

Harvard Law School receives $15 million to launch Emmett Environmental Law Center