This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy | |
|---|---|
| Name | California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy |
| Abbreviation | CFEE |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Sacramento, California |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Environmental policy research |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Undisclosed |
California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy is a California-based nonprofit organization engaged in public policy research and advocacy related to energy, air quality, water, and land-use matters. Founded in the late 1990s, the organization has participated in regulatory proceedings before the California Air Resources Board, litigation in the California Supreme Court, and commentary within California policy debates involving the Legislature of California and the Governor of California. CFEE's outputs have been cited by stakeholders including utilities, trade associations, and environmental advocacy groups in California and federal forums such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Congress.
The organization was established in 1998 amid statewide debates following initiatives like the California Electricity Crisis and regulatory shifts driven by the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. Early activities intersected with high-profile entities including the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council. CFEE filed briefs and submitted expert declarations in matters before courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and administrative bodies including the California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Its historical trajectory includes engagement with policy events like the implementation of California Assembly Bill 32 and responses to rulings from the United States Supreme Court on preemption and administrative law.
CFEE states objectives aligned with participation in proceedings overseen by the California Legislature, the Governor of California, and regulatory agencies like the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. Funding sources reported in filings and disclosures have included donations from corporations such as Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil, and utility interests including Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison, as well as grants from trade associations like the American Petroleum Institute and business coalitions connected to the California Chamber of Commerce. CFEE has also received support linked to national organizations including the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and policy networks associated with the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute. Financial relationships brought the group into policy networks that intersect with actors such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Defense Fund, and NRDC during rulemakings and legislative debates.
CFEE has produced filings and testimony opposing certain regulatory measures advanced by the California Air Resources Board, critiquing mandates under California Assembly Bill 32 and later California Senate Bill 350. The organization has advocated for alternatives supported by utility companies like Pacific Gas and Electric Company and by industry groups including the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. CFEE interventions have addressed standards promulgated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and resource-allocation decisions by the California Department of Water Resources. It has participated in administrative hearings involving the California Public Utilities Commission and project-level proceedings related to entities such as Bechtel Corporation and Chevron Corporation.
CFEE produces reports, comment letters, and expert declarations submitted to bodies including the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, and federal agencies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Its publications analyze regulatory cost impacts, compliance pathways, and technical assumptions in proceedings that also involve consulting firms such as Navigant Consulting and academic centers like the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford University programs focused on energy. CFEE work has been cited in filings by utilities including Southern California Edison and in briefs before courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Critics including environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Union of Concerned Scientists have challenged CFEE for accepting funding from fossil fuel interests and corporate donors connected to Chevron Corporation and ExxonMobil. Editorials in media outlets covering California policy—ranging from the Los Angeles Times to the San Francisco Chronicle—have scrutinized CFEE’s advocacy during debates over California Assembly Bill 32 implementation and energy-market reforms following the California Electricity Crisis. Opponents have argued that CFEE’s positions align with trade associations like the American Petroleum Institute and utility companies including Pacific Gas and Electric Company rather than with environmental justice organizations such as Communities for a Better Environment.
CFEE’s leadership and advisory networks have included former staff and consultants with ties to state institutions such as the California Public Utilities Commission and academic affiliations with the University of California, Davis and the Pepperdine University energy policy programs. The organization has collaborated or intersected with think tanks and policy groups including the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and regional actors like the Public Policy Institute of California. Its filings and advocacy have been linked to legal representation from law firms active before the California Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.