Leah Silverthorn
Leah B. Silverthorn joined the CalChamber policy team in May 2018 as a policy advocate. She specializes in climate change, air quality, energy, environmental justice, marijuana/cannabis, and transportation and infrastructure issues. In April 2021, she was named a senior policy advocate in recognition of her efforts on behalf of members. She brought to the CalChamber more than decade of legal experience in environmental, energy, and land use matters. Immediately before coming to the CalChamber, she was the principal owner of Silverthorn Legal, based in Seattle, Washington. She focused on environmental litigation, contaminated property redevelopment, and environmental cost recovery and defense. She is an honors graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, with a B.S. in public affairs and environmental management. She earned her J.D., with honors, at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, where she was articles editor for the Indiana International and Comparative Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. See full bio.
SEC Poised to Issue Draft Framework for Climate Reporting, Potentially Displacing California Bill
Shortly after the introduction in California of SB 260 (Wiener), which would require California’s Air Resources Board to build a new framework for the...
State Gains Funds from Federal Infrastructure Bill
The federal infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden this week will provide much-needed funding to help California improve its roads, bridges and ports.
Much...
CalChamber Offers Practical Steps to Address Supply Chain Crisis
In a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and members of the California Legislature, the California Chamber of Commerce offered a series of practical steps...
CARB Releases Draft Advanced Clean Fleets Language-Public Comment by September 27
If you are a medium to large company, have over fifty trucks, or transport a lot of goods in California, zero emission vehicle (ZEV)...
CalChamber Halts Limit on Climate Technology Innovation
Legislation that would have limited technological development and hurt the state’s ability to meet its carbon neutrality goals failed to move out of Senate...
CalChamber Seeks Defeat of Proposal Limiting Technological Development
The California Chamber of Commerce is urging senators to oppose legislation that proposes to limit the technology needed to reach the state’s carbon neutrality...
CalChamber Companies Take Action to Maintain Grid Reliability; Governor Announces Compensation for Demand Reduction
When called on to take immediate emergency action to conserve energy by Governor Newsom, CalChamber members responded, helping to avert rolling blackouts and keep...
Now is Your Chance to Weigh in on How California Will Achieve Carbon Neutrality
Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) kicked off its every-five-years Scoping Plan process with a series of virtual workshops. CARB spent several...
Is Your Company Prepared for California Supply Chain Carbon Emission and Climate Financial Risk...
This year, the California Legislature is considering two major new climate policies. The first would alter the way companies collect, audit, disclose, and set...
CalChamber Supports Infrastructure Investments for Zero and Low Emission Vehicles; Implores Legislature to Ensure...
Yesterday, the California Chamber of Commerce issued its recommendation that the California Legislature re-authorize the Clean Transportation Program and ensure a level playing field...
ARB Moves Forward with Electric Vehicle Fleet Purchase Requirements for Businesses
Last week, ARB (Air Resources Board) held a series of online workshops to preview its “Advanced Clean Fleets” rulemaking, the corollary to the Advanced...
Cap-and-Trade Continues to Achieve Early Carbon Emissions Reductions While Generating Revenues for Climate and...
As expected, auction results from California’s market-based cap-and-trade program have stabilized, allowing the state to propose an expenditure plan consistent with past years’ levels....
Buckle Up Folks: It’s Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride – California Legislature 2021 Tentative...
It’s off to the races as last week the California Legislature released its 2021 Tentative Schedule. In some respects, it’s business as usual. The...
Governor Newsom Issues Order Setting Goal of Phasing Out Combustion Engine Vehicles by 2035
Consistent with climate announcements across the country this week, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-79-20 related to issues surrounding vehicular transportation emissions and...
CalChamber Companies Lead on Climate Innovation
Reading the news these days, it is easy to get lost in the rhetoric of climate change. But in California, we’ve long moved past...
Governor Declares Heat Wave Emergency; Waives Permit Conditions that Limit Energy Generation
For the first time in twenty years, California experienced rolling blackouts at over 400,000 homes and businesses as energy demand outpaced our ability to...
Twenty Minutes at Two: A Capitol Experiment
Remember back in December, when I wrote that life in the capitol was stressful and recommended meditation as a tool? Never could I have...
Legislature Should Reject Changes to Cap and Trade that Would Increase Price Without Emissions...
The Legislature is considering today a substantial and harmful change to the cap-and-trade market a mere 18 months after the Air Resources Board completed...
Over 100 Environmental Groups, CalEPA, and Industry Ask Agencies to Postpone or Substantially Extend...
A collection of industry and environmental organizations are urging federal and California agencies to extend or postpone public comment deadlines on a variety of...
Environmental, Industry Groups Call for Suspending Public Comment Deadlines on Pending Regulations
A collection of industry and environmental organizations are urging federal and California agencies to extend or suspend public comment deadlines on a variety of...