Live from the AEP State Conference: The Abundance Agenda: What Part Does CEQA Really Play, ft. Corinne Lytle Bonine, Mindy Fogg & Matt Klopfenstein

What part does CEQA really play in why we can't have nice things?

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson makes the case that systemic barriers, not lack of resources or will, prevent progress on ambitious projects. Environmental regulations, including CEQA and NEPA, are part of that conversation.

In this live panel recording from the 2026 AEP Conference, we are joined by environmental professionals with experience across government, lobbying, development, and consulting to ask what the Abundance Agenda actually means for California's environmental review process.

The conversation covers how much of project delay is really attributable to CEQA or whether California's reforms are meaningful progress or a way of avoiding harder structural questions. Other topics include what BACA (Building an Affordable California Act) could change, and which parts of CEQA, like the fair argument standard, deserve a closer look.

This session was recorded live with audience participation that includes real-time reactions, honest disagreement, and perspectives from across the profession.