As I step into my new role leading The Climate Center, I’ve been thinking about how different the conversation is today from when I began my career in climate. I remember when some of the policies we now take for granted felt like enormous uphill battles. And yet, we put them in place. In 2006, … Read more
SACRAMENTO, September 30, 2026 — Today, Governor Newsom signed SB 913, the Clean Local Power Act, into law. Authored by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), this bill ensures that the millions of California homes and businesses that already have smart technologies can help make electricity more affordable for everyone. The Climate Center CEO Kat Lockwood … Read more
Bidirectional electric school buses (ESBs) have enormous untapped potential to improve student health, enable community energy resilience during power outages, and build a more reliable grid through vehicle-grid integration. To realize these multiple benefits, California must enact policy to prioritize ESBs to enhance electricity affordability, resilience, and reliability. While the primary purpose of ESBs is … Read more
The 2026 California legislative session came to a close on August 31. During this webinar, climate advocates and Sacramento insiders will join us to explore which proposed climate policies did (and didn’t) become law and why. We will discuss the future impact of bills signed into law — including SB 913, SB 905, and SB … Read more
The 2026 California legislative session came to a close on August 31, and the legislation passed by our representatives is now awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature. As a reminder, The Climate Center crafts, sponsors, and supports bold, ambitious climate legislation in three areas: phasing out polluting fuels, building community energy resilience, and drawing carbon out of … Read more
This event is by invite only. California has led the nation in electric school bus adoption, now home to nearly one-quarter of all electric school buses nationwide. However, without a unified strategy, California could miss opportunities to leverage these buses as grid resources to enhance the affordability, resilience, and reliability of the state’s electrical grid. … Read more
This web meeting summarized key findings from The Climate Center’s new white paper, “Resilient Communities, Resilient Grid: How Electric School Buses Can Help,” released in September. Attendees learned how bidirectional electric school buses can make communities more resilient to climate disasters through vehicle-grid integration, and heard from leaders developing bidirectional electric school bus resilience projects. … Read more
California has a wildfire problem. We also have an accountability problem. Chances are you’ve seen the ads by “Wildfire Victims First” on your television recently. Despite its name, this utility-funded political front group is part of a campaign to overhaul the state’s wildfire liability system, which is also a priority for Governor Newsom. The reality is that … Read more
On June 24, 2026, the California Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee voted to advance SB 913 (Becker), the Clean Local Power Act. SB 913 ensures that the millions of California homes and businesses that already have smart technologies can help make energy more affordable for everyone. The following testimony was given to the committee by … Read more
Electricity bills are rising and energy demand is growing in California. We’re facing an affordability crisis where families across the state are struggling to pay their bills while investor-owned utilities continue to rake in record-setting profits. Three bills before the California legislature right now can help. SB 913 (Becker), the Clean Local Power Act, will … Read more
