California stands at a clean energy crossroads. To achieve 100 percent clean electricity by 2045 — as required by law — the state will of course need more wind, solar, and battery storage, but that’s not all. Next-generation geothermal energy is a compelling, 24/7/365, clean energy source that can support the electrical grid around the … Read more
In 2022 and 2024, Governor Newsom called two special sessions of the California legislature to address refinery closures, gasoline supply, and gas prices. In both special sessions, legislation was enacted to help navigate the transition to zero-emission transportation. In these special sessions, Governor Newsom championed solutions to address the transition away from fossil fuels. Unfortunately, … Read more
California is in what experts are calling a mid-transition away from fossil fuels, meaning neither the declining fossil fuel-based energy system nor the emerging clean energy economy are entirely stable or self-sustaining. To help navigate the transition to zero-emission transportation, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California Energy Commission (CEC) were tasked with producing … Read more
SACRAMENTO — California’s carbon trading programs funneled $27.8 billion to oil companies and biofuel suppliers from 2013 to 2024, according to a new report from The Climate Center released today. The report, Clearing the Zero-Emission Path: A Review of Financial Transfers to Polluting Fuels via California Carbon Trading Programs, finds the combined value of free … Read more
This report reveals how California’s carbon trading programs funneled $27.8 billion to oil companies and biofuel suppliers from 2013 to 2024. Both the Cap and Trade program and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard have the stated purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping California meet its statutory climate goals. In reality, our analysis shows … Read more
Between 2013 and 2024, California distributed nearly $28 billion to the oil industry and biofuel companies from two state climate programs: the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the Cap and Invest program. That is the research finding that was presented in this webinar by the authors of a new report by The Climate Center: Clearing … Read more
On August 20, 2025, the Assembly Utilities and Energy, Natural Resources, and Transportation Committees held a joint hearing on how to further an equitable transition from fossil fuels to clean transportation fuels. The following testimony was given to the committees by Allison Hilliard, Legislative Manager for The Climate Center: We need bold, equitable action to … Read more
You may not have heard much about geothermal energy before, but chances are you’re going to be hearing a lot about it over the next few years. Geothermal power plants convert heat from the Earth into electricity, generating about one-tenth of the carbon emissions of a fossil gas plant. Geothermal energy is clean, reliable around … Read more
Geothermal power plants use heat from the Earth to generate electricity. Conventional geothermal has been around for about 120 years and produces about one-tenth of the carbon dioxide emissions that a gas power plant produces. Geothermal plants can operate around the clock and this resource will last for billions of years. However, until recently, geothermal … Read more
As California continues to clean up air and climate pollution, oil refineries will inevitably close. With wind and solar already more economically competitive than fossil fuels, the transition to a clean energy economy is already underway; it’s just a question of how we get there. Will it be a smooth or bumpy road? The abrupt, … Read more
