While the new presidential administration is trying to dismantle much of the nation’s clean energy progress, the world is still investing twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels. The European Union is using less coal and natural gas and China had a record surge in clean energy projects in 2024, with almost ten times the United States’s solar and wind capacity under construction as of last June.
Even across the United States, all hope is not lost for clean energy. On his way out, President Biden ensured that 84 percent of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) clean energy funds would be safe from attempts to claw them back. Congressional Democrats are vowing to fight back against illegal defunding threats. And many Republican Congressmembers want to keep IRA clean energy funding because 85 percent of those investments have gone to their districts.
The bipartisan U.S. Climate Alliance of 24 state governors recently reiterated its commitment to climate action regardless of what happens in DC. California helped found the Alliance and has since made clean energy and climate progress. Last year, for example, California met 100 percent of the state’s electricity demand for up to 10 hours on 98 days, a record.
But California can and must do much more, much faster with a few key policies.
State lawmakers can eliminate fossil fuel subsidies that give polluting industries special treatment. They can also make polluters pay for the damage their products cause to reflect the true costs of climate pollution. These actions will level the playing field for clean energy and can be paired with policies that further leverage clean energy’s benefits. For example, policymakers should incentivize the adoption of bidirectional electric vehicles, clean energy microgrids, and rooftop solar projects with battery storage to make electricity more affordable for all Californians. Such incentives will also help build the energy resilience Californians need in the face of extreme weather.
This blog first appeared in The Climate Center’s bi-weekly newsletter. To keep up with the latest climate news and ways to take action for a climate-safe future, subscribe today!
