Enhancing Collaboration to Achieve Clean, Distributed Energy Policy Goals

2000 Franklin St. Oakland, CA 94612

Accelerated deployment of clean, distributed energy resources like rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles in California would help solve multiple challenges, including energy affordability, resilience, and equity. The purpose of this meeting is to collaboratively envision how aligned stakeholders — including environmental organizations, environmental justice advocates, and related industry allies — can collaborate more effectively … Read more

California’s Nature-based Climate Solutions: Building Healthy Soils and Sequestering Carbon

Press Conference 2, Area D, United Nations climate conference, COP30 in Belém, Brazil

During this press conference, which took place in Belém, Brazil at COP30, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Karen Ross joined The Climate Center’s Legislative Manager Allison Hilliard to discuss California’s Healthy Soils Program. Secretary Ross explained how the program is helping to shift California farmers’ practices to composting, cover crops, … Read more

Nature-based Solutions in the Carbon Dioxide Removal  Portfolio

CDR Pavilion, United Nations climate conference, COP30 in Belém, Brazil

This event — part of the annual United Nations climate change conference, COP30, in Belém, Brazil — will explore the benefits of nature-based solutions as a critical part of the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) portfolio. California has established nation-leading targets for scaling nature-based climate solutions, as defined in AB 1757 (C. Garcia and R. Rivas, … Read more

How the United States is Making Progress on Climate Action Despite the Trump Administration

Blue Zone, Press Conference 2 Area D, Climate Registry Pavilion, COP30 in Belém, Brazil

During this press conference, which took place in Belém, Brazil at COP30, the annual United Nations climate change conference —  we brought together a panel of state and agency leaders for a discussion about state-level climate action.  As the U.S. federal government takes a hostile position toward climate science and clean energy, states must step … Read more

Advancing Affordability Through  Electrification

Press Conference 2 Area D, COP30, Belém, Brazil

At this press conference at the United Nations climate conference — COP30 in Belém, Brazil — California State Senators Josh Becker and Henry Stern discussed SB 254, a California bill signed into law by Governor Newsom this year to address electricity affordability. The senators also shared the difficulties Californians are experiencing with rising electricity costs … Read more

Inside Sacramento: 2025 Climate Policy Recap

Zoom

The 2025 California legislative session ended on September 13. During this webinar, we heard from legislators, environmental justice leaders, and clean energy experts about several hot topics that emerged during this session — from the future of refineries and the state’s Cap and Invest program (formerly Cap and Trade), to scaling up nature-based solutions and … Read more

California Bidirectional Electric School Bus Policy Coalition Meeting

David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Suite 100, Berkeley, California 94704, Tamalpais Room 

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. This meeting opened with presentations on … Read more

Collaborating Across Sectors to Accelerate Electric School Bus Adoption for Reliable Energy

Zoom

Transitioning to electric school buses presents a unique opportunity to bring together diverse stakeholders for a common mission: securing clean air, health for our kids, living wage jobs, and a reliable and affordable electricity system.  In this webinar, we heard from leaders working across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors for mass adoption of bidirectional … Read more

Advanced Geothermal in California: Clean, Reliable Energy for All

Zoom

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

Planning for Refinery Closures That Benefit Workers, Communities, and the Environment

Zoom

California is a major petroleum refining state. However, two refineries — Phillips 66 in Wilmington and Valero in Benicia — have announced plans to close at the end of 2025 and early 2026, respectively. Together, these refineries produce about 17 percent of the state’s gasoline supply. If both refineries close as planned, the state could … Read more