The Transportation Fuels Transition Plan: Moving California Beyond Fossil Fuels

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 a Transportation Fuels Transition Plan in 2023. 

The first draft of this Transportation Fuels Transition Plan was published on May 1, 2026. It rightly prioritizes stabilizing fuel supply, fenceline community health, and workforce safety. However, it’s more a set of recommendations than a plan. In his final months in office, it’s critical that Governor Newsom lead CARB and the CEC in planning for a specific, actionable, and holistic plan to leave fossil fuels behind in favor of clean energy. 

In this webinar, state officials, climate experts, and labor organizers unpacked the draft Transportation Fuels Transition Plan and shared recommendations for how to improve it before Newsom leaves office. Discussion covered strategies to reduce fossil fuel demand, how to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, implications for the Cap and Invest and Low Carbon Fuel Standard programs, and how to support workers in the transition. After presentations, there was time for Q&A.

Presentations and Resources

Additional Reading

Speakers

Jeremy Martin

Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists

As a Senior Scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Transportation Program, Jeremy Martin evaluates the impact of biofuels and fuel policy. Dr. Martin is the author of more than 15 technical publications and 13 patents on topics ranging from biofuels lifecycle accounting to semiconductor manufacturing and polymer physics. His recent report for UCS, Fueling a Clean Transportation Future: Smart fuel choices for a warming world describes how transportation fuels are changing, and what can be done to reduce emissions from their production.

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Nick Plurkowski

President, United Steelworkers Local 5

Nick Plurkowski is president of United Steelworkers Local 5, representing workers at three Bay Area refineries.

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Kerry Guerin

Richmond Staff Attorney, CBE

Kerry Guerin (she/her) is the Richmond Staff Attorney at Communities for a Better Environment. CBE works in four communities in California and combines community organizing, science and policy research, and legal advocacy to advance its resident members’ vision for environmental justice.

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Quentin Gee

Manager in the Energy Assessments Division of the California Energy Commission

Quentin Gee is a manager in the Energy Assessments Division of the California Energy Commission. He oversees forecasting of new electrification technologies (transportation, building electrification, and energy efficiency). Incorporating California’s leading climate policies, these forecasts are critical inputs into electricity system planning processes, including resource procurement, transmission, and distribution.

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Woody Hastings (Moderator)

Phase Out Polluting Fuels Program Director

Woody Hastings is an energy and environmental policy analyst, strategic planner, and community organizer with over thirty years of experience in the non-profit, governmental, and private sectors.  Woody has been with The Climate Center since 2010 when he was hired to help lead the formation of what became California’s second Community Choice Agency (CCA), Sonoma Clean Power (SCP). After the launch of SCP Woody worked to expand CCA in other parts of California.

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