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Testimony: Making electricity more affordable and reliable using EVs

Person charging EV

On July 1, 2024, SB 59 passed out of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee by a vote of 12-3. Introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner and sponsored by The Climate Center, SB 59 aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to shore up the electric grid, power homes during outages, and … Read more

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What do EVs have to do with wildfires?

For more than two weeks in June, fire crews battled more than 20 fires across California, including the 15,000-acre Post fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Experts are warning Californians to brace for a very active wildfire season. A wet winter that produced more vegetation than usual and record-breaking early heatwaves are already fueling … Read more

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How California is preparing for more heat waves

Vue Her on his farm in Singer, California, outside of Fresno. Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Californians face growing risks from extreme heat thanks to the climate crisis.  Worldwide, we’ve experienced record-breaking temperatures for 12 consecutive months — a trend that comes with grave consequences. In June of 2021, a heat wave killed nearly 900 people in the Pacific Northwest. In the summer of 2022, more than 60,000 people died in … Read more

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California announces first-of-their-kind nature-based climate targets

California recently announced ambitious, nation-leading targets for nature-based climate solutions. These new targets were established per AB 1757, signed into law in 2022 thanks to The Climate Center’s collaborative leadership and all of you who took action in support! Over the next 20 years, the state will work to transform more than half of its … Read more

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Testimony: Invest now or California’s climate goals will be out of reach

The Fairview Fire killed two people and burned 28,000 acres near Riverside County in 2022. Photo via CALFIRE.

On April 24, 2024, the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee on the Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation met to hear from experts and the public on the proposed 2024-2025 state budget. Facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, Governor Newsom has proposed billions in potential cuts to climate and energy investments. If approved by the legislature, the … Read more

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Testimony: Invest in clean air to protect public health

Engineers with wind turbines

On April 8, 2024, the California Assembly Committee on Budget met to hear from experts and the public on the proposed 2024-2025 state budget. Facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, Governor Newsom has proposed billions in potential cuts to climate and energy investments. If approved by the legislature, the cuts could have disastrous consequences for communities … Read more

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California pensions must divest from fossil fuels

Against the backdrop of an oil and gas production surge across the United States and alarming warming trends across the globe, a California bill introduced last year is gaining traction to slow fossil fuel expansion. SB 252 (Gonzalez), the California Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, would require the two largest public pension funds in the United … Read more

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Millions of dollars available for community energy resilience projects in California

Climate-fueled extreme weather events, including extreme heat and atmospheric rivers, are causing more and more power outages across California. State leaders must invest in clean, resilient energy solutions, starting in frontline communities.  Despite proposed cuts to the state’s climate budget, millions of dollars are already allocated to fund resilience initiatives across California, including community resilience … Read more

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As the world burns, California leaders gathered to advance climate action

As ocean heating continues to reach record levels, global temperature records were smashed for the ninth straight month and we exceeded the dangerous threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming 12 months in a row for the first time. Scientists expressed alarm that these changes signal Earth’s life-sustaining systems may be on the brink of irreversible … Read more