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Upcoming community energy resilience funding opportunities

The Community Energy Resilience team at The Climate Center is supporting community-based organizations (CBOs) applying for funds to strengthen their community’s resilience to blackouts and extreme weather. In 2023, both California and the federal government released many funding opportunities to help advance community resilience, including those outlined in my September 2023 blog. In 2024, we … Read more

Categories Community Energy Resilience
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Batteries are booming

Person charging EV

Batteries that store clean energy to power both buildings and vehicles are rapidly changing the energy landscape. In the first half of 2023, 68 gas-fired power plant projects were put on hold or canceled because they are simply no longer needed —  giant batteries that store solar and wind energy are now cheaper to build … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Transportation
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Climate, equity, and gas prices in California

Gas prices have been surging over the past two months across California, with average prices of about $1.20 more per gallon than the rest of the country. About $0.35 of that cannot be explained by taxes or other fees — but it could be explained by market manipulation. Just five corporations control over 90 percent … Read more

Categories Fossil Fuels
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Resources for communities seeking energy resilience

Picture this: a trusted space in your neighborhood with a community garden, access to childcare, air conditioning, and power that is not interrupted when a disaster strikes. As disasters become more frequent and severe due to climate change, neighborhoods need new tools to build their resilience, especially low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods most impacted by climate … Read more

Categories Community Energy Resilience
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For the first time, United Nations report calls for phasing out fossil fuels

People's Climate March in New York City. Photo by @5byseven.

On September 8, 2023, the United Nations released its first “stocktake” report on progress toward the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Those goals are to stay below 2 degrees Celsius of warming and strive to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels.  The report states: “The first [stocktake] is taking … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
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Memo from The Climate Center to Governor Newsom: ‘You can lead’

California Flag

On July 31, 2023, The Climate Center CEO Ellie Cohen sent a memo to Governor Gavin Newsom encouraging him to pursue accelerated, equitable climate action. The memo outlines seven high-priority policy actions the governor can take right now to reduce pollution, create new jobs, and save lives. The following is an excerpt from the memo … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Clean Energy Climate Justice Community Energy Resilience Fossil Fuels Transportation
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Testimony: Moving past fossil fuels for energy resilience

Electric vehicle (EV) charging. Photo by Canva.

On July 12, 2023, SB 233, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and sponsored by The Climate Center, Nuvve, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, advanced out of the Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee by a vote of ten to four. The bill aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to power … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Fossil Fuels Transportation
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Testimony: How to avoid power outages using EV batteries

On July 5, 2023, SB 233, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and sponsored by The Climate Center, Nuvve, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, advanced out of the Assembly Transportation Committee by a vote of nine to four. The bill aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to power homes during … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Transportation
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From Proposition 187 to Climate Activism: How Republican Governor Pete Wilson Sparked My Political Awakening

In the movie Machete, Jessica Alba’s character Sartana Rivera says the line, “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.” Though this movie was released in 2010, it was a phrase I heard often growing up, as politics was a part of the conversation at the kitchen table, given my family’s long history of … Read more

Categories Climate Justice
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Testimony: Resilient, reliable, and clean energy using EV batteries

On April 25, 2023, SB 233, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and sponsored by The Climate Center, advanced out of the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to power homes during outages, lower energy bills for Californians, and make the whole electricity grid more reliable. … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Transportation