State of Change

Polluters spend millions lobbying against climate laws in California As floods and wildfires mount in California, Big Oil has been lobbying hard against Superfund Act, which would make polluters pay for climate change damages

As floods and wildfires mount in California, Big Oil has been lobbying hard against Superfund Act, which would make polluters pay for climate change damages.

globalwitness.org/en/campaigns...

The distributed (or "virtual") power plant — i.e. a series of home solar batteries linked to the grid — helped reduce energy demand considerably during what are typically the peak hours.

Virtual Power Plants Showed Up for Their Biggest Test Yet. Here Are the Results - Inside Climate News The California grid got an evening boost from 535 megawatts of home-based batteries, giving a hint at what this decentralized resource can do.

This is pretty cool.
insideclimatenews.org/news/1408202...

A new wave of clean-energy innovation is building Donald Trump’s attacks on wind and solar will not stop it

A new wave of clean-energy innovation is building. Donald Trump’s attacks on wind and solar will not stop it.

Make your way around the busy warehouses of Torrance, near the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and you will find an unexpected sight.

www.economist.com/business/202...

Trump admin reopens $5B EV charging program after losses in court The Transportation Department says states can reapply for funding under the Biden-era program it had halted. Groups fighting the freeze in court decry the…

"Groups representing industries involved in EV charger deployments welcomed the decision, which could allow states to restart projects that have in some cases been paused for months due to orders from the federal government."
@jeffstjohn.bsky.social reports
www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-...

As heat-related deaths rise, LA County will soon require that landlords keep apartments cool In response to rising climate change-driven heat deaths, landlords will be required to maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82°F in unincorporated parts of L.A. County.

"In many buildings, cooling methods such as blackout curtains, reflective roofing and double pane windows may be enough to keep indoor temperatures to 82°F. However, county officials acknowledged that in hotter regions, AC units may be necessary."

laist.com/news/housing...

The Guardian view on climate finance: crumbling under a second Trump presidency | Editorial Editorial: Voluntary climate commitments were supposed to be a step towards progress. A change in political climate has revealed their weaknesses

Voluntary climate commitments were supposed to be a step towards progress. A change in political climate has revealed their weaknesses.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

How California energy policy is holding back a game changing climate technology OPINION: Without major changes to the way Californians pay for energy, we’ll lose the precious opportunities new electric technologies provide.

How California energy policy is holding back a game changing climate technology—Many Californians, blessed with our moderate coastal climate, have lagged behind the rest of the nation in needing AC, but this is quickly… www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open... @shreyassudhakar.com @sfchronicle.com

Should L.A. look to 'sponge cities' to solve its flooding problem? L.A.'s water management system discards billions of gallons of rainwater that might be reused. Can 'sponge cities' help us?

How L.A. could look to Bangkok for an example of 'sponge cities' solutions to address flood risks and capture stormwater — By @maxsoeunkim.bsky.social www.latimes.com/world-nation... @latimes.com

Atmospheric Rivers May be Diminishing on the West Coast and Surging in the East, Study Finds - Inside Climate News Over a 20-year period, atmospheric rivers could double the amount of rain falling on part of the Southeast, the researchers found.

"States such as Washington, Oregon and California have seen atmospheric river frequency decrease by nearly 4 percent per decade since 1980, the researchers found."
insideclimatenews.org/news/0908202...

As California burns, new research shows smoke is wildfire’s silent killer The official death count from the Palisades and Eaton fires was 30 — the real number may be 15 times higher.

As California burns, new research shows smoke is wildfire’s silent killer.

The official death count from the Palisades and Eaton fires was 30 — the real number may be 15 times higher.

grist.org/health/calif...

#CA #California #Wildfire #Fires #Smoke #Climate #LA #LosAngeles

California lawmakers have a radical idea for lowering electricity… Two bills would replace $15 billion in utility power-grid investments with cheaper public financing — a new approach to cutting sky-high electricity rates.

California lawmakers have a radical idea for controlling the state's sky-high electricity costs — replacing billions of dollars in utility grid spending with state-backed financing. Here's how it could work — and why advocates say it's the right move:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/uti...
#energysky

A huge $2 billion solar + storage project in California powers up Eland 1 & 2, a 758-megawatt (MW) solar farm with a 300 MW/1,200 MWh battery storage system, is now online in Mojave, California.

A huge $2 billion solar + storage project in California powers up

electrek.co/2025/08/07/s...

Climate change is behind California’s earlier wildfires, scientists confirm Researchers conclusively link hotter, drier conditions from climate change to earlier wildfire seasons in California.

Researchers conclusively link hotter, drier conditions from climate change to earlier wildfire seasons in California.

www.sfchronicle.com/california-w...

EPA plans to end a program that makes solar power available to low-income Americans The Trump administration plans to end a $7 billion Biden-era program that helps low-income households get solar power.

The Trump Administration says it will end a $7 billion program to help low-income households and communities get access to affordable solar energy.

www.npr.org/2025/08/08/n...

Industrial transformation: Turning California’s aging biomass power plants from an environmental challenge to an asset in the energy transition At one point in the 1990s, California had 66 power plants that produced electricity by burning biomass. Today, that’s down to 30, including six that primarily burn wood. These six embattled plants …

Industrial transformation: Turning California’s aging biomass power plants from an environmental challenge to an asset in the energy transition.

www.lassennews.com/industrial-t...

Watching California's SB 1221 pilot projects to decarbonize whole neighborhoods? The gas utilities have submitted their initial system maps and priority neighborhood proposals for CPUC review, and these submissions are largely coming up short. 🧵

The California solar initiative that never was The state moved too slow, and now Trump is pulling out the rug.

“The PUC’s slow-walking of this process has likely squandered $250 million in federal support.”

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Trump looks to kill 'Solar for All' just as it starts to deliver The $7B program builds low-cost solar projects to slash bills for nearly 1 million families and help bolster the grid. The Trump administration is trying…

The Trump administration wants to claw back funds from the Solar for All program.

"Over the next five years, the program promises to deliver more than $350 million in annual electric bill savings to more than 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households"
www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...

In California, a Push to Decommission Gas Lines in Low-Income Neighborhoods Moves Forward - Inside Climate News Neighborhood-scale decarbonization is an efficient way to electrify neighborhoods that might otherwise be left behind.

Here's a recent story from @twyspy.bsky.social for more context: insideclimatenews.org/news/2206202...

Gas Utilities Can Do Better on Neighborhood Electrification The state’s largest gas utilities are trying to delay priority zones for decarbonization and to block public access to important data.

California is moving toward "zonal decarbonization." It has been on track to choose pilot neighborhoods where gas lines with be pruned & homes electrified.

Now, the utilities are throwing up obstacles and working to block public access to key data. legal-planet.org/2025/08/07/g...

Why building more homes near transit will transform lives across California | Opinion California cities have largely banned apartments and condos, preventing people from living near jobs and transit systems their taxes fund.

"My nieces wake at 3 a.m. and spend $50-$60 each way on rideshares to go to college. We don’t always call this displacement, but that’s what it is. They weren’t just priced out of housing — they were nearly priced out of access to education, work and opportunity."

calmatters.org/commentary/2...

People of the State of California v. Big Oil | Governor of California WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Oil executives deceived the public for decades about how fossil fuels are hurting our health and destroying our planet, protecting their own profits while sticking taxpayers…

People of the State of California v. Big Oil

www.gov.ca.gov/2023/09/16/p...

U.S. Climate Alliance on EPA’s Climate Denial and Science Office Closure: “Americans Deserve the Truth” | U.S. Climate Alliance Alliance co-chairs California Governor Gavin Newsom and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement in response to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions to shutter its scientific res...

“Americans deserve the truth from their federal government about the climate crisis. No amount of burying research or firing scientists will change the facts: Greenhouse gas pollution causes climate change and endangers our health and welfare — period."

usclimatealliance.org/press-releas...

Trump is trying to kill solar power—here's how to fight back Rooftop solar is a clean power miracle. Why are we killing it with red tape?

Rooftop Solar Is a Miracle. Why Are We Killing It With Red Tape?
Trump wants to end solar power—and too many blue states are helping.

www.motherjones.com/environment/...

Exxon scientists predicted global warming with 'shocking skill and accuracy,' Harvard researchers say In the study, scientists showed how the multinational energy giant worked to cloud the issue.

Research shows that company modeled and predicted global warming with ‘shocking skill and accuracy’ starting in the 1970s.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Trump administration cancels plans to develop new offshore wind projects The Trump administration is canceling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development.

The Trump administration is canceling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development, the latest step to suppress the industry in the United States.

apnews.com/article/trum....

The Invisible Climate Change Effect That Is Most Likely to Kill You Air pollution is less dramatic than floods or storms, less inconvenient, and much harder to politicize. It’s also much more deadly.

Air pollution is less dramatic than floods or storms, less inconvenient, and much harder to politicize. It’s also much more deadly.

newrepublic.com/article/1986...

Where solar power is poised to cut costs and make a big impact Electricity costs are rising — and schools and universities are feeling it.

Where solar power is poised to cut costs and make a big impact?

pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/07/31/w...

Climate Scientists Look to Fight Back Against DOE’s ‘Antiscientific,’ ‘Deceptive’ Climate Report - Inside Climate News Climate scientist Michael Mann called the report “a deeply misleading antiscientific narrative, built on deceptive arguments, misrepresented datasets, and distortion of actual scientific understanding...

Climate scientists @michaelemann.bsky.social, @andrewdessler.com and others respond to this week's DOE climate report, which they called 'antiscientific,' 'deceptive,' and 'cherry-picked.' insideclimatenews.org/news/3007202...