The Big Winners in California? Science and Climate.

October 2, 2025 | 8:00 am

Scientists are passionate about their craft. They cherish beakers, well-used notebooks, sharp pencils, and spotless lab coats. Their love extends into math, physics, chemistry, and engineering. Above all, they relish the challenge of crafting a nuanced hypothesis followed by a meticulously designed experiment.

Yet more than anything, scientists have a competitive edge. Right now, our dedicated team of scientists couldn’t be more enthusiastic about California.

In a year filled with reports on federal rollbacks, skyrocketing electricity and gas prices, and widespread uncertainty, climate advocates within the California Legislature have continued their work, producing a remarkable array of transformative policies.

Against all odds, these advocates expanded (and rebranded) California’s pioneering Cap-and-Trade Program, made electricity more affordable, committed to a swift and equitable fossil fuel phaseout, and bolstered the reliability of the state’s energy grid.

While much remains to be done in order to speed up our transition to a cleaner future without leaving anyone behind, take a moment to appreciate this achievement as you read through this blog. You deserve a moment of recognition.

Limiting emissions and investing in the future

The legislature fortified and renamed California’s Cap-and-Trade program, borrowing the insightful marketing strategies from Washington State, now called Cap and Invest.

This pivotal climate initiative implements a decreasing cap on global warming emissions and generates billions in funding for clean energy, zero-emission transportation, wildfire resilience, and public transit.

Set to expire at the decade’s end, the legislature decisively extended this program to 2045. They also took this chance to enhance it through Assembly Member Irwin’s Assembly Bill (AB) 1207 in three significant ways:

• Mandating a decline in global warming emissions matching the state’s ambitious climate targets.
• Redirecting ratepayer subsidies from fossil fuels to electricity, making future fuel more affordable (an idea advocated by UCS and Dr. Kyle Meng).
• Allowing distribution of emission allowances based on an industry’s risk of relocating out of state.

The comprehensive bill package also included Senate Bill (SB) 840 from Senator Limón, which provides historic levels of funding for public transit and maintains the legislature’s authority to invest $1 billion annually in clean transportation, renewable energy, and resilient communities.

A regional and resilient grid

Thanks to AB 825 from Assembly Utilities and Energy Chair Petri-Norris, the legislature finally secured an opportunity for California to improve cooperation with neighboring states to fulfill its clean energy requirements.

This new law will facilitate California’s collaboration with other western states to manage electricity demands through clean sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, while also exporting excess renewable energy. This advancement strengthens the state’s grid and offers cost-saving benefits for ratepayers.

Longtime followers may recall UCS’s prior neutral stance on similar proposals and our efforts to educate both the public and policymakers on the benefits and risks of this proposal. Our input was sought during an extensive stakeholder consultation that led us to back AB 825 and express our enthusiasm for this improved proposal alongside Sabrina Carpenter.

Reducing transmission costs and electricity expenses

This legislative session focused heavily on the troubling rise in California’s electricity bills. High costs place significant burdens on low-income households and threaten the state’s shift towards electric vehicles.

From the outset, UCS endorsed a plan to facilitate public financing of the extensive transmission lines that carry electricity from renewable generation sites to consumers (referenced as Transmission). While expensive, enhancing transmission capabilities is crucial for driving clean energy transitions and enabling consumers to access affordable renewable energy. Financing for transmission is conventionally shouldered by Investor-Owned Utilities like PG&E, which often borrow at high interest rates and pass these costs to consumers.

An array of cost-reducing policies included SB 254 from Senator Becker, which permits the state to leverage its excellent credit rating to fund transmission at more favorable rates, subsequently providing savings back to consumers.

Stabilizing the energy transition

California is making strides away from gasoline, embracing electric vehicles more each day. This isn’t merely an aspiration; it is a reality.

The oil industry acknowledges this shift, having seen two refineries announce their departure from the state in the last year. Nevertheless, many Californians still depend on gasoline for daily activities; without careful strategizing, these refinery closures could lead to fuel shortages and significant price increases that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

UCS has long advocated for a rapid yet stable transition, ensuring community support and affordability (with help from Chappell Roan at times). Collaborating with Vice Chair Gunda of the California Energy Commission, we produced recommendations that guarantee imminent refinery closures will not unduly burden consumers at the gas station or hinder our shift toward a sustainable future.

A number of recommendations were incorporated into laws, along with a mandate for state agencies to explore a UCS initiative aimed at introducing competition in California’s existing gasoline market and securing funding to replace older, polluting vehicles with electric ones.

Additionally, the legislature allocated $25 million to replace vehicles older than 2004, as uncovered by a UCS analysis showing these cars are primarily responsible for the state’s harmful smog emissions. This initiative is the foundation of AB 674, sponsored by Assembly Member Connolly this year.

Science is for victors

California exemplifies that it is possible to achieve both ends. We can lead the world by addressing the climate crisis and shifting the transportation sector away from fossil fuels while simultaneously reducing overall costs.

How do we plan to commemorate this success? By cleaning our beakers, freshening our lab coats, sharpening our pencils, and immersing ourselves back in the lab to continue discovering innovative solutions to the pressing issues facing California—and beyond.