Climate Change

A Santa Barbara judge tentatively ruled that the Trump administration's intervention wasn't enough to let Sable Offshore restart a pipeline shut after a 2015 oil spill.

California schools faced repeated planned power outages in 2024-2025 as Edison cut electricity to prevent wildfires, forcing closures and costly backup power solutions.

Trump rescinded the legal foundation for U.S. climate policy. California is preparing to sue — and may try to write its own rules.

California is updating CalEnviroScreen, the influential pollution tracker that helps determine which communities get environmental grants. Advocates say the state should improve the tool and use it more frequently to cut pollution.

New budget language lays out how Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to structure a $200 million electric vehicle rebate program, including price caps, automaker matching funds and a focus on first-time buyers.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $200 million proposal to revive the state’s EV market would reach only a fraction of buyers, raising fresh questions about who should benefit and whether limited incentives can meaningfully move a slowing market.

Ash rained down and smoke blanketed Los Angeles during the 2025 wildfires, leaving behind a toxic legacy in soil and homes. Without a federal or California mandate, nonprofit, academic and local groups offer testing for homeowners.

In 2025, devastating California wildfires in LA became the state's most destructive. Climate goals faced federal opposition as Trump blocked clean-car mandates. Refineries closed, water conflicts intensified, and legislators passed compromises.

The federal government has often set deadlines on the Colorado River, but in recent years has rarely enforced them. Negotiations among California and the six other basin states will now continue into next year, as Arizona ramps up its rhetoric and calls for a firmer hand from the Trump Administration in the talks.

California state officials are in Brazil for the annual United Nations climate conference. The visit highlights California’s role as a climate leader and supports its environmental policies, especially since the U.S. has no official federal delegation. However, some critics question whether the trip is worthwhile because California lacks the power to make international agreements.