West

Carbon-free buildings

California cities face months of delays in building code approvals

State law AB 130 has stalled local building efficiency rules for up to nearly a year, hampering progress on climate goals.

By Alison F. Takemura .

5 October 2026

Houses under construction, with plywood and workers on roof; roof of house next door has solar panels — (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Virtual power plants

Newsom finally says yes to virtual power plants

California’s outgoing governor approved bills to contain utility spending and allow customers to get paid to let batteries, EVs, and appliances ease grid stress.

By Jeff St. John . 1 October 2026
Clean fleets

Electric trucks cost too much. California has a law for that.

SB 1213 will force truck manufacturers to disclose data to curb price gouging — and open new state financing options to help fleets switch to cleaner vehicles.

By Jeff St. John . 30 September 2026
Geothermal

In global first, a next-gen geothermal plant goes live at utility scale

Fervo Energy is producing clean power at Cape Station in Utah. It’s a big milestone, but the industry must tackle high costs and other barriers in order to scale.

By Maria Gallucci . 28 September 2026
Offshore wind

New York, California ramp up fight against Trump’s offshore wind deals

The coastal states announced new legal challenges against the Trump administration’s controversial lease cancellations during Climate Week NYC.

By Maria Gallucci . 23 September 2026
Virtual power plants

Should we get excited about California’s latest virtual power plant?

Google and PG&E will enlist Silicon Valley homes with batteries and other devices to help the grid. But they’re ignoring the data center elephant in the room.

By Jeff St. John . 23 September 2026
Batteries

Vistra’s Moss Landing grid battery is on fire yet again

The California facility, with its outdated building and battery design, had a catastrophic fire in 2025. Now, a new fire ignited during the decommissioning process.

By Julian Spector . 18 September 2026
Geothermal

Mazama Energy raises $135M for superhot geothermal at Oregon volcano

The startup hit a milestone last year when it drilled the world’s hottest next-gen geothermal well. Now it’s working to prove its tech can scale commercially.

By Maria Gallucci . 17 September 2026
Affordability

Newsom's last chance to tackle California's electricity costs

The governor has blocked efforts to harness distributed energy to rein in rising utility rates. Bills on his desk could reverse that trend — if he signs them.

By Jeff St. John . 16 September 2026
Heat pumps

California moves to cut red tape for heat pumps, solar, and more

Two bills on Gov. Newsom’s desk would reduce hurdles to heat pumps and home solar and batteries, which could reduce fees by $1,000 or more per project.

By Alison F. Takemura . 14 September 2026
Clean energy

Gavin Newsom’s complicated legacy on climate and clean energy

Newsom’s 8-year term as California’s governor is drawing to an end. Here’s how he helped — and hindered — the state’s energy transition.

By Jeff St. John . 14 September 2026