Breakthroughs for electric vehicle affordability and clean power in California budget, as climate resilience budgeting continues

SACRAMENTO — The California State Legislature will vote today on the state budget agreement reached with Governor Gavin Newsom.

“California is filling the gap created by the elimination of federal incentives and making all kinds of electric vehicles more affordable. Combustion engine emissions are California’s leading cause of smog and climate pollution. By making electric vehicles more affordable, more families and businesses will be empowered to help protect our health and the air we breathe. Climate solutions require collaboration and we are excited by the novel partnership the new passenger vehicle program creates between the state and vehicle manufacturers, which must provide matching rebate funds at the time of sale. New innovations like this are what we need to propel climate and affordability solutions.

“Continued support for the Demand Side Grid Support Program in this budget is essential to hasten the end of California’s reliance on the dirtiest, most expensive sources of electricity provided by peaker plants. With the contracts of these power plants expiring at the end of the year, this is our moment to consolidate the world’s largest virtual power plant and build a future with cleaner, cheaper power. By reducing the waste of existing clean power supplies, Californians will save up to $200 million over the next three years. The current program structure at the California Energy Commission must be preserved for these results to be in reach.

“We remain eager to work with state leaders through summer to craft a framework for investing in community resilience to growing climate threats. As wildfires grow larger and more destructive, the state must support prevention activities in vulnerable communities. With hotter temperatures and volatile water supplies becoming the norm, the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program can help farm communities adapt to the strains of a changing climate by diversifying rural economies vulnerable to haphazard fallowing.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California Senior Director, Environmental Defense Fund