Advanced Energy Perspectives

California has long been thought of as a pioneer in the clean energy movement, often first among states to seize new opportunities and try bold ideas to ensure a sustainable future for its residents—both environmentally and economically.  

We’re currently seeing three critical energy trends across the state of California.  

First, energy affordability is an urgent crisis. California's success in reducing the cost of clean, renewable power means commodity energy prices during much of the day are lower than ever, but replacing our aging and fire-prone infrastructure has driven electric bills to unsustainable levels, especially for the state’s poorest and most vulnerable. 

The California legislature has set a goal of net zero by 2045, and dozens of California cities and counties have doubled down on ambitious – but achievable – climate commitments.  Meeting that goal will be nearly impossible if homes and businesses in the state remain dependent on fossil fuels for their appliance and energy needs. What’s needed is a process by which the state “fully electrifies” its building stock.

This past weekend, President Biden signed a bill to raise the national debt ceiling that also included modest improvements in the permitting process for building clean energy projects. As part of the negotiation process, Congressional leaders considered policy changes to speed up the buildout of large-scale electric grid transmission, such as expanding transmission capacity between regions. Ultimately, and unfortunately, those reforms were not included in the bill.

As we navigate our way into a new year, our team is reflecting on the legislative wins that drove the electric vehicle (EV) industry forward at a historic pace in 2022 and considering the actions and opportunities they create in the year ahead. This year’s review of enacted federal and state legislation tells a story of increased urgency, funding, and massive commitments by governments and utilities to expand transportation electrification. To synthesize the EV action across the country, Advanced Energy United read and summarized thousands of pages of enacted legislation, which we provide now as a three-part series that covers seven dominant trends.