California has reached a significant milestone in its transition to clean energy, with Governor Gavin Newsom announcing the addition of 30,800 megawatts of new clean energy and storage capacity since 2019. This amount is sufficient to supply about half of California’s peak electricity demand.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently approved $136 million for further investments in clean energy and climate technology. These funds will support projects such as expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, advancing battery storage systems, developing next-generation technologies, and upgrading ports for offshore wind development.
Coal is close to being eliminated from California’s power supply. In 2024, coal contributed just 2.2% of the state’s electricity generation, mainly from the Intermountain Power Plant in Utah. When this plant stops burning coal later this year, coal’s share is expected to drop below 0.2%, making California one of the least coal-dependent states nationally and globally.
“While Trump bets on the past, California is building the future,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Regressive energy policy may play well on Fox News, but it’s plain bad economics. Today it costs more to run a dirty fossil fuel power plant than to build a brand-new clean energy facility. The markets know where the future is headed — and so do we. Clean, green, reliable power — that’s California’s bet, and we’re already winning it.”
The state has seen rapid growth in solar and battery storage projects as utilities and developers take advantage of lower costs associated with renewables compared to fossil fuels or even modern gas plants. According to Lazard’s LCOE+ analysis, solar and wind are now consistently cheaper options for new power generation worldwide.
The CEC reports that about 9% of recent capacity additions come from projects outside California delivering power into the state between January 2019 and August 2025.
“This milestone is proof that California’s clean energy transformation can’t be slowed or derailed,” said CEC Chair David Hochschild. “Clean power is the backbone of our economy and the heartbeat of a reliable, resilient grid. We are the model for the world to follow.”
California has an additional 21,000 megawatts of contracted clean energy resources expected by late 2029 due to procurement orders issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
“California is not just planning for a clean energy future; we’re building it right now,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. “The bold actions the state has taken prove that reliability and sustainability can go hand in hand. We’re setting a global standard for what a modern, electrified economy looks like.”
Among recent investments approved by CEC are nearly $19 million for new electric vehicle chargers statewide—including at low-income housing sites—and over $117 million toward battery storage expansion and innovative technologies such as direct air capture pilots in Stockton.
Additional initiatives include up to $2.8 billion authorized by CPUC for PG&E infrastructure upgrades through 2026 aimed at connecting more customers—such as housing developments and EV charging stations—to accelerate electrification across sectors like buildings and transportation.
In transmission planning adopted by CPUC in 2025, over 60 gigawatts of new generation and storage resources are set to come online cost-effectively by 2035 while maintaining system reliability at minimal cost impact on ratepayers; these efforts aim for greenhouse gas emissions reductions exceeding 45 percent by that year.
Since 2000, greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by about one-fifth while state GDP grew significantly—by approximately three-quarters—making California one of few places where economic growth coincides with reduced pollution levels.
Battery storage capacity alone increased more than nineteenfold under Governor Newsom’s administration; total new resource additions surpassed thirty thousand megawatts during this period.
