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"content": "\u003cp>Fire risk experts cautioned California lawmakers this week that the state needs to change course to both survive and bounce back from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021019/la-fires-threaten-california-insurance-market-stability-housing-costs\">wildfires\u003c/a> and other natural catastrophes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the state Capitol on Tuesday, Nancy Watkins, an actuary at financial adviser Milliman who specializes in fire risk and insurance, counseled lawmakers that the state needs to stop “nibbling around the edges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody is going to save California from our decisions,” she said. “The state has to really step in and be more strategic about how to make things happen faster.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/senate-leader-taps-senators-becker-and-padilla-advance-effort-wildfire-recovery-and-energy\">statement on \u003c/a>Wednesday, state Sen. Steve Padilla, D-San Diego, and Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, said they would study the report’s findings and develop a plan to help strengthen recovery efforts and protect residents from rising energy and insurance costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This work is essential,” Becker said. “We must advance reforms that protect access to insurance, lower costs, support wildfire resilience, and provide fair outcomes for those impacted — while ensuring our utilities are both accountable for safety and financially stable enough to attract low-cost capital on behalf of ratepayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wildfires over the past decade have driven up \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-you\">home insurance \u003c/a>rates and made coverage harder to obtain in many parts of California. In response, the state has invested heavily in firefighting capacity, early fire-detection technology and vegetation management. But Watkins told legislators those efforts alone are not enough.[aside postID=science_2000680 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/12/480270735_qed-1020x680.jpg']“The buildup of wildfire risk is a state and a local issue. It’s arising from climate change, it also arises from decades of decisions that we’ve made on land use, building, fire suppression, and decades of regulatory decisions,” Watkins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watkins said the state should focus more heavily on making communities less vulnerable to wildfire by making them less ready to burn, rather than relying primarily on detecting and extinguishing fires quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot address this problem through ignition reduction, fuel reduction, or fire suppression, and we definitely can’t get it just through early detection. This all has to include home hardening and defensible space within communities at a much, much greater scale than has been done,” Watkins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watkins recently co-authored an\u003ca href=\"https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/state-wildfire-mitigation-framework-measure-twice-cut-once\"> article\u003c/a> with Michael Wara of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University and Dave Winnacker, wildfire policy adviser of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, which outlined a roadmap for reducing wildfire risk in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Watkins said the paper was intended to give policymakers “explicit, tangible steps” to better protect communities and reduce the state’s growing wildfire exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As insurance costs and fire danger rise, a new state report called for sweeping action to make homes and communities more resilient. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Fire risk experts cautioned California lawmakers this week that the state needs to change course to both survive and bounce back from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021019/la-fires-threaten-california-insurance-market-stability-housing-costs\">wildfires\u003c/a> and other natural catastrophes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the state Capitol on Tuesday, Nancy Watkins, an actuary at financial adviser Milliman who specializes in fire risk and insurance, counseled lawmakers that the state needs to stop “nibbling around the edges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody is going to save California from our decisions,” she said. “The state has to really step in and be more strategic about how to make things happen faster.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/senate-leader-taps-senators-becker-and-padilla-advance-effort-wildfire-recovery-and-energy\">statement on \u003c/a>Wednesday, state Sen. Steve Padilla, D-San Diego, and Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, said they would study the report’s findings and develop a plan to help strengthen recovery efforts and protect residents from rising energy and insurance costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This work is essential,” Becker said. “We must advance reforms that protect access to insurance, lower costs, support wildfire resilience, and provide fair outcomes for those impacted — while ensuring our utilities are both accountable for safety and financially stable enough to attract low-cost capital on behalf of ratepayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wildfires over the past decade have driven up \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-you\">home insurance \u003c/a>rates and made coverage harder to obtain in many parts of California. In response, the state has invested heavily in firefighting capacity, early fire-detection technology and vegetation management. But Watkins told legislators those efforts alone are not enough.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The buildup of wildfire risk is a state and a local issue. It’s arising from climate change, it also arises from decades of decisions that we’ve made on land use, building, fire suppression, and decades of regulatory decisions,” Watkins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watkins said the state should focus more heavily on making communities less vulnerable to wildfire by making them less ready to burn, rather than relying primarily on detecting and extinguishing fires quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot address this problem through ignition reduction, fuel reduction, or fire suppression, and we definitely can’t get it just through early detection. This all has to include home hardening and defensible space within communities at a much, much greater scale than has been done,” Watkins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watkins recently co-authored an\u003ca href=\"https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/state-wildfire-mitigation-framework-measure-twice-cut-once\"> article\u003c/a> with Michael Wara of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University and Dave Winnacker, wildfire policy adviser of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, which outlined a roadmap for reducing wildfire risk in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Watkins said the paper was intended to give policymakers “explicit, tangible steps” to better protect communities and reduce the state’s growing wildfire exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-bay-area-libraries-are-helping-residents-switch-from-gas-to-induction-cooking",
"title": "How Bay Area Libraries Are Helping Residents Switch From Gas to Induction Cooking",
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"headTitle": "How Bay Area Libraries Are Helping Residents Switch From Gas to Induction Cooking | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mirella Bucci cooked on a gas stove her whole life. She connected it to her family’s Italian cooking traditions and the way she grew up. Bucci thought its heat control was unmatched. Until she tried an induction cooktop for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mom and these influential people in my cooking world have always used gas,” Bucci said. She remembers her mom’s big pot of tomato sauce simmering above a low flame; Bucci and her two siblings would eat it with pasta every week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bucci long believed the industry standard, that only gas provided the precision “top chefs” require. But, as an adult, Bucci grew curious about induction as she considered replacing her gas stove as part of a home electrification project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She had heard professional chefs still relied on gas in restaurants, but that some used induction at home because it was faster and easier to control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, she was skeptical. Bucci, who works at the Stanford School of Medicine helping biomedical research labs apply for federal funding, has lived in San Mateo County for nearly 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She didn’t know anyone personally who used induction cooking. So she checked one out from San Mateo City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An induction stove available for check out at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Within days, her doubts faded. Water boiled faster than she expected. The stove’s surface didn’t remain too hot for too long. And the temperature control felt more precise. “The induction made things easier,” Bucci said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That mattered to Bucci, whose cooking is deeply tied to her family’s heritage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She cooks seafood risotto, squid-ink pasta, lobster macaroni, scallops with wedges of grapefruit, and other seafood dishes for the Italian-American “Feast of Seven Fishes” Christmas Eve traditional meal. For years, she believed those meals required cooking over a flame.[aside postID=science_2000835 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-62-BL_qed.jpg']“You can cook something really hot and get those grill lines on your meat or your vegetables,” Bucci said. “That’s kind of an advantage too, with the induction, is that it gets really hot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, libraries and other civic institutions now offer induction cooktop kits like the one Bucci borrowed, giving residents a free, low-risk way to try an alternative to gas cooking. The loaner programs are part of a broader push by Bay Area municipalities and climate advocates to reduce household emissions from gas appliances and improve indoor air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gas and propane stoves are a major source of pollution in U.S. households. A \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">2025 study\u003c/a> found that for homes using these fuels, cooking accounts for a quarter of their total exposure to nitrogen dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a serious health concern because nitrogen dioxide is a well-known trigger for asthma, meaning that simply preparing meals can contribute to a person’s long-term health risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for many households, switching isn’t simple. Full stove replacements can cost thousands of dollars, and even portable units, typically between $50 and $200, can feel like a financial risk if people aren’t sure they’ll like the technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The library as a climate outreach space\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The induction cooktop loaner program in San Mateo that Bucci participated in began at City Hall but moved into the public library’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/4621/Technology-Lending\">technology lending program\u003c/a> in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jonathan Jung, a supervising library assistant in San Mateo, said the induction cooktops are a natural extension of the library’s mission. “Libraries are a well-respected pillar of knowledge in the community,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jonathan Jung, supervising library assistant, poses for a portrait at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The lending program includes everything from keyboards and synthesizers for musicians to microcontrollers for hobbyists. Jung said the program’s two induction cooktops are in high demand. “Patrons have given me positive feedback. They’re really happy that they can test it out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civic groups offer the cooktops as part of their local climate goals, said Andrea Chow, a sustainability analyst with the city. In San Mateo, buildings account for a portion \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcsustainability.org/greenhouse-gas-reduction/ccap/building-energy/\">of community-wide greenhouse gas emissions\u003c/a>, which come primarily from the use of gas in residential and commercial buildings. Especially in unincorporated areas, where they are the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions at 32%. “Decarbonizing existing buildings is a huge priority for our city,” Chow said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sunnyvale Public Library started a similar program in 2019. The library has 14 cooktops available and averages 100 checkouts per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000972\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People use the communal spaces at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Madeline Khair, environmental programs manager within Sunnyvale’s environmental services department, said the library is expanding its sustainability section to include solar panels, rechargeable batteries and emergency kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our partners at the library have always been really supportive of the climate action plan and sustainability goals,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Sunnyvale aims to reduce overall community greenhouse gas emissions by \u003ca href=\"https://sunnyvaleclimateaction.org/scoreboard\">56% from 1990 levels by 2030\u003c/a>, according to its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1066/638606111674670000\">climate action playbook\u003c/a>. This target is more aggressive than \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/climate-dashboard/\">California’s 40% reduction goal\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the loaner program offers a pathway for people interested in trying induction cooktops for free, some libraries carry only a handful of kits and have waitlists to check them out. And replacing a stove can still be expensive. Costs can range from $2,000 to $8,000, or even more. Some households may need electrical upgrades to switch completely away from gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What the research says about gas stoves and indoor air\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About a year and a half after trying a loaner, San Mateo resident Mike Driscoll and his wife made the switch. They discovered one benefit they did not expect: a cleaner home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With gas, there was always a little layer of grease on nearby surfaces,” he said. “After switching, that just disappeared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking itself produces grease particles and ultrafine aerosols. With gas, the open flame can intensify how those particles spread, carrying them onto nearby counters, cabinets and furniture, something households like Driscoll’s may notice as residue over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000975\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mirella Bucci’s induction stove at her home in San Mateo on April 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gas stoves also emit pollutants, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935117300750\">nitrogen dioxide\u003c/a>, and fine particulate matter, which can linger in indoor air or settle on surfaces. Exposure has been linked to increased asthma symptoms in children and can worsen other respiratory conditions, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9819315/\">2023 study published in the \u003c/a>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those health considerations are becoming a key driver behind programs like these, alongside climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gas stoves contribute to climate change by emitting carbon dioxide during combustion and methane, which is present in unburned natural gas that leaks from gas stoves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These greenhouse gases trap atmospheric heat. According to a \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35081712/\">2022 study\u003c/a> in Environmental Science and Technology, annual methane leaks from U.S. stoves alone create a climate impact comparable to that of half a million cars, highlighting a significant environmental footprint beyond active cooking.[aside postID=science_2000695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Buildings account for a significant share of California’s emissions, much of it from gas appliances, making reductions in heating, hot water and cooking a key part of the state’s climate strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long-term studies indicate that switching from gas stoves to induction cooking significantly improves indoor air quality, reducing nitrogen dioxide exposure by over 50%, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">2025 study by Stanford researchers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops use electromagnetic energy to heat cookware directly, with no combustion and no combustion-related indoor air pollution. That can improve indoor air quality, especially in smaller or poorly ventilated spaces, while also reducing excess heat in the kitchen. “Gas heats the air to thousands of degrees; electric doesn’t,” said Rob Jackson, the study’s senior author and professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said these programs also help people who cannot swap all of their gas appliances — furnaces, water heaters — at once. They can start by using their gas stove less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We sample many homes in Bakersfield and elsewhere where people rent and can’t change their appliances, or convince their landlord to, and can’t afford to pay for the transition themselves,” he said. “In this case, the best thing you can do to improve indoor air quality is to burn less gas indoors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to borrow an induction cooktop in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Programs have expanded across the region, including Santa Cruz, Milpitas, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Oakland, Marin County and Hayward. In some cities, kits are available through libraries; in others, through sustainability departments or community programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regional energy providers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/\">Peninsula Clean Energy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates/\">Silicon Valley Clean Energy\u003c/a>, have supported these efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silicon Valley Clean Energy also offers \u003ca href=\"https://svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates/\">rebates\u003c/a> of up to $750 for upgrading to induction cooktops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000973\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Mateo Public Library stands on 55 W 3rd Ave., in San Mateo, on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayren.org/ease-home\">Bay Area Regional Energy Network\u003c/a> assists moderate-income households with home improvements, including electrical upgrades for cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loaner programs are also available through \u003ca href=\"https://pge-induction.myturn.com/library/\">PG&E\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://acterra.org/electrification/greenhome/induction-cooktop-loan/\">Acterra\u003c/a> in the East Bay, and \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/electric-cooking/\">San Jose Clean Energy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Milpitas, sustainability coordinator Grace Chan said the goal is to make the gas-to-induction transition as easy as possible. “It’s a very low-commitment way for residents to test out a new type of equipment that they may never have used before,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some, the appeal isn’t even about replacing a stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Egbert, a renter in San Bruno, borrowed a cooktop for a backyard-style Korean barbecue with friends. “It was my first time using induction,” she said. “It heated up really fast, and I liked that I could use it outside without worrying about an open flame.”[aside postID=news_12077055 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/GavinNewsomRobBontaGetty.jpg']Still, awareness remains a challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a very strong, sometimes cultural or personal connection to gas cooking. There’s a lot of hesitancy,” Chow said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once people try induction, perceptions can shift. Borrowers frequently mention that water boils faster, that the controls feel precise, and that the surface is safe, cooling quickly and reducing the risk of burns or fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are still trade-offs. Induction requires compatible cookware like stainless steel and cast iron, and some cooks miss the visual cue of a flame or worry about techniques like stir-frying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bucci, the loaner program made all the difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a little over two years ago when she borrowed a single-burner induction cooktop from city hall to try out for two weeks at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What started out as a more climate-conscious decision, Bucci said, turned out to be better for her cooking overall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, she wonders if there will ever be a situation where she would prefer gas. “I mean, if you were making a flambé and you were trying to light your alcohol on fire in the pan, that would be one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from that rare occurrence, Bucci doesn’t miss the flame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You realize the point is to heat your food quickly and with control,” she said. “And induction does that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "How Bay Area Libraries Are Helping Residents Switch From Gas to Induction Cooking | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mirella Bucci cooked on a gas stove her whole life. She connected it to her family’s Italian cooking traditions and the way she grew up. Bucci thought its heat control was unmatched. Until she tried an induction cooktop for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mom and these influential people in my cooking world have always used gas,” Bucci said. She remembers her mom’s big pot of tomato sauce simmering above a low flame; Bucci and her two siblings would eat it with pasta every week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bucci long believed the industry standard, that only gas provided the precision “top chefs” require. But, as an adult, Bucci grew curious about induction as she considered replacing her gas stove as part of a home electrification project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She had heard professional chefs still relied on gas in restaurants, but that some used induction at home because it was faster and easier to control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, she was skeptical. Bucci, who works at the Stanford School of Medicine helping biomedical research labs apply for federal funding, has lived in San Mateo County for nearly 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She didn’t know anyone personally who used induction cooking. So she checked one out from San Mateo City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02262_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An induction stove available for check out at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Within days, her doubts faded. Water boiled faster than she expected. The stove’s surface didn’t remain too hot for too long. And the temperature control felt more precise. “The induction made things easier,” Bucci said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That mattered to Bucci, whose cooking is deeply tied to her family’s heritage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She cooks seafood risotto, squid-ink pasta, lobster macaroni, scallops with wedges of grapefruit, and other seafood dishes for the Italian-American “Feast of Seven Fishes” Christmas Eve traditional meal. For years, she believed those meals required cooking over a flame.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“You can cook something really hot and get those grill lines on your meat or your vegetables,” Bucci said. “That’s kind of an advantage too, with the induction, is that it gets really hot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, libraries and other civic institutions now offer induction cooktop kits like the one Bucci borrowed, giving residents a free, low-risk way to try an alternative to gas cooking. The loaner programs are part of a broader push by Bay Area municipalities and climate advocates to reduce household emissions from gas appliances and improve indoor air quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gas and propane stoves are a major source of pollution in U.S. households. A \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">2025 study\u003c/a> found that for homes using these fuels, cooking accounts for a quarter of their total exposure to nitrogen dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a serious health concern because nitrogen dioxide is a well-known trigger for asthma, meaning that simply preparing meals can contribute to a person’s long-term health risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for many households, switching isn’t simple. Full stove replacements can cost thousands of dollars, and even portable units, typically between $50 and $200, can feel like a financial risk if people aren’t sure they’ll like the technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The library as a climate outreach space\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The induction cooktop loaner program in San Mateo that Bucci participated in began at City Hall but moved into the public library’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/4621/Technology-Lending\">technology lending program\u003c/a> in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jonathan Jung, a supervising library assistant in San Mateo, said the induction cooktops are a natural extension of the library’s mission. “Libraries are a well-respected pillar of knowledge in the community,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02413_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jonathan Jung, supervising library assistant, poses for a portrait at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The lending program includes everything from keyboards and synthesizers for musicians to microcontrollers for hobbyists. Jung said the program’s two induction cooktops are in high demand. “Patrons have given me positive feedback. They’re really happy that they can test it out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civic groups offer the cooktops as part of their local climate goals, said Andrea Chow, a sustainability analyst with the city. In San Mateo, buildings account for a portion \u003ca href=\"https://www.smcsustainability.org/greenhouse-gas-reduction/ccap/building-energy/\">of community-wide greenhouse gas emissions\u003c/a>, which come primarily from the use of gas in residential and commercial buildings. Especially in unincorporated areas, where they are the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions at 32%. “Decarbonizing existing buildings is a huge priority for our city,” Chow said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sunnyvale Public Library started a similar program in 2019. The library has 14 cooktops available and averages 100 checkouts per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000972\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02564_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People use the communal spaces at the San Mateo Public Library in San Mateo on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Madeline Khair, environmental programs manager within Sunnyvale’s environmental services department, said the library is expanding its sustainability section to include solar panels, rechargeable batteries and emergency kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our partners at the library have always been really supportive of the climate action plan and sustainability goals,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Sunnyvale aims to reduce overall community greenhouse gas emissions by \u003ca href=\"https://sunnyvaleclimateaction.org/scoreboard\">56% from 1990 levels by 2030\u003c/a>, according to its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1066/638606111674670000\">climate action playbook\u003c/a>. This target is more aggressive than \u003ca href=\"https://calepa.ca.gov/climate-dashboard/\">California’s 40% reduction goal\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the loaner program offers a pathway for people interested in trying induction cooktops for free, some libraries carry only a handful of kits and have waitlists to check them out. And replacing a stove can still be expensive. Costs can range from $2,000 to $8,000, or even more. Some households may need electrical upgrades to switch completely away from gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What the research says about gas stoves and indoor air\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About a year and a half after trying a loaner, San Mateo resident Mike Driscoll and his wife made the switch. They discovered one benefit they did not expect: a cleaner home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With gas, there was always a little layer of grease on nearby surfaces,” he said. “After switching, that just disappeared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking itself produces grease particles and ultrafine aerosols. With gas, the open flame can intensify how those particles spread, carrying them onto nearby counters, cabinets and furniture, something households like Driscoll’s may notice as residue over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000975\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260429-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION00150_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mirella Bucci’s induction stove at her home in San Mateo on April 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gas stoves also emit pollutants, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935117300750\">nitrogen dioxide\u003c/a>, and fine particulate matter, which can linger in indoor air or settle on surfaces. Exposure has been linked to increased asthma symptoms in children and can worsen other respiratory conditions, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9819315/\">2023 study published in the \u003c/a>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those health considerations are becoming a key driver behind programs like these, alongside climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gas stoves contribute to climate change by emitting carbon dioxide during combustion and methane, which is present in unburned natural gas that leaks from gas stoves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These greenhouse gases trap atmospheric heat. According to a \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35081712/\">2022 study\u003c/a> in Environmental Science and Technology, annual methane leaks from U.S. stoves alone create a climate impact comparable to that of half a million cars, highlighting a significant environmental footprint beyond active cooking.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Buildings account for a significant share of California’s emissions, much of it from gas appliances, making reductions in heating, hot water and cooking a key part of the state’s climate strategy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long-term studies indicate that switching from gas stoves to induction cooking significantly improves indoor air quality, reducing nitrogen dioxide exposure by over 50%, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">2025 study by Stanford researchers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops use electromagnetic energy to heat cookware directly, with no combustion and no combustion-related indoor air pollution. That can improve indoor air quality, especially in smaller or poorly ventilated spaces, while also reducing excess heat in the kitchen. “Gas heats the air to thousands of degrees; electric doesn’t,” said Rob Jackson, the study’s senior author and professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said these programs also help people who cannot swap all of their gas appliances — furnaces, water heaters — at once. They can start by using their gas stove less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We sample many homes in Bakersfield and elsewhere where people rent and can’t change their appliances, or convince their landlord to, and can’t afford to pay for the transition themselves,” he said. “In this case, the best thing you can do to improve indoor air quality is to burn less gas indoors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to borrow an induction cooktop in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Programs have expanded across the region, including Santa Cruz, Milpitas, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Oakland, Marin County and Hayward. In some cities, kits are available through libraries; in others, through sustainability departments or community programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regional energy providers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/\">Peninsula Clean Energy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates/\">Silicon Valley Clean Energy\u003c/a>, have supported these efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silicon Valley Clean Energy also offers \u003ca href=\"https://svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates/\">rebates\u003c/a> of up to $750 for upgrading to induction cooktops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000973\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/05/260417-CLIMATESOLUTIONSINDUCTION02861_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Mateo Public Library stands on 55 W 3rd Ave., in San Mateo, on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayren.org/ease-home\">Bay Area Regional Energy Network\u003c/a> assists moderate-income households with home improvements, including electrical upgrades for cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loaner programs are also available through \u003ca href=\"https://pge-induction.myturn.com/library/\">PG&E\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://acterra.org/electrification/greenhome/induction-cooktop-loan/\">Acterra\u003c/a> in the East Bay, and \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/electric-cooking/\">San Jose Clean Energy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Milpitas, sustainability coordinator Grace Chan said the goal is to make the gas-to-induction transition as easy as possible. “It’s a very low-commitment way for residents to test out a new type of equipment that they may never have used before,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some, the appeal isn’t even about replacing a stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Egbert, a renter in San Bruno, borrowed a cooktop for a backyard-style Korean barbecue with friends. “It was my first time using induction,” she said. “It heated up really fast, and I liked that I could use it outside without worrying about an open flame.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Still, awareness remains a challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a very strong, sometimes cultural or personal connection to gas cooking. There’s a lot of hesitancy,” Chow said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once people try induction, perceptions can shift. Borrowers frequently mention that water boils faster, that the controls feel precise, and that the surface is safe, cooling quickly and reducing the risk of burns or fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are still trade-offs. Induction requires compatible cookware like stainless steel and cast iron, and some cooks miss the visual cue of a flame or worry about techniques like stir-frying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bucci, the loaner program made all the difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a little over two years ago when she borrowed a single-burner induction cooktop from city hall to try out for two weeks at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What started out as a more climate-conscious decision, Bucci said, turned out to be better for her cooking overall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, she wonders if there will ever be a situation where she would prefer gas. “I mean, if you were making a flambé and you were trying to light your alcohol on fire in the pan, that would be one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from that rare occurrence, Bucci doesn’t miss the flame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You realize the point is to heat your food quickly and with control,” she said. “And induction does that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Forecasters expect summerlike heat to sizzle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area\u003c/a> with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average by the end of the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After some rain across the region earlier this week, a growing ridge of high pressure will cause the warm-up by pushing cooler ocean air farther out over the Pacific. As a result, temperatures along the Central Coast and parts of the East Bay, South Bay and North Bay could teeter close to 100 degrees by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco could reach into the 80s by Monday, which is about 15 degrees above normal for the time of year, said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically a little more gradual through the end of the workweek, [then] a bigger jump through the weekend and into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday and Friday will be marked by windy conditions, especially in the North Bay, allowing the weak ridge to develop further and drive “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11682057/how-the-bay-areas-fog-came-to-be-named-karl\">Karl the Fog\u003c/a>” out of many parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’ll stay warm to hot, especially inland away from the influence of the marine layer, into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.[aside postID=news_12076857 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/HeatWaveGetty1.jpg']The service expects a minor heat risk for people sensitive to hotter temperatures through Saturday, and a moderate heat risk Sunday into Monday, especially for inland areas. At this time, Merchant said, his office has not issued a heat advisory, but “it’s possible by the beginning of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have any outdoor plans, be prepared with sunscreen and take breaks in the shade or get into air conditioning,” Merchant said. “Also, people going to the beach for relief from the heat should anticipate cold water. Just because the air is warming up doesn’t mean the water is warming up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some areas could get close to setting daily record highs early next week. Merchant said the NWS is expecting above-normal temperatures at least through the middle of the month, before a potential minor cooldown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Monday is going to be the hottest day,” Merchant said. “We will have a nice drop by the middle of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Forecasters expect summerlike heat to sizzle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area\u003c/a> with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average by the end of the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After some rain across the region earlier this week, a growing ridge of high pressure will cause the warm-up by pushing cooler ocean air farther out over the Pacific. As a result, temperatures along the Central Coast and parts of the East Bay, South Bay and North Bay could teeter close to 100 degrees by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco could reach into the 80s by Monday, which is about 15 degrees above normal for the time of year, said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically a little more gradual through the end of the workweek, [then] a bigger jump through the weekend and into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday and Friday will be marked by windy conditions, especially in the North Bay, allowing the weak ridge to develop further and drive “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11682057/how-the-bay-areas-fog-came-to-be-named-karl\">Karl the Fog\u003c/a>” out of many parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’ll stay warm to hot, especially inland away from the influence of the marine layer, into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The service expects a minor heat risk for people sensitive to hotter temperatures through Saturday, and a moderate heat risk Sunday into Monday, especially for inland areas. At this time, Merchant said, his office has not issued a heat advisory, but “it’s possible by the beginning of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have any outdoor plans, be prepared with sunscreen and take breaks in the shade or get into air conditioning,” Merchant said. “Also, people going to the beach for relief from the heat should anticipate cold water. Just because the air is warming up doesn’t mean the water is warming up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some areas could get close to setting daily record highs early next week. Merchant said the NWS is expecting above-normal temperatures at least through the middle of the month, before a potential minor cooldown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Monday is going to be the hottest day,” Merchant said. “We will have a nice drop by the middle of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most striking view off one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080669/should-california-keep-its-last-nuclear-power-plant-running\">San Luis Obispo County\u003c/a>’s winding coastal roads is not the lashing ocean waves of the Pacific Ocean or cows plodding out from the shade of a California live oak tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is two enormous concrete domes that come into focus along a final climb that began 7 miles back at Avila Beach. The land sinks away, and what looks like a small town emerges, showcased in a palette of grays, whites and terracotta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is Diablo Canyon, California’s last operating nuclear power plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just years ago, the plant was slated to close, and employees worked to decommission it, until a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846\">2022\u003c/a> about-face by Gov. Gavin Newsom led the state to extend its operations to 2030. Now lawmakers in Sacramento are talking about allowing it to operate even longer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000605/the-debate-for-keeping-diablo-canyon-open-past-2030-is-on-what-could-it-mean-for-your-bills\">potentially to 2045\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local groups, some of whom have protested the plant \u003ca href=\"https://www.foundsf.org/The_Diablo_Canyon_Blockade_1981\">since its construction\u003c/a>, are banging the drum ever louder about their concerns for \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/2025-reports-on-the-health-impacts-of-living-near-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant/\">safety\u003c/a> or a catastrophic \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/campaign-to-stop-diablo/\">meltdown\u003c/a>, as well as the danger posed by spent nuclear waste at a site near several seismic faultlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_790877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1910px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-790877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1910\" height=\"1271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg 1910w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1440x958.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-960x639.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1910px) 100vw, 1910px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, academics are furiously analyzing how much keeping Diablo Canyon open would \u003ca href=\"https://ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper/the-economics-of-continued-operation-of-the-diablo-canyon-nuclear-power-plant-2030-2045/\">cost\u003c/a> and if it would support or hinder the state’s clean energy transition. And business groups are lining up in \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyon2045.com/\">support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when PG&E offered press tours earlier this year, KQED accepted. The nuclear power plant has not garnered this much attention in years, but now, once again, all eyes are on Diablo Canyon. What does it look like inside?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Out on the water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour started on a boat in a protected marina just south of the reactors. This, and another cove just outside the breakwaters, are the site of a key piece of the plant’s cooling system — and a major concern for environmentalists, who argue it hoovers up and kills marine life and have \u003ca href=\"https://theotterproject.org/blog/diablo-canyon-power-plants-marine-life-destruction-will-continue-without-intervention\">called it\u003c/a> “the most destructive facility” along California’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dipping a hand in Diablo Cove, the water is lukewarm, not the frosty standard for the ocean in these parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000152\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Jones, a regulatory and environmental senior director at PG&E, pilots a boat near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s because Diablo Canyon draws 2 billion-2.5 billion gallons of ocean water daily — enough to fill more than 3,000 Olympic-size swimming pools — into the plant to cool equipment, and discharges the water back into the ocean typically 16 to 17 degrees hotter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warmer water makes it feel as if a chunk of Southern California’s coast has been lobbed off and transferred north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out on the water, there was a hotbed of animal activity: a floating sea otter and chubby seals sunning themselves on rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were other species too — sea bass, stingrays, and California’s state fish, the garibaldi, which typically live farther south along California’s coast, but have moved here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon staff said the warm water leads to essentially no change to the environment. Because fishing and other activities are not allowed within 2,000 yards of the plant, it’s a “de facto marine sanctuary,” said Tom Jones, a senior director in charge of future planning for Diablo Canyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Coastal Commission, the state agency tasked with protecting the coastline and its natural resources, reported in 2025 that the plant’s cooling system kills almost two billion larval fish annually, plus other organisms that aren’t measured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lion Rock, home to hundreds of California sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds, near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo, on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While adult populations may be abundant in Diablo Cove, the commission wrote that adults often appear far from where they spawn, and their presence here may be the result of productive marine habitats nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission also warned that removing eggs and larvae near Diablo Canyon leads to “a significant reduction” of species dozens of miles from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These planktonic organisms,” wrote the commission, “constitute the base of the food web in California’s coastal waters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To the turbine deck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We donned hard hats and safety equipment and passed through heavy security to enter the “protected area,” which consists of spaces closer to the nuclear reactors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We entered the turbine deck, an industrial building the size of two-and-a-half football fields. It was hot and loud on the deck, with a slight vibration underfoot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The turbine deck at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The steam-driven turbine inside is an enormous semi-cylinder that looks like a horizontal steel pipe cut in half, and spins a generator to produce electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The PG&E guide pointed out the window at a containment dome, where uranium atoms are split apart, releasing huge amounts of heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a reactor containment building from the turbine building at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A cascade of effects follows: the heat warms water and creates steam, the steam travels through pipes to turn the turbine, the turbine connects to a generator, which makes electricity that’s then sent across the grid and delivered to about three million Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nuclear generates nearly\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\"> 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s energy supply, part of an energy mix that includes gas, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal and even small amounts of coal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000854\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1172px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1172\" height=\"727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg 1172w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-768x476.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1172px) 100vw, 1172px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Power generation at Diablo Canyon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While California’s demand for electricity has been flat for years, it’s now growing with the adoption of electric vehicles, people swapping gas appliances for electric ones, and data centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate to keep Diablo Canyon open is spurred, in part, by this uptick in demand. Maureen Zawalick, senior vice president and chief risk officer at PG&E, said stepping into the turbine deck reminds her of the end uses of all this power: “safety in hospitals, kidney dialysis, stop lights and everything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is walking its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">economy across a tightrope.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s growth in the 20th century was built on a foundation of fossil fuels, but leaders see its future as being powered by the buildout of renewables like solar and wind, along with batteries to store excess power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When heat waves strained California’s power grid and caused rolling blackouts in 2020, state lawmakers and Newsom voted to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as electricity bills continue to rise and demand is forecast to grow, proponents argue that keeping the plant open even longer can help California wobble across the precarious middle of the tightrope.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The simulator\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We shed our safety gear and headed to the training building, with classrooms and an exact replica of the control room, called the simulator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was cool and quiet again as employees completed a training exercise, manipulating switches, lights and screens on a semicircle of vertical boards. Zawalick said the simulator’s seafoam green walls are meant to inspire calm, but its very existence is due to nuclear disasters that have occurred elsewhere in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A training facility at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Simulators became a requirement for all nuclear power plants in 1979 after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania. The partial meltdown was the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history and was caused by both human and equipment failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Practicing in a replica of Diablo Canyon’s actual control room is meant to train workers with the muscle memory to handle a variety of emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees spend 20% of their time in the Diablo Canyon simulator training for everything from planned refueling to routine maintenance to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcisc.org/download/library/annual-reports/35th-annual-report-93.pdf\">major emergencies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spent nuclear fuel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To finish the tour, we drove uphill and farther from the ocean to find dozens of hulking concrete cylinders that contain spent fuel, called “dry casks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is the concern of resident groups who fear an earthquake or terrorist attack could destabilize the storage and spew radioactive waste into the ocean or nearby communities. People living nearby are mailed annual emergency \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/emergency-planning-zone-information.aspx\">preparedness\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/about/pge-systems/emergency-planning-brochure.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> and have access to a free dose of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/potassium-iodide-information.aspx\">potassium iodide\u003c/a>, which protects the thyroid gland against radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spent nuclear fuel in dry storage behind a raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Seeley has rallied against Diablo Canyon for decades as a member of the anti-nuclear nonprofit Mothers for Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as I would love it if nuclear waste were not toxic and lethal to a thousand generations in the future, that’s not the fact. The fact is that it is toxic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once fuel has been used inside the plant, radiation levels are dangerously high and have the potential to kill an exposed person \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">in minutes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000157\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spent fuel spends 7 to 10 years next to the reactors in “wet storage,” a large pool of water treated with chemicals. The liquid absorbs heat and decays of the uranium, which has high levels of radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is then packed into the double-lined, stainless steel and reinforced dry casks, roughly 20 feet tall. Each is bolted to a 7.5-foot-thick, steel-reinforced concrete pad designed to withstand earthquakes. The fuel requires special handling for \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">tens of thousands of years\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon is located roughly 3.5 miles from the Hosgri fault, which presents the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml1633/ML16334A406.pdf\">main seismic risk\u003c/a> to the plant. Another fault, the Shoreline, is closer to the plant, but smaller. Some seismologists are concerned that a quake along the faults could cause a \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/may-15-2025-top-seismologist-urges-immediate-shutdown-of-diablo-canyon-nuclear-reactor-citing-unacceptable-risk-of-an-earthquake-triggered-meltdown/\">meltdown\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. government is legally \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-III/part-961\">obligated\u003c/a> to take ownership of all commercially spent nuclear fuel, but because the government has not yet built a permanent place to put it, the fuel is stored at the power plant.[aside postID=science_2000695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Current solutions like Diablo Canyon’s dry storage casks, while they may be thorough, are only licensed until 2064 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick said PG&E is confident in the storage of Diablo Canyon’s spent fuel, though. She pointed out that nuclear power is “the only energy source that knows exactly where every ounce of our waste is.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PG&E monitor the spent fuel on a \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">daily\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/oversight\">annual basis\u003c/a>. “It’s secured, it’s inspected, it’s audited, it’s sampled. I’m a fan of all energy sources, but I don’t know where solar panels are sent when they’re done, and batteries, and all of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick pointed to the powerful transmission lines carrying energy created here out to millions of Californians: to illuminate rooms for special and mundane occasions, preserve food in refrigerators, run air conditioners, and warm their shower water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Order and safety come up frequently on the Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour: background checks, armed guards, seismic protective measures, reminders to hold on to handrails when on steps. The result is a calm and kempt environment, situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But underneath the serenity lie the inherent risks of nuclear power, especially when sited near seismic faultlines. Diablo Canyon has been the source of passionate debate as long as the idea of it has existed. And any effort to keep it operating longer will be no different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with that, the tour was over, and the guides returned to their work. A cow made its way slowly across the access road, with no idea of its contentious neighbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "All eyes are turned to Diablo Canyon Power Plant as the debate about extending its life returns to Sacramento. But what’s it like inside?",
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"title": "A Rare Look Inside California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most striking view off one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080669/should-california-keep-its-last-nuclear-power-plant-running\">San Luis Obispo County\u003c/a>’s winding coastal roads is not the lashing ocean waves of the Pacific Ocean or cows plodding out from the shade of a California live oak tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is two enormous concrete domes that come into focus along a final climb that began 7 miles back at Avila Beach. The land sinks away, and what looks like a small town emerges, showcased in a palette of grays, whites and terracotta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is Diablo Canyon, California’s last operating nuclear power plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just years ago, the plant was slated to close, and employees worked to decommission it, until a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846\">2022\u003c/a> about-face by Gov. Gavin Newsom led the state to extend its operations to 2030. Now lawmakers in Sacramento are talking about allowing it to operate even longer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000605/the-debate-for-keeping-diablo-canyon-open-past-2030-is-on-what-could-it-mean-for-your-bills\">potentially to 2045\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local groups, some of whom have protested the plant \u003ca href=\"https://www.foundsf.org/The_Diablo_Canyon_Blockade_1981\">since its construction\u003c/a>, are banging the drum ever louder about their concerns for \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/2025-reports-on-the-health-impacts-of-living-near-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant/\">safety\u003c/a> or a catastrophic \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/campaign-to-stop-diablo/\">meltdown\u003c/a>, as well as the danger posed by spent nuclear waste at a site near several seismic faultlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_790877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1910px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-790877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1910\" height=\"1271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg 1910w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1440x958.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-960x639.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1910px) 100vw, 1910px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, academics are furiously analyzing how much keeping Diablo Canyon open would \u003ca href=\"https://ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper/the-economics-of-continued-operation-of-the-diablo-canyon-nuclear-power-plant-2030-2045/\">cost\u003c/a> and if it would support or hinder the state’s clean energy transition. And business groups are lining up in \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyon2045.com/\">support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when PG&E offered press tours earlier this year, KQED accepted. The nuclear power plant has not garnered this much attention in years, but now, once again, all eyes are on Diablo Canyon. What does it look like inside?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Out on the water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour started on a boat in a protected marina just south of the reactors. This, and another cove just outside the breakwaters, are the site of a key piece of the plant’s cooling system — and a major concern for environmentalists, who argue it hoovers up and kills marine life and have \u003ca href=\"https://theotterproject.org/blog/diablo-canyon-power-plants-marine-life-destruction-will-continue-without-intervention\">called it\u003c/a> “the most destructive facility” along California’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dipping a hand in Diablo Cove, the water is lukewarm, not the frosty standard for the ocean in these parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000152\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Jones, a regulatory and environmental senior director at PG&E, pilots a boat near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s because Diablo Canyon draws 2 billion-2.5 billion gallons of ocean water daily — enough to fill more than 3,000 Olympic-size swimming pools — into the plant to cool equipment, and discharges the water back into the ocean typically 16 to 17 degrees hotter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warmer water makes it feel as if a chunk of Southern California’s coast has been lobbed off and transferred north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out on the water, there was a hotbed of animal activity: a floating sea otter and chubby seals sunning themselves on rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were other species too — sea bass, stingrays, and California’s state fish, the garibaldi, which typically live farther south along California’s coast, but have moved here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon staff said the warm water leads to essentially no change to the environment. Because fishing and other activities are not allowed within 2,000 yards of the plant, it’s a “de facto marine sanctuary,” said Tom Jones, a senior director in charge of future planning for Diablo Canyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Coastal Commission, the state agency tasked with protecting the coastline and its natural resources, reported in 2025 that the plant’s cooling system kills almost two billion larval fish annually, plus other organisms that aren’t measured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lion Rock, home to hundreds of California sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds, near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo, on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While adult populations may be abundant in Diablo Cove, the commission wrote that adults often appear far from where they spawn, and their presence here may be the result of productive marine habitats nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission also warned that removing eggs and larvae near Diablo Canyon leads to “a significant reduction” of species dozens of miles from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These planktonic organisms,” wrote the commission, “constitute the base of the food web in California’s coastal waters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To the turbine deck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We donned hard hats and safety equipment and passed through heavy security to enter the “protected area,” which consists of spaces closer to the nuclear reactors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We entered the turbine deck, an industrial building the size of two-and-a-half football fields. It was hot and loud on the deck, with a slight vibration underfoot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The turbine deck at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The steam-driven turbine inside is an enormous semi-cylinder that looks like a horizontal steel pipe cut in half, and spins a generator to produce electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The PG&E guide pointed out the window at a containment dome, where uranium atoms are split apart, releasing huge amounts of heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a reactor containment building from the turbine building at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A cascade of effects follows: the heat warms water and creates steam, the steam travels through pipes to turn the turbine, the turbine connects to a generator, which makes electricity that’s then sent across the grid and delivered to about three million Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nuclear generates nearly\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\"> 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s energy supply, part of an energy mix that includes gas, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal and even small amounts of coal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000854\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1172px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1172\" height=\"727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg 1172w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-768x476.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1172px) 100vw, 1172px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Power generation at Diablo Canyon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While California’s demand for electricity has been flat for years, it’s now growing with the adoption of electric vehicles, people swapping gas appliances for electric ones, and data centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate to keep Diablo Canyon open is spurred, in part, by this uptick in demand. Maureen Zawalick, senior vice president and chief risk officer at PG&E, said stepping into the turbine deck reminds her of the end uses of all this power: “safety in hospitals, kidney dialysis, stop lights and everything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is walking its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">economy across a tightrope.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s growth in the 20th century was built on a foundation of fossil fuels, but leaders see its future as being powered by the buildout of renewables like solar and wind, along with batteries to store excess power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When heat waves strained California’s power grid and caused rolling blackouts in 2020, state lawmakers and Newsom voted to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as electricity bills continue to rise and demand is forecast to grow, proponents argue that keeping the plant open even longer can help California wobble across the precarious middle of the tightrope.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The simulator\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We shed our safety gear and headed to the training building, with classrooms and an exact replica of the control room, called the simulator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was cool and quiet again as employees completed a training exercise, manipulating switches, lights and screens on a semicircle of vertical boards. Zawalick said the simulator’s seafoam green walls are meant to inspire calm, but its very existence is due to nuclear disasters that have occurred elsewhere in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A training facility at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Simulators became a requirement for all nuclear power plants in 1979 after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania. The partial meltdown was the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history and was caused by both human and equipment failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Practicing in a replica of Diablo Canyon’s actual control room is meant to train workers with the muscle memory to handle a variety of emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees spend 20% of their time in the Diablo Canyon simulator training for everything from planned refueling to routine maintenance to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcisc.org/download/library/annual-reports/35th-annual-report-93.pdf\">major emergencies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spent nuclear fuel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To finish the tour, we drove uphill and farther from the ocean to find dozens of hulking concrete cylinders that contain spent fuel, called “dry casks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is the concern of resident groups who fear an earthquake or terrorist attack could destabilize the storage and spew radioactive waste into the ocean or nearby communities. People living nearby are mailed annual emergency \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/emergency-planning-zone-information.aspx\">preparedness\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/about/pge-systems/emergency-planning-brochure.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> and have access to a free dose of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/potassium-iodide-information.aspx\">potassium iodide\u003c/a>, which protects the thyroid gland against radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spent nuclear fuel in dry storage behind a raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Seeley has rallied against Diablo Canyon for decades as a member of the anti-nuclear nonprofit Mothers for Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as I would love it if nuclear waste were not toxic and lethal to a thousand generations in the future, that’s not the fact. The fact is that it is toxic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once fuel has been used inside the plant, radiation levels are dangerously high and have the potential to kill an exposed person \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">in minutes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000157\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spent fuel spends 7 to 10 years next to the reactors in “wet storage,” a large pool of water treated with chemicals. The liquid absorbs heat and decays of the uranium, which has high levels of radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is then packed into the double-lined, stainless steel and reinforced dry casks, roughly 20 feet tall. Each is bolted to a 7.5-foot-thick, steel-reinforced concrete pad designed to withstand earthquakes. The fuel requires special handling for \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">tens of thousands of years\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon is located roughly 3.5 miles from the Hosgri fault, which presents the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml1633/ML16334A406.pdf\">main seismic risk\u003c/a> to the plant. Another fault, the Shoreline, is closer to the plant, but smaller. Some seismologists are concerned that a quake along the faults could cause a \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/may-15-2025-top-seismologist-urges-immediate-shutdown-of-diablo-canyon-nuclear-reactor-citing-unacceptable-risk-of-an-earthquake-triggered-meltdown/\">meltdown\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. government is legally \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-III/part-961\">obligated\u003c/a> to take ownership of all commercially spent nuclear fuel, but because the government has not yet built a permanent place to put it, the fuel is stored at the power plant.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Current solutions like Diablo Canyon’s dry storage casks, while they may be thorough, are only licensed until 2064 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick said PG&E is confident in the storage of Diablo Canyon’s spent fuel, though. She pointed out that nuclear power is “the only energy source that knows exactly where every ounce of our waste is.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PG&E monitor the spent fuel on a \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">daily\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/oversight\">annual basis\u003c/a>. “It’s secured, it’s inspected, it’s audited, it’s sampled. I’m a fan of all energy sources, but I don’t know where solar panels are sent when they’re done, and batteries, and all of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick pointed to the powerful transmission lines carrying energy created here out to millions of Californians: to illuminate rooms for special and mundane occasions, preserve food in refrigerators, run air conditioners, and warm their shower water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Order and safety come up frequently on the Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour: background checks, armed guards, seismic protective measures, reminders to hold on to handrails when on steps. The result is a calm and kempt environment, situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But underneath the serenity lie the inherent risks of nuclear power, especially when sited near seismic faultlines. Diablo Canyon has been the source of passionate debate as long as the idea of it has existed. And any effort to keep it operating longer will be no different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with that, the tour was over, and the guides returned to their work. A cow made its way slowly across the access road, with no idea of its contentious neighbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "californias-fuel-fears-threaten-benicias-just-transition-to-green-economy",
"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy",
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"headTitle": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.[aside postID=news_12036695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg']On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.[aside postID=news_12059271 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg']“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.",
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"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy | KQED",
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"headline": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Over the next two days, forecasters expect a cold storm to temporarily reblanket the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/sierra-nevada\">Sierra Nevada\u003c/a> with several feet of snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service has issued a \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=STO&wwa=winter%20storm%20warning\">winter storm warning\u003c/a> through 5 p.m. Wednesday for the Northern Sierra above 5,000 feet. While the storm will bring yet another round of April snow after a historically warm, dry March for California, it’s not expected to do much lasting good for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000372/snow-eater-heat-wave-behind-big-sierra-melt-is-a-look-at-our-climate-future\">the state’s meager snowpack\u003c/a>, which sits at \u003ca href=\"https://snow.water.ca.gov/\">18% of normal\u003c/a> for this time of year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My guess is if you look at the snowpack analysis on Thursday, this will show up as just a blip on the curve,” said Chris Smallcomb, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Reno office. “It’ll keep things from getting worse, at least for a few days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, said in his Tuesday YouTube office hours that while it’s not rare for the Sierra to get snow in April, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000704/bay-area-weather-turns-the-corner-with-more-late-spring-rain\">multiple storms this month\u003c/a> could make it one of the wettest on record for some parts of the range.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We might see some record-breaking numbers in some important locations, from Tahoe to Sacramento to San Francisco,” Swain said. “It does help considerably. Has it erased our snow deficit? Nope.”[aside postID=science_2000704 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/251223-Storm-10-BL_qed-1.jpg']Smallcomb said the system moving in from the Pacific is more of a “travel impact storm,” especially Tuesday evening and potentially Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s your garden-variety spring storm that comes down the coast of California that we get in April and even into May sometimes,” Smallcomb said. “This is on the low end of the storm spectrum in terms of intensity, size, snowfall and all that jazz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the highest peaks could get nearly 2 feet of snow by the time the storm passes on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Roads will get dicey, snow-covered and hazardous over the Sierra, so definitely keep an eye on the traffic and travel conditions,” Smallcomb said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Sacramento office, said the storm isn’t out of character for the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers should expect “major travel delays, road closures, and chain controls” and generally avoid mountain travel over the next two days, he said. After that, Anderson said, the mountains should see “lingering showers through the weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over the next two days, forecasters expect a cold storm to temporarily reblanket the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/sierra-nevada\">Sierra Nevada\u003c/a> with several feet of snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Weather Service has issued a \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=STO&wwa=winter%20storm%20warning\">winter storm warning\u003c/a> through 5 p.m. Wednesday for the Northern Sierra above 5,000 feet. While the storm will bring yet another round of April snow after a historically warm, dry March for California, it’s not expected to do much lasting good for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000372/snow-eater-heat-wave-behind-big-sierra-melt-is-a-look-at-our-climate-future\">the state’s meager snowpack\u003c/a>, which sits at \u003ca href=\"https://snow.water.ca.gov/\">18% of normal\u003c/a> for this time of year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My guess is if you look at the snowpack analysis on Thursday, this will show up as just a blip on the curve,” said Chris Smallcomb, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Reno office. “It’ll keep things from getting worse, at least for a few days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, said in his Tuesday YouTube office hours that while it’s not rare for the Sierra to get snow in April, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000704/bay-area-weather-turns-the-corner-with-more-late-spring-rain\">multiple storms this month\u003c/a> could make it one of the wettest on record for some parts of the range.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We might see some record-breaking numbers in some important locations, from Tahoe to Sacramento to San Francisco,” Swain said. “It does help considerably. Has it erased our snow deficit? Nope.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Smallcomb said the system moving in from the Pacific is more of a “travel impact storm,” especially Tuesday evening and potentially Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s your garden-variety spring storm that comes down the coast of California that we get in April and even into May sometimes,” Smallcomb said. “This is on the low end of the storm spectrum in terms of intensity, size, snowfall and all that jazz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the highest peaks could get nearly 2 feet of snow by the time the storm passes on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Roads will get dicey, snow-covered and hazardous over the Sierra, so definitely keep an eye on the traffic and travel conditions,” Smallcomb said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Sacramento office, said the storm isn’t out of character for the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers should expect “major travel delays, road closures, and chain controls” and generally avoid mountain travel over the next two days, he said. After that, Anderson said, the mountains should see “lingering showers through the weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. \u003c/em>\u003cem>What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareport-podcasts\">California\u003c/a> is in a state of transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden State’s 20th-century success was built on a foundation of fossil fuels: the car allowed the population to skyrocket and suburbs and freeways to proliferate, homegrown oil production generated major capital, and \u003ca href=\"https://cupblog.org/2025/04/02/hollywoods-climate-crisis-a-very-short-history-brian-jacobson/\">Hollywood\u003c/a> illuminated soundstages with lights powered by coal and oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is now banking on a different future, one built on renewable and carbon-free electricity. Lawmakers passed a 2018 \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB100\">mandate\u003c/a> requiring that utilities source 100% of their electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources by the end of 2045. “It will not be easy. It will not be immediate. But it must be done,” then-Gov. Jerry Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding to the challenge is a steep increase in electricity costs, reflected in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">monthly utility bills\u003c/a> Californians must pay each month. Costs have \u003ca href=\"https://www.publicadvocates.cpuc.ca.gov/press-room/reports-and-analyses/2025-q4-electric-rates-report\">nearly doubled\u003c/a> in the last decade, largely driven by investments to shore up the grid against climate-fueled wildfires. The high price of power makes a key component of the transition, the switch from gas to electricity, daunting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, the state is making major progress, but there’s still a long way to go. And like any adolescence, things are prone to get awkward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state of limbo has a name: “\u003ca href=\"https://emilygrubert.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Grubert-and-Hastings-Simon-2022-Designing-the-mid-transition-A-review-of-medium-t.pdf\">mid-transition\u003c/a>,” coined by Emily Grubert, a sustainable energy researcher at the University of Notre Dame. California is among the first places “actually dealing with many of these questions of managed transition” away from fossil fuels, Grubert said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1997021\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1997021\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matthew Milner (left) and Rupert Mayer work to install solar panels in Milner’s backyard in Kensington on May 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The progress and targets California has yet to achieve are visible in the charts below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s use of renewable and zero-carbon sources to generate electricity grew from 41% in 2013 to about \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">67%\u003c/a> in 2023. That includes renewables like solar, wind, and geothermal energy and zero-carbon sources like nuclear and large hydroelectric projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials often trot out the fact that California’s economy has “decoupled” its economic growth from planet-warming pollution. “In California, we know that a healthy, clean climate and thriving economy aren’t zero-sum games. We can excel at both,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1631px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1631\" height=\"1160\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy.jpg 1631w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-768x546.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1631px) 100vw, 1631px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California has increasingly built out and deployed renewable energy in recent years. Renewable and carbon-free sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power comprise the majority of our power now. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/estimated-annual-clean-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> California Energy Commission \u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California’s GDP more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-economy/\">doubled\u003c/a> from 2000 to 2023, even as overall greenhouse gas emissions fell by \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/nc-2000-2023_ghg_inventory_trends_figures.xlsx\">21%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has successfully built out battery storage, reaching 16,942 megawatts (MW) of capacity, enough to power roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/07/12/icymi-california-grid-reaches-5600-mw-of-battery-storage-capacity-a-1020-increase-since-2020/\">13\u003c/a> million homes for 4 hours. That represents a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid\">2100%\u003c/a> increase since 2019. The batteries hold excess solar and wind energy, which is deployed when the sun sets or the wind stops blowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s clean energy transition will be challenging and expensive, but Grubert said, sticking to the current approach is enormously costly as well, and simply not an option on a dangerously warming planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California officials said they have “decoupled” economic growth from overall greenhouse gas emissions. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/california-greenhouse-gas-emissions-decline-across-most-sectors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> California Air Resources Board \u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the challenges will be expanding and strengthening the electricity grid to feed more energy-hungry \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">data centers, electric vehicles and appliances\u003c/a>, while safeguarding utility poles and wires against wildfires and extreme weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state will also need to maintain both aging fossil fuel infrastructure and an expanding electric system in a way that won’t put further strain on Californians struggling with high utility costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How can California achieve its energy future without breaking the bank? Over the coming months, KQED will tell the stories of a California in mid-transition: the challenges and potential solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000735\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000735\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California’s battery storage capacity has exploded in recent years, providing a major asset to the grid during extreme heat. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Energy Commission\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The stories will examine how this enormous shift is unfolding at the state, community and individual levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’ll look at the power sources available to the state — including nuclear, solar, wind — the challenges that come with them, and the costs of building out new sources of power or keeping older ones online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’ll report on community efforts to swap gas appliances for electric ones, including how low- and middle-income families are making this switch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And we’ll cover how individuals, even in this murky middle ground, are taking action: renters investing in portable heat pumps and solar panels, libraries loaning out induction cooktops, electric vehicle owners trying to turn their cars into a backup battery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Follow along as we chronicle the messy, erratic and exciting birth of a new California energy system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "KQED’s new series \"Flipping the Switch\" will explore the costs, challenges and potential fixes as the most populous U.S. state attempts to ditch planet-warming pollution. ",
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"title": "California Is Transitioning From Fossil Fuels to Electric Power. It’s Going to Get Messy | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. \u003c/em>\u003cem>What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareport-podcasts\">California\u003c/a> is in a state of transition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden State’s 20th-century success was built on a foundation of fossil fuels: the car allowed the population to skyrocket and suburbs and freeways to proliferate, homegrown oil production generated major capital, and \u003ca href=\"https://cupblog.org/2025/04/02/hollywoods-climate-crisis-a-very-short-history-brian-jacobson/\">Hollywood\u003c/a> illuminated soundstages with lights powered by coal and oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is now banking on a different future, one built on renewable and carbon-free electricity. Lawmakers passed a 2018 \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB100\">mandate\u003c/a> requiring that utilities source 100% of their electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources by the end of 2045. “It will not be easy. It will not be immediate. But it must be done,” then-Gov. Jerry Brown said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding to the challenge is a steep increase in electricity costs, reflected in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">monthly utility bills\u003c/a> Californians must pay each month. Costs have \u003ca href=\"https://www.publicadvocates.cpuc.ca.gov/press-room/reports-and-analyses/2025-q4-electric-rates-report\">nearly doubled\u003c/a> in the last decade, largely driven by investments to shore up the grid against climate-fueled wildfires. The high price of power makes a key component of the transition, the switch from gas to electricity, daunting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, the state is making major progress, but there’s still a long way to go. And like any adolescence, things are prone to get awkward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state of limbo has a name: “\u003ca href=\"https://emilygrubert.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Grubert-and-Hastings-Simon-2022-Designing-the-mid-transition-A-review-of-medium-t.pdf\">mid-transition\u003c/a>,” coined by Emily Grubert, a sustainable energy researcher at the University of Notre Dame. California is among the first places “actually dealing with many of these questions of managed transition” away from fossil fuels, Grubert said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1997021\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1997021\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matthew Milner (left) and Rupert Mayer work to install solar panels in Milner’s backyard in Kensington on May 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The progress and targets California has yet to achieve are visible in the charts below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s use of renewable and zero-carbon sources to generate electricity grew from 41% in 2013 to about \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">67%\u003c/a> in 2023. That includes renewables like solar, wind, and geothermal energy and zero-carbon sources like nuclear and large hydroelectric projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials often trot out the fact that California’s economy has “decoupled” its economic growth from planet-warming pollution. “In California, we know that a healthy, clean climate and thriving economy aren’t zero-sum games. We can excel at both,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1631px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1631\" height=\"1160\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy.jpg 1631w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-768x546.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1631px) 100vw, 1631px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California has increasingly built out and deployed renewable energy in recent years. Renewable and carbon-free sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power comprise the majority of our power now. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/estimated-annual-clean-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> California Energy Commission \u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California’s GDP more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-economy/\">doubled\u003c/a> from 2000 to 2023, even as overall greenhouse gas emissions fell by \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/nc-2000-2023_ghg_inventory_trends_figures.xlsx\">21%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has successfully built out battery storage, reaching 16,942 megawatts (MW) of capacity, enough to power roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/07/12/icymi-california-grid-reaches-5600-mw-of-battery-storage-capacity-a-1020-increase-since-2020/\">13\u003c/a> million homes for 4 hours. That represents a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid\">2100%\u003c/a> increase since 2019. The batteries hold excess solar and wind energy, which is deployed when the sun sets or the wind stops blowing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s clean energy transition will be challenging and expensive, but Grubert said, sticking to the current approach is enormously costly as well, and simply not an option on a dangerously warming planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/SecondGraphClimate-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California officials said they have “decoupled” economic growth from overall greenhouse gas emissions. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/california-greenhouse-gas-emissions-decline-across-most-sectors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> California Air Resources Board \u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the challenges will be expanding and strengthening the electricity grid to feed more energy-hungry \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">data centers, electric vehicles and appliances\u003c/a>, while safeguarding utility poles and wires against wildfires and extreme weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state will also need to maintain both aging fossil fuel infrastructure and an expanding electric system in a way that won’t put further strain on Californians struggling with high utility costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How can California achieve its energy future without breaking the bank? Over the coming months, KQED will tell the stories of a California in mid-transition: the challenges and potential solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000735\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000735\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Clean-Energy-Milestone_Nov-2025-1920x1080-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California’s battery storage capacity has exploded in recent years, providing a major asset to the grid during extreme heat. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California Energy Commission\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The stories will examine how this enormous shift is unfolding at the state, community and individual levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’ll look at the power sources available to the state — including nuclear, solar, wind — the challenges that come with them, and the costs of building out new sources of power or keeping older ones online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’ll report on community efforts to swap gas appliances for electric ones, including how low- and middle-income families are making this switch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And we’ll cover how individuals, even in this murky middle ground, are taking action: renters investing in portable heat pumps and solar panels, libraries loaning out induction cooktops, electric vehicle owners trying to turn their cars into a backup battery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Follow along as we chronicle the messy, erratic and exciting birth of a new California energy system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Rain has returned to the Bay Area after a stretch of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000315/record-breaking-heat-wave-bakes-the-bay-area-through-friday\">record warm spring weather\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Showers hit the North Bay on Monday morning, ushering in a storm front that will move through Northern California and the Central Coast throughout the early part of this week with up to 3 inches of rainfall and snow in the mountains — and more could follow heading into early May, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are turning the corner with wetter weather,” said NWS meteorologist Matt Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher elevation areas such as the Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz and North Bay mountains could see 2 to 3 inches of rain this week. In San Francisco, Oakland and other more central parts of the Bay Area, the storm system is expected to drop half an inch to an inch and a half of rain, according to Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following Monday’s most significant rainfall, he said there could be additional showers and a chance of thunderstorms through Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storm system is unseasonably late for the Bay Area, where the end of April into May usually marks a transition to springtime weather. But, Maley said, it’s sorely needed given the lack of rain and snowfall in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In mid-March, temperatures across the state soared \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000299/a-delight-mare-bay-area-sizzles-march-heat-wave-could-shatter-records\">up to 30 degrees above average\u003c/a>, breaking into the 90s in the South Bay and 80s in San Francisco. While the extended heat wave was fun for some beachgoers, it raised alarms among state officials, who said the melting snowpack could lead to drought and early wildfire conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any late spring rainfall is definitely a welcome sight,” Maley told KQED. “This will be mainly beneficial rain, that’s going to delay any type of fire weather concerns as we head into the upcoming summer.”[aside postID=news_12080455 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260415-SPUREARTHQUAKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg']The storm is also expected to hit the Sierra Nevada, adding up to three feet to the dwindling snowpack at elevations about 7,000 feet. Early spring weather there has also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000372/snow-eater-heat-wave-behind-big-sierra-melt-is-a-look-at-our-climate-future\">whittled away snow in recent months\u003c/a>, forcing many ski resorts to shut down for the season early or close runs where slushy ice has all but disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the month, the Sierra’s snowpack was just \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000531/as-sierra-snowpack-dwindles-concern-mounts-over-fire-risk-and-water-management\">18% of its April 1 average\u003c/a>. The final winter survey is supposed to be the California Department of Water Resources’ best indicator of how much water will be available for farms and cities through the warmer seasons — and generally marks the height of the snowpack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, green grass peeked through patchy snow as the officials took measurements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While California’s reservoirs are in relatively good shape, officials warned that if record-breaking years like this one compound, it could be a different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is how droughts start,” Aaron Baker, the chief operating officer for the Santa Clara Valley Water District in the South Bay, told KQED at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, the Bay Area could see another unusual weather pattern this spring, with April showers bleeding into May. The 14-day forecast is showing elevated precipitation chances, according to Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Extended guidance from the Climate Prediction Center leans towards temperatures and rain totals above seasonal averages for the last days of April into the first days of May,” the weather service said Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Rain has returned to the Bay Area after a stretch of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000315/record-breaking-heat-wave-bakes-the-bay-area-through-friday\">record warm spring weather\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Showers hit the North Bay on Monday morning, ushering in a storm front that will move through Northern California and the Central Coast throughout the early part of this week with up to 3 inches of rainfall and snow in the mountains — and more could follow heading into early May, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are turning the corner with wetter weather,” said NWS meteorologist Matt Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher elevation areas such as the Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz and North Bay mountains could see 2 to 3 inches of rain this week. In San Francisco, Oakland and other more central parts of the Bay Area, the storm system is expected to drop half an inch to an inch and a half of rain, according to Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following Monday’s most significant rainfall, he said there could be additional showers and a chance of thunderstorms through Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storm system is unseasonably late for the Bay Area, where the end of April into May usually marks a transition to springtime weather. But, Maley said, it’s sorely needed given the lack of rain and snowfall in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In mid-March, temperatures across the state soared \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000299/a-delight-mare-bay-area-sizzles-march-heat-wave-could-shatter-records\">up to 30 degrees above average\u003c/a>, breaking into the 90s in the South Bay and 80s in San Francisco. While the extended heat wave was fun for some beachgoers, it raised alarms among state officials, who said the melting snowpack could lead to drought and early wildfire conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any late spring rainfall is definitely a welcome sight,” Maley told KQED. “This will be mainly beneficial rain, that’s going to delay any type of fire weather concerns as we head into the upcoming summer.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The storm is also expected to hit the Sierra Nevada, adding up to three feet to the dwindling snowpack at elevations about 7,000 feet. Early spring weather there has also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000372/snow-eater-heat-wave-behind-big-sierra-melt-is-a-look-at-our-climate-future\">whittled away snow in recent months\u003c/a>, forcing many ski resorts to shut down for the season early or close runs where slushy ice has all but disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the month, the Sierra’s snowpack was just \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000531/as-sierra-snowpack-dwindles-concern-mounts-over-fire-risk-and-water-management\">18% of its April 1 average\u003c/a>. The final winter survey is supposed to be the California Department of Water Resources’ best indicator of how much water will be available for farms and cities through the warmer seasons — and generally marks the height of the snowpack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, green grass peeked through patchy snow as the officials took measurements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While California’s reservoirs are in relatively good shape, officials warned that if record-breaking years like this one compound, it could be a different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is how droughts start,” Aaron Baker, the chief operating officer for the Santa Clara Valley Water District in the South Bay, told KQED at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, the Bay Area could see another unusual weather pattern this spring, with April showers bleeding into May. The 14-day forecast is showing elevated precipitation chances, according to Maley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Extended guidance from the Climate Prediction Center leans towards temperatures and rain totals above seasonal averages for the last days of April into the first days of May,” the weather service said Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘Who’s Not Paying?’: Fire Survivors Back California Bill to Hold Big Oil Accountable",
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"content": "\u003cp>As worsening \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">climate\u003c/a>-related disasters like fires and floods drive up insurance costs in California, state Sen. Scott Wiener and fire survivors are pushing for a bill that could give the state a way to force oil companies to pay for their role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 982, a streamlined \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024206/fire-survivors-insurers-could-sue-big-oil-climate-disasters-under-california-bill\">version of a bill\u003c/a> that did not pass last year in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles-area fires, aims to blunt rising insurance costs by allowing the state attorney general to sue fossil fuel companies for damages connected to a climate disaster such as a wildfire, heat wave, drought or storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, supporters and opponents shared their thoughts on the bill with lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gayle Ali and her husband, Rasheed, said they were celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary when the Eaton Fire destroyed their house in Altadena, where they have lived for 30 years. The fire took her photo studio, her husband’s music studio, furniture, cars and family photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A life erased,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re rebuilding with the help of their community and crowdfunding grants, but they don’t know if insurance will be available or how much it will cost in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1999799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1999799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What truly angers me is knowing that this wasn’t just bad luck,” Ali said. “I’ve since learned that back in the ’80s, years before we bought our home, Exxon’s own scientists warned the effects of their products would be catastrophic. They chose to hide the truth and spend millions on PR campaigns that are still running today. They keep profiting while putting our communities in danger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oil companies such as ExxonMobil had their own internal research \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/project/exxon-the-road-not-taken/\">decades ago\u003c/a> showing that burning fossil fuel would contribute to global warming, which intensifies extreme disasters like fires and floods. Publicly, however, they sought to undermine the science and cast doubt on the effects of human-caused climate change. Meanwhile, they have continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nypirg.org/pubs/202603/Big_Oil_Profits_Release_Draft_3.15.26.pdf\">rake in large profits\u003c/a> year after year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While so much of our community has lost everything — I mean everything — and so many families can barely afford food, let alone rebuild, the five largest oil corporations made nearly $400 billion in profit over the last three years,” Ali said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet right now, taxpayers and disaster survivors are the only ones paying for climate change, she said.[aside postID=science_2000611 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-25-BL_qed.jpg']“We have to ask, who’s not paying?” Wiener said while speaking in support of his bill. “We know that the victims, the survivors, are paying in profound ways. Taxpayers are paying. And of course, policyholders are paying with much higher premiums. Who’s not paying? The answer is the fossil fuel industry, the corporations whose products fueled this crisis by fueling climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill’s \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB982&showamends=false\">current version\u003c/a> is simplified from the proposal that Wiener and a colleague introduced last year, which would have allowed disaster survivors or insurance companies themselves to sue for damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard the feedback [from last year],” Wiener said. “This bill is profoundly narrower.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the bill’s current version, the amount of damages sought in a civil action filed by the attorney general would be in proportion to a company’s market share. Any payouts would go to a newly created Attorney General Climate Disaster Fund and be distributed to policyholders; the California FAIR plan, which is the state’s insurer of last resort; the California Safe Homes grant program, which provides funding for fire-hardening work in high-risk areas; and to cover litigation costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry opponents say the bill would raise gas prices and kill jobs. A \u003ca href=\"https://centerforjobs.org/wp-content/uploads/SB-982-Consumer-and-Economic-Impacts-Report.pdf\">report released\u003c/a> this month by the California Center for Jobs and the Economy details concerns ranging from higher premiums to less tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener rebutted these concerns, saying that gas is a global commodity, with prices set by worldwide market forces and not “the threat of hypothetical litigation,” and that the analyses ignore the benefits of payments to disaster survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Louise Bedsworth, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, spoke in support of the bill and pointed out that by the end of the century, the average area burned by wildfire in the state is projected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/californias-mega-fires-have-arrived-30-years-early/\">increase by 77%\u003c/a> if emissions continue to rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As worsening \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">climate\u003c/a>-related disasters like fires and floods drive up insurance costs in California, state Sen. Scott Wiener and fire survivors are pushing for a bill that could give the state a way to force oil companies to pay for their role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SB 982, a streamlined \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024206/fire-survivors-insurers-could-sue-big-oil-climate-disasters-under-california-bill\">version of a bill\u003c/a> that did not pass last year in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles-area fires, aims to blunt rising insurance costs by allowing the state attorney general to sue fossil fuel companies for damages connected to a climate disaster such as a wildfire, heat wave, drought or storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, supporters and opponents shared their thoughts on the bill with lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gayle Ali and her husband, Rasheed, said they were celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary when the Eaton Fire destroyed their house in Altadena, where they have lived for 30 years. The fire took her photo studio, her husband’s music studio, furniture, cars and family photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A life erased,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re rebuilding with the help of their community and crowdfunding grants, but they don’t know if insurance will be available or how much it will cost in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1999799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1999799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/240109-CAWindStorm-055_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What truly angers me is knowing that this wasn’t just bad luck,” Ali said. “I’ve since learned that back in the ’80s, years before we bought our home, Exxon’s own scientists warned the effects of their products would be catastrophic. They chose to hide the truth and spend millions on PR campaigns that are still running today. They keep profiting while putting our communities in danger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oil companies such as ExxonMobil had their own internal research \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/project/exxon-the-road-not-taken/\">decades ago\u003c/a> showing that burning fossil fuel would contribute to global warming, which intensifies extreme disasters like fires and floods. Publicly, however, they sought to undermine the science and cast doubt on the effects of human-caused climate change. Meanwhile, they have continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nypirg.org/pubs/202603/Big_Oil_Profits_Release_Draft_3.15.26.pdf\">rake in large profits\u003c/a> year after year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While so much of our community has lost everything — I mean everything — and so many families can barely afford food, let alone rebuild, the five largest oil corporations made nearly $400 billion in profit over the last three years,” Ali said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet right now, taxpayers and disaster survivors are the only ones paying for climate change, she said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We have to ask, who’s not paying?” Wiener said while speaking in support of his bill. “We know that the victims, the survivors, are paying in profound ways. Taxpayers are paying. And of course, policyholders are paying with much higher premiums. Who’s not paying? The answer is the fossil fuel industry, the corporations whose products fueled this crisis by fueling climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill’s \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB982&showamends=false\">current version\u003c/a> is simplified from the proposal that Wiener and a colleague introduced last year, which would have allowed disaster survivors or insurance companies themselves to sue for damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard the feedback [from last year],” Wiener said. “This bill is profoundly narrower.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the bill’s current version, the amount of damages sought in a civil action filed by the attorney general would be in proportion to a company’s market share. Any payouts would go to a newly created Attorney General Climate Disaster Fund and be distributed to policyholders; the California FAIR plan, which is the state’s insurer of last resort; the California Safe Homes grant program, which provides funding for fire-hardening work in high-risk areas; and to cover litigation costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry opponents say the bill would raise gas prices and kill jobs. A \u003ca href=\"https://centerforjobs.org/wp-content/uploads/SB-982-Consumer-and-Economic-Impacts-Report.pdf\">report released\u003c/a> this month by the California Center for Jobs and the Economy details concerns ranging from higher premiums to less tax revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener rebutted these concerns, saying that gas is a global commodity, with prices set by worldwide market forces and not “the threat of hypothetical litigation,” and that the analyses ignore the benefits of payments to disaster survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Louise Bedsworth, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, spoke in support of the bill and pointed out that by the end of the century, the average area burned by wildfire in the state is projected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/californias-mega-fires-have-arrived-30-years-early/\">increase by 77%\u003c/a> if emissions continue to rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
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"soldout": {
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