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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "California solar panels tower over canals in Turlock, proving to save water, produce clean energy and improve local water quality.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsoms-bay-delta-plan-thrown-into-confusion-after-rebuke-from-trump-administration",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s current plan for making sure the water flowing through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is clean and abundant enough to protect threatened and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983312/what-happened-to-californias-salmon-season-this-year\">endangered wildlife\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163\">old and not working\u003c/a>. This nexus of waterways, so crucial to the functioning of the state, has been long fought over and will be fought over long into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the moment, however, the fight However, looks particularly chaotic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/09/Delta-e1757533440936.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998447\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Sacramento River in December 2019, in Clarksburg. The area is near a potential site for a new single tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that will help move Northern California water south to cities and farms, state water officials say. (Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s current plan for making sure the water flowing through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is clean and abundant enough to protect threatened and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983312/what-happened-to-californias-salmon-season-this-year\">endangered wildlife\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163\">old and not working\u003c/a>. This nexus of waterways, so crucial to the functioning of the state, has been long fought over and will be fought over long into the future.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Written comments are due by the close of this week for a major rewrite of plan to keep the Bay-Delta ecosystem healthy. \n",
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"title": "Newsom’s Bay-Delta Plan Thrown Into Confusion After Rebuke From Trump Administration | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s current plan for making sure the water flowing through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is clean and abundant enough to protect threatened and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983312/what-happened-to-californias-salmon-season-this-year\">endangered wildlife\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163\">old and not working\u003c/a>. This nexus of waterways, so crucial to the functioning of the state, has been long fought over and will be fought over long into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the moment, however, the fight However, looks particularly chaotic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/09/Delta-e1757533440936.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998447\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Sacramento River in December 2019, in Clarksburg. The area is near a potential site for a new single tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that will help move Northern California water south to cities and farms, state water officials say. (Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-signs-new-law-to-clear-confusion-around-smoke-damage",
"title": "Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For too many wildfire survivors, the end of the fire has never meant the end of the disaster. Families have spent months, and sometimes years, fighting over whether their homes were safe while navigating confusing and inconsistent insurance claims,” Lara said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This law closes a dangerous gap that left wildfire survivors without clear standards, clear answers, and often a clear path home.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop standards for testing, remediating and restoring the lead and asbestos contamination that can come from wildfire smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance broker Karl Susman, who lives in Southern California, said what he observed wasn’t so much the problem of claims getting denied, “they just were getting paid so inconsistently.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might have one company that says, ‘We’re going to come in there, clean it all up, and we’re going to pay for you to live somewhere while we’re doing it.’ Another company would come in and say, ‘Yeah, just get a vacuum and you should be good.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the LA fires were among the strongest advocates for the new law. The bill is not retroactive, however, so survivors will not in general be able to take care of the newfound clarity around insurance company’s responsibilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the consumer protection win was celebrated by advocates, including Amy Bach, executive director of San Francisco-based advocacy group United Policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For too many wildfire survivors, the end of the fire has never meant the end of the disaster. Families have spent months, and sometimes years, fighting over whether their homes were safe while navigating confusing and inconsistent insurance claims,” Lara said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This law closes a dangerous gap that left wildfire survivors without clear standards, clear answers, and often a clear path home.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop standards for testing, remediating and restoring the lead and asbestos contamination that can come from wildfire smoke. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insurance broker Karl Susman, who lives in Southern California, said what he observed wasn’t so much the problem of claims getting denied, “they just were getting paid so inconsistently.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You might have one company that says, ‘We’re going to come in there, clean it all up, and we’re going to pay for you to live somewhere while we’re doing it.’ Another company would come in and say, ‘Yeah, just get a vacuum and you should be good.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Survivors of the LA fires were among the strongest advocates for the new law. The bill is not retroactive, however, so survivors will not in general be able to take care of the newfound clarity around insurance company’s responsibilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, the consumer protection win was celebrated by advocates, including Amy Bach, executive director of San Francisco-based advocacy group United Policyholders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For too many wildfire survivors, the end of the fire has never meant the end of the disaster. Families have spent months, and sometimes years, fighting over whether their homes were safe while navigating confusing and inconsistent insurance claims,” Lara said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This law closes a dangerous gap that left wildfire survivors without clear standards, clear answers, and often a clear path home.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop standards for testing, remediating and restoring the lead and asbestos contamination that can come from wildfire smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance broker Karl Susman, who lives in Southern California, said what he observed wasn’t so much the problem of claims getting denied, “they just were getting paid so inconsistently.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might have one company that says, ‘We’re going to come in there, clean it all up, and we’re going to pay for you to live somewhere while we’re doing it.’ Another company would come in and say, ‘Yeah, just get a vacuum and you should be good.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the LA fires were among the strongest advocates for the new law. The bill is not retroactive, however, so survivors will not in general be able to take care of the newfound clarity around insurance company’s responsibilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the consumer protection win was celebrated by advocates, including Amy Bach, executive director of San Francisco-based advocacy group United Policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "these-bay-area-residents-have-had-plug-in-solar-for-a-year-heres-how-its-going",
"title": "These Bay Area Residents Have Had Balcony Solar for a Year. Here’s How It’s Going",
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"headTitle": "These Bay Area Residents Have Had Balcony Solar for a Year. Here’s How It’s Going | KQED",
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"content": "\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>Each winter, retired teacher Agnes Chan would prepare for her utility bills to skyrocket, and the draft in her hundred-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> home to chill her to the bone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’d tape long, thin pillows to the bottoms of her doors to stop airflow, ready her warmest belongings, and set her thermostat to 60.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would be so stingy with my usage that I would take one blanket, another blanket, a sleeping bag to sit in my room, which is no fun,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She upgraded her windows and doors to be double-paned years ago, but she worried that insulating her craftsman home could cause rot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cord connected to solar panels plugs into an outlet in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Living alone and on a fixed income, Chan would “make myself suffer,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan had long wanted to defray the costs of her bills, which would rise to almost $300 a month in the winter, by installing rooftop solar. But the price was prohibitive, in the tens of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So Chan turned to something else: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">plug-in solar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in, or balcony, solar is a kit consisting of a few solar panels, an inverter and cables. The devices can be hung from balconies or windows, tented in a backyard or placed on a roof. Their small size generates enough electricity to offset just a portion of someone’s energy use, but can meaningfully decrease monthly bills. Systems already being sold in California range in price from $300 to $2,200, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">passed a bill \u003c/a>to formally legalize plug-in solar, which previously existed in a legal gray area. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">That bill\u003c/a> now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001782\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If signed, it would take effect in January, and products will likely hit the California market in the spring, said Erik Mebust, communications director for Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy would exempt plug-in solar devices that meet safety and technical standards from the costly registration process required for rooftop solar arrays. That exemption would sunset in 2030, and advocates of the technology are already gearing up for a fight to see that date extended or erased. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By then, plug-in solar products sold would be required to meet standards outlined by independent safety organizations like Underwriters Laboratories. For now, any product already on the market can continue to be sold, but utilities say customers must register them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given California’s huge market, sunny weather and high electricity costs, supporters of the technology believe it will take off in the state in the coming years. Many of those who jumped on the plug-in solar bandwagon early have been happy with their purchases, while others offer some cautionary words about a market in its infancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan, for one, is very pleased with her system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She purchased her kit through the plug-in solar nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">Bright Saver\u003c/a>. It consists of two panels, an inverter, and cables that plug right into her existing 120-volt outdoor outlet. All told, she paid $400. The Bright Saver team installed her panels for free, something they typically do not do, since Chan is in her 80s and asked for assistance. It took less than an hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am getting a lot of energy on a sunny day. And even on half-foggy days, I’m still getting some. So, I’m pretty happy with that,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, Chan shed her frugal approach and winter sleeping bag get-up. Now, she pads around her one-story home in normal clothes with an electric heater in tow, which she feels is a luxury. Her average monthly bill is down to $200, a price that reflects what she called “comfort and warmth.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan’s panels are on top of the accessory dwelling unit in her backyard, and recently, she added a small backup battery. It’s a simple plug-in unit, a large metallic rectangle, about the size of two laptops stacked atop one another. Chan said her battery is fully charged each night, from the excess solar she does not use during the day. She estimated the battery then powers her fridge and internet for the next few hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other early adopters have run into roadblocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Misha Rashkin lives in Hayward and had wanted solar for years. He thought plug-in solar would be a great option to avoid being the first in his homeowners association to forge the path for approval for rooftop solar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001789\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A space heater in Agnes Chan’s home in Berkeley, California. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001786\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A draft stopper, which prevents air from traveling through door cracks, is taped to the bottom of a door in Agnes Chan’s home. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have a balcony, and it seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Rashkin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rashkin paid around $2,200 for what the manufacturer billed as a “plug-and-play solar” system, and sunk an additional $1,200 to install a new circuit and plug for it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it arrived, Rashkin attempted to put it together but was quickly overwhelmed, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He enlisted a handyman’s help for about $600. Once installation was complete, and his panels were plugged in, Rashkin said he was unable to sync the system’s various parts since it is a smart technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just absolutely the opposite of what I need from a product that is called ‘plug and play,’” Rashkin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001788\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan lifts the curtains she uses to keep drafts from circulating in her home. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Draft stoppers, which prevent air from traveling through door cracks, are placed around the perimeter of a door in Agnes Chan’s home to keep the house warm. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After several attempts to fix the issues with his system through replacement parts, Rashkin grew frustrated, packaged up the bulky panels and returned the product to the manufacturer, \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">Craftstrom\u003c/a>, who refunded the purchase. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stephan Scherer, Craftstrom’s CEO and founder, said he understood the criticism about the system being a little less user-friendly than people expect. Germany was an early adopter of the technology, and he said people there can literally buy a system and plug it in. He said safety and code requirements in the U.S. necessitate some additional steps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Craftstrom’s product, that means installing a small black cube called a power meter in a customer’s breaker box. The meter prevents electricity from feeding back into the grid, ensures circuits don’t get overloaded with power and calibrates how much power the panels produce to what is needed in the home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scherer said a lot of his customers install all the components themselves, but, for those who don’t feel comfortable doing it, his team recommends hiring an electrician for the power meter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are actually innovating and trying to figure out ways to make this even more plug and play,” Scherer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is especially important as Scherer has noticed customers are shifting. Many of the early adopters were older people with more time on their hands, or people with engineering backgrounds. Now, customers are younger and less tech-savvy, Scherer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Balcony solar “is a young industry,” he continued. “We’re all learning, and we’re learning with our customers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area residents have had luck with the same company. Joe Tenenbaum installed four Craftstrom solar panels at his family’s Orinda home last year, and hopes to add a battery. He estimated they’re saving $60 to $70 on their monthly electricity bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The panels have also changed his family’s behavior around when they use their appliances. When it comes to laundry, he said, “I’m actually trying to use the electricity when the sun is out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenenbaum noted, agreeingly: “A lot of people have said this is a gateway drug. I definitely want more.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Berkeley resident Matthew Milner was one of Bright Saver’s first customers in May 2025. He’d wanted rooftop solar, but the upfront costs were staggering.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This allows us to dip our toe in a little bit without having a huge financial cost and see how it works for us,” Milner said in an interview last summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than a year later, he said: “They’ve worked like a charm, no real complaints, no real issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Milner hopes to add more solar panels to those angled against his backyard fence, and install a battery, too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said it’s not quite as simple as plug and play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not that level yet, you have to have some basic understanding of electricity and everything else,” Milner said. “It’s not idiot-proof, let’s put it that way.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each winter, retired teacher Agnes Chan would prepare for her utility bills to skyrocket, and the draft in her hundred-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> home to chill her to the bone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each winter, retired teacher Agnes Chan would prepare for her utility bills to skyrocket, and the draft in her hundred-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> home to chill her to the bone. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would be so stingy with my usage that I would take one blanket, another blanket, a sleeping bag to sit in my room, which is no fun,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cord connected to solar panels plugs into an outlet in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So Chan turned to something else: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">plug-in solar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plug-in, or balcony, solar is a kit consisting of a few solar panels, an inverter and cables. The devices can be hung from balconies or windows, tented in a backyard or placed on a roof. Their small size generates enough electricity to offset just a portion of someone’s energy use, but can meaningfully decrease monthly bills. Systems already being sold in California range in price from $300 to $2,200, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plug-in, or balcony, solar is a kit consisting of a few solar panels, an inverter and cables. The devices can be hung from balconies or windows, tented in a backyard or placed on a roof. Their small size generates enough electricity to offset just a portion of someone’s energy use, but can meaningfully decrease monthly bills. Systems already being sold in California range in price from $300 to $2,200, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">passed a bill \u003c/a>to formally legalize plug-in solar, which previously existed in a legal gray area. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">That bill\u003c/a> now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">passed a bill \u003c/a>to formally legalize plug-in solar, which previously existed in a legal gray area. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">That bill\u003c/a> now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001782\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If signed, it would take effect in January, and products will likely hit the California market in the spring, said Erik Mebust, communications director for Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If signed, it would take effect in January, and products will likely hit the California market in the spring, said Erik Mebust, communications director for Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy would exempt plug-in solar devices that meet safety and technical standards from the costly registration process required for rooftop solar arrays. That exemption would sunset in 2030, and advocates of the technology are already gearing up for a fight to see that date extended or erased. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The policy would exempt plug-in solar devices that meet safety and technical standards from the costly registration process required for rooftop solar arrays. That exemption would sunset in 2030, and advocates of the technology are already gearing up for a fight to see that date extended or erased. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By then, plug-in solar products sold would be required to meet standards outlined by independent safety organizations like Underwriters Laboratories. For now, any product already on the market can continue to be sold, but utilities say customers must register them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By then, plug-in solar products sold would be required to meet standards outlined by independent safety organizations like Underwriters Laboratories. For now, any product already on the market can continue to be sold, but utilities say customers must register them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Given California’s huge market, sunny weather and high electricity costs, supporters of the technology believe it will take off in the state in the coming years. Many of those who jumped on the plug-in solar bandwagon early have been happy with their purchases, while others offer some cautionary words about a market in its infancy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan, for one, is very pleased with her system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She purchased her kit through the plug-in solar nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">Bright Saver\u003c/a>. It consists of two panels, an inverter, and cables that plug right into her existing 120-volt outdoor outlet. All told, she paid $400. The Bright Saver team installed her panels for free, something they typically do not do, since Chan is in her 80s and asked for assistance. It took less than an hour. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She purchased her kit through the plug-in solar nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">Bright Saver\u003c/a>. It consists of two panels, an inverter, and cables that plug right into her existing 120-volt outdoor outlet. All told, she paid $400. The Bright Saver team installed her panels for free, something they typically do not do, since Chan is in her 80s and asked for assistance. It took less than an hour. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am getting a lot of energy on a sunny day. And even on half-foggy days, I’m still getting some. So, I’m pretty happy with that,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I am getting a lot of energy on a sunny day. And even on half-foggy days, I’m still getting some. So, I’m pretty happy with that,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What’s more, Chan shed her frugal approach and winter sleeping bag get-up. Now, she pads around her one-story home in normal clothes with an electric heater in tow, which she feels is a luxury. Her average monthly bill is down to $200, a price that reflects what she called “comfort and warmth.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan’s panels are on top of the accessory dwelling unit in her backyard, and recently, she added a small backup battery. It’s a simple plug-in unit, a large metallic rectangle, about the size of two laptops stacked atop one another. Chan said her battery is fully charged each night, from the excess solar she does not use during the day. She estimated the battery then powers her fridge and internet for the next few hours. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chan’s panels are on top of the accessory dwelling unit in her backyard, and recently, she added a small backup battery. It’s a simple plug-in unit, a large metallic rectangle, about the size of two laptops stacked atop one another. Chan said her battery is fully charged each night, from the excess solar she does not use during the day. She estimated the battery then powers her fridge and internet for the next few hours. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Misha Rashkin lives in Hayward and had wanted solar for years. He thought plug-in solar would be a great option to avoid being the first in his homeowners association to forge the path for approval for rooftop solar. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After several attempts to fix the issues with his system through replacement parts, Rashkin grew frustrated, packaged up the bulky panels and returned the product to the manufacturer, \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">Craftstrom\u003c/a>, who refunded the purchase. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stephan Scherer, Craftstrom’s CEO and founder, said he understood the criticism about the system being a little less user-friendly than people expect. Germany was an early adopter of the technology, and he said people there can literally buy a system and plug it in. He said safety and code requirements in the U.S. necessitate some additional steps. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Craftstrom’s product, that means installing a small black cube called a power meter in a customer’s breaker box. The meter prevents electricity from feeding back into the grid, ensures circuits don’t get overloaded with power and calibrates how much power the panels produce to what is needed in the home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scherer said a lot of his customers install all the components themselves, but, for those who don’t feel comfortable doing it, his team recommends hiring an electrician for the power meter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are actually innovating and trying to figure out ways to make this even more plug and play,” Scherer said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is especially important as Scherer has noticed customers are shifting. Many of the early adopters were older people with more time on their hands, or people with engineering backgrounds. Now, customers are younger and less tech-savvy, Scherer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Balcony solar “is a young industry,” he continued. “We’re all learning, and we’re learning with our customers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area residents have had luck with the same company. Joe Tenenbaum installed four Craftstrom solar panels at his family’s Orinda home last year, and hopes to add a battery. He estimated they’re saving $60 to $70 on their monthly electricity bills. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area residents have had luck with the same company. Joe Tenenbaum installed four Craftstrom solar panels at his family’s Orinda home last year, and hopes to add a battery. He estimated they’re saving $60 to $70 on their monthly electricity bills. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The panels have also changed his family’s behavior around when they use their appliances. When it comes to laundry, he said, “I’m actually trying to use the electricity when the sun is out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Berkeley resident Matthew Milner was one of Bright Saver’s first customers in May 2025. He’d wanted rooftop solar, but the upfront costs were staggering.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This allows us to dip our toe in a little bit without having a huge financial cost and see how it works for us,” Milner said in an interview last summer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Milner hopes to add more solar panels to those angled against his backyard fence, and install a battery, too. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not that level yet, you have to have some basic understanding of electricity and everything else,” Milner said. “It’s not idiot-proof, let’s put it that way.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "State legislators passed a bill to make plug-in solar simpler to install, and it’s on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Here’s what Bay Area residents who already have it are saying. ",
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"title": "These Bay Area Residents Have Had Balcony Solar for a Year. Here’s How It’s Going | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>Each winter, retired teacher Agnes Chan would prepare for her utility bills to skyrocket, and the draft in her hundred-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> home to chill her to the bone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’d tape long, thin pillows to the bottoms of her doors to stop airflow, ready her warmest belongings, and set her thermostat to 60.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would be so stingy with my usage that I would take one blanket, another blanket, a sleeping bag to sit in my room, which is no fun,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She upgraded her windows and doors to be double-paned years ago, but she worried that insulating her craftsman home could cause rot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00824_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cord connected to solar panels plugs into an outlet in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Living alone and on a fixed income, Chan would “make myself suffer,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan had long wanted to defray the costs of her bills, which would rise to almost $300 a month in the winter, by installing rooftop solar. But the price was prohibitive, in the tens of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So Chan turned to something else: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">plug-in solar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in, or balcony, solar is a kit consisting of a few solar panels, an inverter and cables. The devices can be hung from balconies or windows, tented in a backyard or placed on a roof. Their small size generates enough electricity to offset just a portion of someone’s energy use, but can meaningfully decrease monthly bills. Systems already being sold in California range in price from $300 to $2,200, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">passed a bill \u003c/a>to formally legalize plug-in solar, which previously existed in a legal gray area. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">That bill\u003c/a> now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001782\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00883_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If signed, it would take effect in January, and products will likely hit the California market in the spring, said Erik Mebust, communications director for Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy would exempt plug-in solar devices that meet safety and technical standards from the costly registration process required for rooftop solar arrays. That exemption would sunset in 2030, and advocates of the technology are already gearing up for a fight to see that date extended or erased. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By then, plug-in solar products sold would be required to meet standards outlined by independent safety organizations like Underwriters Laboratories. For now, any product already on the market can continue to be sold, but utilities say customers must register them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given California’s huge market, sunny weather and high electricity costs, supporters of the technology believe it will take off in the state in the coming years. Many of those who jumped on the plug-in solar bandwagon early have been happy with their purchases, while others offer some cautionary words about a market in its infancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan, for one, is very pleased with her system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She purchased her kit through the plug-in solar nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">Bright Saver\u003c/a>. It consists of two panels, an inverter, and cables that plug right into her existing 120-volt outdoor outlet. All told, she paid $400. The Bright Saver team installed her panels for free, something they typically do not do, since Chan is in her 80s and asked for assistance. It took less than an hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am getting a lot of energy on a sunny day. And even on half-foggy days, I’m still getting some. So, I’m pretty happy with that,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, Chan shed her frugal approach and winter sleeping bag get-up. Now, she pads around her one-story home in normal clothes with an electric heater in tow, which she feels is a luxury. Her average monthly bill is down to $200, a price that reflects what she called “comfort and warmth.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan’s panels are on top of the accessory dwelling unit in her backyard, and recently, she added a small backup battery. It’s a simple plug-in unit, a large metallic rectangle, about the size of two laptops stacked atop one another. Chan said her battery is fully charged each night, from the excess solar she does not use during the day. She estimated the battery then powers her fridge and internet for the next few hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other early adopters have run into roadblocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Misha Rashkin lives in Hayward and had wanted solar for years. He thought plug-in solar would be a great option to avoid being the first in his homeowners association to forge the path for approval for rooftop solar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001789\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01110_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A space heater in Agnes Chan’s home in Berkeley, California. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001786\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01049_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A draft stopper, which prevents air from traveling through door cracks, is taped to the bottom of a door in Agnes Chan’s home. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have a balcony, and it seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Rashkin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rashkin paid around $2,200 for what the manufacturer billed as a “plug-and-play solar” system, and sunk an additional $1,200 to install a new circuit and plug for it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it arrived, Rashkin attempted to put it together but was quickly overwhelmed, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He enlisted a handyman’s help for about $600. Once installation was complete, and his panels were plugged in, Rashkin said he was unable to sync the system’s various parts since it is a smart technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just absolutely the opposite of what I need from a product that is called ‘plug and play,’” Rashkin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001788\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01100_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan lifts the curtains she uses to keep drafts from circulating in her home. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-01058_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Draft stoppers, which prevent air from traveling through door cracks, are placed around the perimeter of a door in Agnes Chan’s home to keep the house warm. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After several attempts to fix the issues with his system through replacement parts, Rashkin grew frustrated, packaged up the bulky panels and returned the product to the manufacturer, \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">Craftstrom\u003c/a>, who refunded the purchase. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stephan Scherer, Craftstrom’s CEO and founder, said he understood the criticism about the system being a little less user-friendly than people expect. Germany was an early adopter of the technology, and he said people there can literally buy a system and plug it in. He said safety and code requirements in the U.S. necessitate some additional steps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Craftstrom’s product, that means installing a small black cube called a power meter in a customer’s breaker box. The meter prevents electricity from feeding back into the grid, ensures circuits don’t get overloaded with power and calibrates how much power the panels produce to what is needed in the home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scherer said a lot of his customers install all the components themselves, but, for those who don’t feel comfortable doing it, his team recommends hiring an electrician for the power meter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are actually innovating and trying to figure out ways to make this even more plug and play,” Scherer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is especially important as Scherer has noticed customers are shifting. Many of the early adopters were older people with more time on their hands, or people with engineering backgrounds. Now, customers are younger and less tech-savvy, Scherer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Balcony solar “is a young industry,” he continued. “We’re all learning, and we’re learning with our customers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area residents have had luck with the same company. Joe Tenenbaum installed four Craftstrom solar panels at his family’s Orinda home last year, and hopes to add a battery. He estimated they’re saving $60 to $70 on their monthly electricity bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The panels have also changed his family’s behavior around when they use their appliances. When it comes to laundry, he said, “I’m actually trying to use the electricity when the sun is out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenenbaum noted, agreeingly: “A lot of people have said this is a gateway drug. I definitely want more.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Berkeley resident Matthew Milner was one of Bright Saver’s first customers in May 2025. He’d wanted rooftop solar, but the upfront costs were staggering.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This allows us to dip our toe in a little bit without having a huge financial cost and see how it works for us,” Milner said in an interview last summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than a year later, he said: “They’ve worked like a charm, no real complaints, no real issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Milner hopes to add more solar panels to those angled against his backyard fence, and install a battery, too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said it’s not quite as simple as plug and play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not that level yet, you have to have some basic understanding of electricity and everything else,” Milner said. “It’s not idiot-proof, let’s put it that way.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s transition away from fossil fuels is no longer just about building more solar panels and batteries. The state is also changing how Californians heat their homes, drive their cars and power their businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California set a goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2045, as part of its broader effort to reach carbon neutrality. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That transition is already underway, but it’s happening at different speeds across the state’s energy systems. And while cleaner technologies are becoming more common, Californians are also facing high electricity bills, expensive home upgrades and questions about how low-income communities that can’t afford to go fully electric will be affected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914754/flipping-the-switch-what-will-it-take-for-california-to-meet-its-100-green-energy-goal\">episode of KQED Forum,\u003c/a> state and local leaders discussed where California is making real progress toward its green energy goal and where it’s falling short. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does California’s energy transition actually involve?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California is midway through a transition away from its old fossil-fuel system, which remains substantial, while building a new future powered by a clean energy system that is still growing. Experts call it “midtransition.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said the state is essentially trying to coordinate three transitions at once: cleaning up the electric grid, reducing petroleum use and beginning to reduce natural gas use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You have the electric system and petroleum entering midtransition. And natural gas hasn’t really come into midtransition yet. So how do you harmonize the timing of those three systems?” he asked. “And that’s the complexity we face.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington, California, on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity generation is one sector that is furthest along this bridge. But it is also happening in vehicle transportation and the heating and cooling of buildings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More Californians are driving electric vehicles, while homes and businesses are increasingly switching from gas furnaces and water heaters to electric heat pumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gasoline sales have declined, while natural gas use has fallen about 12% over the past five years, said Merrian Borgeson, the California climate and energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are Californians actually using less fossil fuel?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Borgeson said California is running gas power plants less frequently as clean energy resources expand and the state becomes more connected to neighboring electricity markets. Some older gas plants could eventually be retired, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, electrification is reshaping homes. Heat pumps can both heat and cool a home without burning fuel. In the first quarter of 2026, about 70% of new California homes were being built with electric space and water heating, Borgeson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electric vehicle adoption is also growing. In San José, more than 10% of cars are electric, according to Lori Mitchell, director of San José Clean Energy, and more than half of new car sales in recent years have been electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José has moved particularly quickly on clean energy. Through San José Clean Energy, its community choice energy provider, it now offers electricity that is more than 90% carbon-free, Mitchell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But getting people to adopt these technologies depends on more than functionality. It also depends on whether people can afford them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does going electric actually save people money?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is one of the biggest questions facing Californians as the state asks households to switch from fossil fuels to electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity rates have risen substantially in recent years, in part because utilities are spending more on wildfire prevention, including vegetation management and, in some areas, paying to put power lines underground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, the economics of electrification vary depending on households’ existing appliances, energy use and income. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electrical power lines and pylons in California. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State programs tracking tens of thousands of heat-pump installations have found that many households save money after switching, Borgeson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For people who are replacing an existing air conditioner and gas furnace with a heat pump, the average savings are about $300 a year. Households without air conditioning that add a heat pump may instead save an average of about $80 a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even when a technology saves money over time, the up-front cost can be difficult to afford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In San José, a heat pump water heater typically costs about $6,500 to $8,500, Mitchell said. Rebates from community choice energy programs and the state can help \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/ecohome-rebate/\">offset\u003c/a> that expense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who gets left behind?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Affordability is one of the biggest equity challenges in California’s energy transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Energy Commission’s Gunda recalled visiting a household in Imperial Valley where someone earning $1,200 a month was spending $500 on energy. “That is not an example we want to create in California,” the vice chair said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars are growing in the Bay Area but are only 6% of new vehicle sales statewide. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not everyone can transition at the same pace. A homeowner with money to spend can install solar panels, buy an electric vehicle and replace a gas furnace with a heat pump. A renter may not be able to make those decisions at all. And a lower-income household may not have thousands of dollars available for an appliance upgrade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mitchell said San José has tried to address that gap with larger incentives for lower-income residents, as well as discounts through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/care-fera-program\">utility programs\u003c/a> that help reduce monthly energy costs for income-qualified households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal is to ensure customers can afford both the new technology and the electricity required to operate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens to the natural gas system as people electrify? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There is another, less visible problem that could become increasingly important: What happens to California’s natural gas infrastructure as fewer people use it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gas utilities continue to maintain and replace pipelines that serve homes and businesses. But if more customers leave the gas system, those costs could increasingly fall on a smaller group of remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Borgeson gave an example from her own home. Her gas utility was preparing to replace the service line to her house while her family was in the process of electrifying their home. “What happened with me is, they redid our pipe,” she said. “And now, next month, I’m leaving the gas system. And every other customer is left holding the bag.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001913\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities can spend $15,000 to $20,000 replacing a gas service line, she said, with those costs ultimately shared among customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her concern was that the investment would become unnecessary almost immediately if a household switches entirely to electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda said this illustrates why California’s energy transition needs to be better coordinated.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Much of our early work was very gadget-by-gadget replacement. But now the work is more integrated across energy systems, and it has to be really well coordinated,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What options do people have if they can’t afford a major upgrade? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electrification doesn’t always require a person to renovate their house. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smaller heat-pump units can help people who rarely turn on their gas furnaces to heat their homes. They can cost substantially less than installing a central system, and some can be installed in a window or through a wall to heat a single room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The heat-pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys, California. (Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Renters face another challenge because they generally can’t install rooftop solar or replace major appliances themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One potential solution is plug-in or balcony solar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">which lawmakers just voted to formally legalize in California\u003c/a>. Plug-in solar connects to a standard electrical outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Community choice aggregators can also provide assistance. These local agencies purchase electricity and often offer rebates and technical assistance to help residents electrify.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can California make the transition affordable and reliable?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda is cautiously optimistic about the grid’s ability to support the transition. But electricity demand is expected to grow as more vehicles, buildings and other parts of the economy become electrified. Large new electricity users, including data centers, could add another challenge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda said California needs to make sure the costs of that new demand don’t fall unfairly on existing ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s clean energy system has been decades in the making. California has built it while trying to keep energy reliable, affordable and accessible to people who don’t have the same resources to make the switch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s transition away from fossil fuels is no longer just about building more solar panels and batteries. The state is also changing how Californians heat their homes, drive their cars and power their businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s transition away from fossil fuels is no longer just about building more solar panels and batteries. The state is also changing how Californians heat their homes, drive their cars and power their businesses. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California set a goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2045, as part of its broader effort to reach carbon neutrality. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That transition is already underway, but it’s happening at different speeds across the state’s energy systems. And while cleaner technologies are becoming more common, Californians are also facing high electricity bills, expensive home upgrades and questions about how low-income communities that can’t afford to go fully electric will be affected.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That transition is already underway, but it’s happening at different speeds across the state’s energy systems. And while cleaner technologies are becoming more common, Californians are also facing high electricity bills, expensive home upgrades and questions about how low-income communities that can’t afford to go fully electric will be affected.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>On a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914754/flipping-the-switch-what-will-it-take-for-california-to-meet-its-100-green-energy-goal\">episode of KQED Forum,\u003c/a> state and local leaders discussed where California is making real progress toward its green energy goal and where it’s falling short. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California is midway through a transition away from its old fossil-fuel system, which remains substantial, while building a new future powered by a clean energy system that is still growing. Experts call it “midtransition.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California is midway through a transition away from its old fossil-fuel system, which remains substantial, while building a new future powered by a clean energy system that is still growing. Experts call it “midtransition.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said the state is essentially trying to coordinate three transitions at once: cleaning up the electric grid, reducing petroleum use and beginning to reduce natural gas use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said the state is essentially trying to coordinate three transitions at once: cleaning up the electric grid, reducing petroleum use and beginning to reduce natural gas use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You have the electric system and petroleum entering midtransition. And natural gas hasn’t really come into midtransition yet. So how do you harmonize the timing of those three systems?” he asked. “And that’s the complexity we face.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You have the electric system and petroleum entering midtransition. And natural gas hasn’t really come into midtransition yet. So how do you harmonize the timing of those three systems?” he asked. “And that’s the complexity we face.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington, California, on May 23, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electricity generation is one sector that is furthest along this bridge. But it is also happening in vehicle transportation and the heating and cooling of buildings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More Californians are driving electric vehicles, while homes and businesses are increasingly switching from gas furnaces and water heaters to electric heat pumps.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gasoline sales have declined, while natural gas use has fallen about 12% over the past five years, said Merrian Borgeson, the California climate and energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gasoline sales have declined, while natural gas use has fallen about 12% over the past five years, said Merrian Borgeson, the California climate and energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Are Californians actually using less fossil fuel?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Borgeson said California is running gas power plants less frequently as clean energy resources expand and the state becomes more connected to neighboring electricity markets. Some older gas plants could eventually be retired, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Borgeson said California is running gas power plants less frequently as clean energy resources expand and the state becomes more connected to neighboring electricity markets. Some older gas plants could eventually be retired, she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, electrification is reshaping homes. Heat pumps can both heat and cool a home without burning fuel. In the first quarter of 2026, about 70% of new California homes were being built with electric space and water heating, Borgeson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, electrification is reshaping homes. Heat pumps can both heat and cool a home without burning fuel. In the first quarter of 2026, about 70% of new California homes were being built with electric space and water heating, Borgeson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electric vehicle adoption is also growing. In San José, more than 10% of cars are electric, according to Lori Mitchell, director of San José Clean Energy, and more than half of new car sales in recent years have been electric.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Electric vehicle adoption is also growing. In San José, more than 10% of cars are electric, according to Lori Mitchell, director of San José Clean Energy, and more than half of new car sales in recent years have been electric.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José has moved particularly quickly on clean energy. Through San José Clean Energy, its community choice energy provider, it now offers electricity that is more than 90% carbon-free, Mitchell said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José has moved particularly quickly on clean energy. Through San José Clean Energy, its community choice energy provider, it now offers electricity that is more than 90% carbon-free, Mitchell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But getting people to adopt these technologies depends on more than functionality. It also depends on whether people can afford them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But getting people to adopt these technologies depends on more than functionality. It also depends on whether people can afford them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Does going electric actually save people money?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does going electric actually save people money?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is one of the biggest questions facing Californians as the state asks households to switch from fossil fuels to electricity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This is one of the biggest questions facing Californians as the state asks households to switch from fossil fuels to electricity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electricity rates have risen substantially in recent years, in part because utilities are spending more on wildfire prevention, including vegetation management and, in some areas, paying to put power lines underground. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Electricity rates have risen substantially in recent years, in part because utilities are spending more on wildfire prevention, including vegetation management and, in some areas, paying to put power lines underground. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same time, the economics of electrification vary depending on households’ existing appliances, energy use and income. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the same time, the economics of electrification vary depending on households’ existing appliances, energy use and income. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electrical power lines and pylons in California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001907\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electrical power lines and pylons in California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State programs tracking tens of thousands of heat-pump installations have found that many households save money after switching, Borgeson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State programs tracking tens of thousands of heat-pump installations have found that many households save money after switching, Borgeson said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For people who are replacing an existing air conditioner and gas furnace with a heat pump, the average savings are about $300 a year. Households without air conditioning that add a heat pump may instead save an average of about $80 a year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For people who are replacing an existing air conditioner and gas furnace with a heat pump, the average savings are about $300 a year. Households without air conditioning that add a heat pump may instead save an average of about $80 a year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even when a technology saves money over time, the up-front cost can be difficult to afford.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even when a technology saves money over time, the up-front cost can be difficult to afford.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In San José, a heat pump water heater typically costs about $6,500 to $8,500, Mitchell said. Rebates from community choice energy programs and the state can help \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/ecohome-rebate/\">offset\u003c/a> that expense.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In San José, a heat pump water heater typically costs about $6,500 to $8,500, Mitchell said. Rebates from community choice energy programs and the state can help \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/ecohome-rebate/\">offset\u003c/a> that expense.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Who gets left behind?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who gets left behind?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who gets left behind?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Affordability is one of the biggest equity challenges in California’s energy transition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Affordability is one of the biggest equity challenges in California’s energy transition. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Energy Commission’s Gunda recalled visiting a household in Imperial Valley where someone earning $1,200 a month was spending $500 on energy. “That is not an example we want to create in California,” the vice chair said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The California Energy Commission’s Gunda recalled visiting a household in Imperial Valley where someone earning $1,200 a month was spending $500 on energy. “That is not an example we want to create in California,” the vice chair said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars are growing in the Bay Area but are only 6% of new vehicle sales statewide.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931178\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars are growing in the Bay Area but are only 6% of new vehicle sales statewide.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not everyone can transition at the same pace. A homeowner with money to spend can install solar panels, buy an electric vehicle and replace a gas furnace with a heat pump. A renter may not be able to make those decisions at all. And a lower-income household may not have thousands of dollars available for an appliance upgrade.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mitchell said San José has tried to address that gap with larger incentives for lower-income residents, as well as discounts through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/care-fera-program\">utility programs\u003c/a> that help reduce monthly energy costs for income-qualified households.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mitchell said San José has tried to address that gap with larger incentives for lower-income residents, as well as discounts through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/care-fera-program\">utility programs\u003c/a> that help reduce monthly energy costs for income-qualified households.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The goal is to ensure customers can afford both the new technology and the electricity required to operate it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"attrs": {
"text": "What happens to the natural gas system as people electrify? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens to the natural gas system as people electrify? \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There is another, less visible problem that could become increasingly important: What happens to California’s natural gas infrastructure as fewer people use it?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There is another, less visible problem that could become increasingly important: What happens to California’s natural gas infrastructure as fewer people use it?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gas utilities continue to maintain and replace pipelines that serve homes and businesses. But if more customers leave the gas system, those costs could increasingly fall on a smaller group of remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Gas utilities continue to maintain and replace pipelines that serve homes and businesses. But if more customers leave the gas system, those costs could increasingly fall on a smaller group of remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Borgeson gave an example from her own home. Her gas utility was preparing to replace the service line to her house while her family was in the process of electrifying their home. “What happened with me is, they redid our pipe,” she said. “And now, next month, I’m leaving the gas system. And every other customer is left holding the bag.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Borgeson gave an example from her own home. Her gas utility was preparing to replace the service line to her house while her family was in the process of electrifying their home. “What happened with me is, they redid our pipe,” she said. “And now, next month, I’m leaving the gas system. And every other customer is left holding the bag.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001913\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001913\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Utilities can spend $15,000 to $20,000 replacing a gas service line, she said, with those costs ultimately shared among customers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Utilities can spend $15,000 to $20,000 replacing a gas service line, she said, with those costs ultimately shared among customers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her concern was that the investment would become unnecessary almost immediately if a household switches entirely to electricity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her concern was that the investment would become unnecessary almost immediately if a household switches entirely to electricity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gunda said this illustrates why California’s energy transition needs to be better coordinated.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Much of our early work was very gadget-by-gadget replacement. But now the work is more integrated across energy systems, and it has to be really well coordinated,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gunda said this illustrates why California’s energy transition needs to be better coordinated.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Much of our early work was very gadget-by-gadget replacement. But now the work is more integrated across energy systems, and it has to be really well coordinated,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What options do people have if they can’t afford a major upgrade? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What options do people have if they can’t afford a major upgrade? \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electrification doesn’t always require a person to renovate their house. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Smaller heat-pump units can help people who rarely turn on their gas furnaces to heat their homes. They can cost substantially less than installing a central system, and some can be installed in a window or through a wall to heat a single room. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Smaller heat-pump units can help people who rarely turn on their gas furnaces to heat their homes. They can cost substantially less than installing a central system, and some can be installed in a window or through a wall to heat a single room. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The heat-pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001321\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The heat-pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Renters face another challenge because they generally can’t install rooftop solar or replace major appliances themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Renters face another challenge because they generally can’t install rooftop solar or replace major appliances themselves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One potential solution is plug-in or balcony solar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">which lawmakers just voted to formally legalize in California\u003c/a>. Plug-in solar connects to a standard electrical outlet. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One potential solution is plug-in or balcony solar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">which lawmakers just voted to formally legalize in California\u003c/a>. Plug-in solar connects to a standard electrical outlet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Community choice aggregators can also provide assistance. These local agencies purchase electricity and often offer rebates and technical assistance to help residents electrify.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Community choice aggregators can also provide assistance. These local agencies purchase electricity and often offer rebates and technical assistance to help residents electrify.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Can California make the transition affordable and reliable?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can California make the transition affordable and reliable?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gunda is cautiously optimistic about the grid’s ability to support the transition. But electricity demand is expected to grow as more vehicles, buildings and other parts of the economy become electrified. Large new electricity users, including data centers, could add another challenge. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gunda is cautiously optimistic about the grid’s ability to support the transition. But electricity demand is expected to grow as more vehicles, buildings and other parts of the economy become electrified. Large new electricity users, including data centers, could add another challenge. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gunda said California needs to make sure the costs of that new demand don’t fall unfairly on existing ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gunda said California needs to make sure the costs of that new demand don’t fall unfairly on existing ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s clean energy system has been decades in the making. California has built it while trying to keep energy reliable, affordable and accessible to people who don’t have the same resources to make the switch.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state’s clean energy system has been decades in the making. California has built it while trying to keep energy reliable, affordable and accessible to people who don’t have the same resources to make the switch.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "Where is California making real progress toward its green energy goal, and where is it falling short?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s transition away from fossil fuels is no longer just about building more solar panels and batteries. The state is also changing how Californians heat their homes, drive their cars and power their businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California set a goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2045, as part of its broader effort to reach carbon neutrality. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That transition is already underway, but it’s happening at different speeds across the state’s energy systems. And while cleaner technologies are becoming more common, Californians are also facing high electricity bills, expensive home upgrades and questions about how low-income communities that can’t afford to go fully electric will be affected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914754/flipping-the-switch-what-will-it-take-for-california-to-meet-its-100-green-energy-goal\">episode of KQED Forum,\u003c/a> state and local leaders discussed where California is making real progress toward its green energy goal and where it’s falling short. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does California’s energy transition actually involve?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California is midway through a transition away from its old fossil-fuel system, which remains substantial, while building a new future powered by a clean energy system that is still growing. Experts call it “midtransition.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said the state is essentially trying to coordinate three transitions at once: cleaning up the electric grid, reducing petroleum use and beginning to reduce natural gas use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You have the electric system and petroleum entering midtransition. And natural gas hasn’t really come into midtransition yet. So how do you harmonize the timing of those three systems?” he asked. “And that’s the complexity we face.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington, California, on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity generation is one sector that is furthest along this bridge. But it is also happening in vehicle transportation and the heating and cooling of buildings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More Californians are driving electric vehicles, while homes and businesses are increasingly switching from gas furnaces and water heaters to electric heat pumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gasoline sales have declined, while natural gas use has fallen about 12% over the past five years, said Merrian Borgeson, the California climate and energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are Californians actually using less fossil fuel?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Borgeson said California is running gas power plants less frequently as clean energy resources expand and the state becomes more connected to neighboring electricity markets. Some older gas plants could eventually be retired, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, electrification is reshaping homes. Heat pumps can both heat and cool a home without burning fuel. In the first quarter of 2026, about 70% of new California homes were being built with electric space and water heating, Borgeson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00906_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agnes Chan uses an app to monitor how much energy she uses at her home in Berkeley, California, on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electric vehicle adoption is also growing. In San José, more than 10% of cars are electric, according to Lori Mitchell, director of San José Clean Energy, and more than half of new car sales in recent years have been electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José has moved particularly quickly on clean energy. Through San José Clean Energy, its community choice energy provider, it now offers electricity that is more than 90% carbon-free, Mitchell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But getting people to adopt these technologies depends on more than functionality. It also depends on whether people can afford them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does going electric actually save people money?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is one of the biggest questions facing Californians as the state asks households to switch from fossil fuels to electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity rates have risen substantially in recent years, in part because utilities are spending more on wildfire prevention, including vegetation management and, in some areas, paying to put power lines underground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, the economics of electrification vary depending on households’ existing appliances, energy use and income. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/ElectricGridGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electrical power lines and pylons in California. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State programs tracking tens of thousands of heat-pump installations have found that many households save money after switching, Borgeson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For people who are replacing an existing air conditioner and gas furnace with a heat pump, the average savings are about $300 a year. Households without air conditioning that add a heat pump may instead save an average of about $80 a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even when a technology saves money over time, the up-front cost can be difficult to afford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In San José, a heat pump water heater typically costs about $6,500 to $8,500, Mitchell said. Rebates from community choice energy programs and the state can help \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosecleanenergy.org/ecohome-rebate/\">offset\u003c/a> that expense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who gets left behind?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Affordability is one of the biggest equity challenges in California’s energy transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Energy Commission’s Gunda recalled visiting a household in Imperial Valley where someone earning $1,200 a month was spending $500 on energy. “That is not an example we want to create in California,” the vice chair said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_06-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars are growing in the Bay Area but are only 6% of new vehicle sales statewide. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not everyone can transition at the same pace. A homeowner with money to spend can install solar panels, buy an electric vehicle and replace a gas furnace with a heat pump. A renter may not be able to make those decisions at all. And a lower-income household may not have thousands of dollars available for an appliance upgrade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mitchell said San José has tried to address that gap with larger incentives for lower-income residents, as well as discounts through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/care-fera-program\">utility programs\u003c/a> that help reduce monthly energy costs for income-qualified households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal is to ensure customers can afford both the new technology and the electricity required to operate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens to the natural gas system as people electrify? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There is another, less visible problem that could become increasingly important: What happens to California’s natural gas infrastructure as fewer people use it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gas utilities continue to maintain and replace pipelines that serve homes and businesses. But if more customers leave the gas system, those costs could increasingly fall on a smaller group of remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Borgeson gave an example from her own home. Her gas utility was preparing to replace the service line to her house while her family was in the process of electrifying their home. “What happened with me is, they redid our pipe,” she said. “And now, next month, I’m leaving the gas system. And every other customer is left holding the bag.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001913\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities can spend $15,000 to $20,000 replacing a gas service line, she said, with those costs ultimately shared among customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her concern was that the investment would become unnecessary almost immediately if a household switches entirely to electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda said this illustrates why California’s energy transition needs to be better coordinated.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Much of our early work was very gadget-by-gadget replacement. But now the work is more integrated across energy systems, and it has to be really well coordinated,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What options do people have if they can’t afford a major upgrade? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electrification doesn’t always require a person to renovate their house. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smaller heat-pump units can help people who rarely turn on their gas furnaces to heat their homes. They can cost substantially less than installing a central system, and some can be installed in a window or through a wall to heat a single room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/2026_06_11_HEAT_PUMP_00200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The heat-pump unit outside Maria Franco’s home in Van Nuys, California. (Jules Hotz for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Renters face another challenge because they generally can’t install rooftop solar or replace major appliances themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One potential solution is plug-in or balcony solar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">which lawmakers just voted to formally legalize in California\u003c/a>. Plug-in solar connects to a standard electrical outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Community choice aggregators can also provide assistance. These local agencies purchase electricity and often offer rebates and technical assistance to help residents electrify.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can California make the transition affordable and reliable?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda is cautiously optimistic about the grid’s ability to support the transition. But electricity demand is expected to grow as more vehicles, buildings and other parts of the economy become electrified. Large new electricity users, including data centers, could add another challenge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gunda said California needs to make sure the costs of that new demand don’t fall unfairly on existing ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s clean energy system has been decades in the making. California has built it while trying to keep energy reliable, affordable and accessible to people who don’t have the same resources to make the switch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall",
"title": "California Lawmakers Greenlight Solar Panels You Can Plug Into the Wall",
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"headTitle": "California Lawmakers Greenlight Solar Panels You Can Plug Into the Wall | KQED",
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"content": "\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">buying a kit\u003c/a> with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">plug-in\u003c/a>, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The legislation, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">SB 868\u003c/a>, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001854\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar & Storage Association, speaks during a press conference with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm during a visit to a solar-powered Berkeley home on Aug. 20, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, however, opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he said that the company “supports plug-in solar and the opportunities it could create for customers, particularly renters and others who have not had easy access to traditional rooftop solar.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his last State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeats the plug-and-play nature of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their goal is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001208\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of environmental and community groups and a few cities supported the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocacy group and nonprofit Bright Saver tentatively celebrated the action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer monitors the power produced by the newly installed solar panels at Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">buying a kit\u003c/a> with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">buying a kit\u003c/a> with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">plug-in\u003c/a>, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The legislation, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">SB 868\u003c/a>, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">plug-in\u003c/a>, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The legislation, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">SB 868\u003c/a>, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001854\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar & Storage Association, speaks during a press conference with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm during a visit to a solar-powered Berkeley home on Aug. 20, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001854\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar & Storage Association, speaks during a press conference with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm during a visit to a solar-powered Berkeley home on Aug. 20, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, however, opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But he said that the company “supports plug-in solar and the opportunities it could create for customers, particularly renters and others who have not had easy access to traditional rooftop solar.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his last State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999772\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his last State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeats the plug-and-play nature of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their goal is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001208\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001208\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dozens of environmental and community groups and a few cities supported the bill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocacy group and nonprofit Bright Saver tentatively celebrated the action. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "Legislation to make it easy for Californians to install plug-in solar panels is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.",
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"title": "California Lawmakers Greenlight Solar Panels You Can Plug Into the Wall | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\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\n\n\n\u003cp>In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">buying a kit\u003c/a> with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">plug-in\u003c/a>, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The legislation, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">SB 868\u003c/a>, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001854\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/014_Berkeley_SolarHomeGranholmLee_08202021_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar & Storage Association, speaks during a press conference with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm during a visit to a solar-powered Berkeley home on Aug. 20, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, however, opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he said that the company “supports plug-in solar and the opportunities it could create for customers, particularly renters and others who have not had easy access to traditional rooftop solar.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his last State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeats the plug-and-play nature of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their goal is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001208\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of environmental and community groups and a few cities supported the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocacy group and nonprofit Bright Saver tentatively celebrated the action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-11-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer monitors the power produced by the newly installed solar panels at Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "residents-near-chevrons-richmond-refinery-face-higher-risk-of-cancer-air-district-says",
"title": "Residents Near Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Face Higher Risk of Cancer, Air District Says",
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"headTitle": "Residents Near Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Face Higher Risk of Cancer, Air District Says | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>People living close to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chevron-refinery\">Chevron Refinery\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> face an elevated risk of developing cancer over a lifetime, and illness from short exposure to excess emissions, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/facility-risk-reduction/hra-facilities/fid10/fid10_preliminary-hra.pdf\">preliminary health risk assessment\u003c/a> by the Bay Area Air District released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most of the cancer risk came from benzo[a]pyrene and other toxic air contaminants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) that seeped from pipe fittings and storage tanks throughout the refinery. Diesel particulate matter and arsenic emissions were also found to be above the regulator’s allowed limit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are multiple sources with multiple pollutants that are beyond the risk threshold,” said Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, the Air District’s health officer. “That can harm people’s health, and [it] needs to be reduced.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The model analysis examines the highest cancer risk over a lifetime posed by exposure to facility emissions. The Air District found the Richmond refinery exposure to be 37 chances in a million, which is more than three times higher than its threshold for action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The air regulator requires facilities to take action to reduce the risk if it equals or exceeds 10 in a million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2145\" height=\"1228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg 2145w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2000x1145.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-768x440.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-1536x879.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2048x1172.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2145px) 100vw, 2145px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Air District’s breakdown of cancer risk from pollutants at Chevron’s Richmond refinery. (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is an estimate based on worst-case scenarios,” said Ariana Husain, the regulator’s risk assessment manager. “It does not represent the average risk to residents in Richmond.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nor does it mean that 37 more people in a million will develop cancer, Husain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really the first step in understanding risk posed by emissions from facility operations to the nearby community,” Husain said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment is a tool to measure the risk of toxic air contaminants from high-impact industrial facilities like Chevron’s Richmond refinery, Husain said. The Air District is empowered to conduct these assessments \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/regulation-11-rule-18-reduction-of-risk-from-air-toxic-emissions-at-existing-facilities\">under regulations\u003c/a> it adopted in 2017 and modified in June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rules require those facilities to work with the air regulator to reduce emissions and the risk to communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond spokesperson, pushed back in an email and said the company found “significant issues” with the assessment “that we believe materially overstate the Richmond refinery’s emissions and modeled health risk.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron also quickly circulated an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CHEVRON-RICHMOND-info-on-Bay-Area-Air-District-Draft-HRA-of-Richmond-Refinery-FAQ_Aug-2026.pdf\">FAQ document\u003c/a> to reporters about the assessment that categorized the tool as “conservative” and meant to understand where regulators should “focus efforts and resources to improve air quality and protect public health.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Scientific methods used in HRAs cannot be used to link individual illnesses to chemical exposures,” the document said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>It also noted that the refinery’s cancer risk assessment “is not itself a violation” and fell below the “action” levels set by air districts in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron has 90 days to challenge the Air District’s findings and suggest modifications to the risk assessment. During that time, the public may also submit comments to the air regulator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long-term exposure to these substances may increase cancer risk and harm developmental, reproductive and immune systems. Children under two are more susceptible to effects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District measured the potential impact of excess emissions on three categories of people with varying degrees of exposure. First, residents who they assumed to have 24 hours a day of exposure, non-resident refinery workers who face 8 hours of exposure a day, and students who attended school near the refinery but lived elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The assessment found that people who live within approximately 3 miles of the refinery, including in the communities of Achitson, Brickyard Cove, Iron Triangle, Point Richmond and North Richmond, face the greatest health risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1616\" height=\"1265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001806\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png 1616w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-768x601.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-1536x1202.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1616px) 100vw, 1616px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This map shows where the cancer risk is highest around Chevron’s Richmond refinery, according to air regulators. (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chevron workers who live out of town did not face an increased risk of cancer, but are subject to acute one-hour releases of benzene that can evaporate from the refinery’s waste treatment system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That is a toxic air contaminant that you can get irritated by in a very short amount of time,” Radhakrishna said. “Smelling it in your nose, in your mouth, in your throat, in your lungs, coughing attacks, and exacerbation of existing health conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The effects of benzene are temporary and based on proximity to the refinery, according to the report, but Radhakrishna noted that repeated exposure to benzene can also contribute to cancer over the long term.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment found that children who attend schools near the refinery but don’t live in the area did not face an elevated risk of cancer, but are exposed to risks from the one-hour releases, as are residents and anyone within approximately three miles of the facilities when it releases emissions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District scheduled a public meeting to explain the findings and the comment process on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Civic Auditorium and Convention Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The air regulators will consider both public comment and responses from Chevron before issuing a final risk assessment for the Richmond refinery. Then the company is required to submit a plan to reduce the risk, which will also be open to public comment and must ultimately be approved by the Air District.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg 2145w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2000x1145.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-768x440.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-1536x879.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2048x1172.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Air District’s breakdown of cancer risk from pollutants at Chevron’s Richmond refinery.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is an estimate based on worst-case scenarios,” said Ariana Husain, the regulator’s risk assessment manager. “It does not represent the average risk to residents in Richmond.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really the first step in understanding risk posed by emissions from facility operations to the nearby community,” Husain said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment is a tool to measure the risk of toxic air contaminants from high-impact industrial facilities like Chevron’s Richmond refinery, Husain said. The Air District is empowered to conduct these assessments \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/regulation-11-rule-18-reduction-of-risk-from-air-toxic-emissions-at-existing-facilities\">under regulations\u003c/a> it adopted in 2017 and modified in June.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment is a tool to measure the risk of toxic air contaminants from high-impact industrial facilities like Chevron’s Richmond refinery, Husain said. The Air District is empowered to conduct these assessments \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/regulation-11-rule-18-reduction-of-risk-from-air-toxic-emissions-at-existing-facilities\">under regulations\u003c/a> it adopted in 2017 and modified in June.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond spokesperson, pushed back in an email and said the company found “significant issues” with the assessment “that we believe materially overstate the Richmond refinery’s emissions and modeled health risk.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron also quickly circulated an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CHEVRON-RICHMOND-info-on-Bay-Area-Air-District-Draft-HRA-of-Richmond-Refinery-FAQ_Aug-2026.pdf\">FAQ document\u003c/a> to reporters about the assessment that categorized the tool as “conservative” and meant to understand where regulators should “focus efforts and resources to improve air quality and protect public health.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Scientific methods used in HRAs cannot be used to link individual illnesses to chemical exposures,” the document said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>It also noted that the refinery’s cancer risk assessment “is not itself a violation” and fell below the “action” levels set by air districts in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron has 90 days to challenge the Air District’s findings and suggest modifications to the risk assessment. During that time, the public may also submit comments to the air regulator.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond spokesperson, pushed back in an email and said the company found “significant issues” with the assessment “that we believe materially overstate the Richmond refinery’s emissions and modeled health risk.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron also quickly circulated an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CHEVRON-RICHMOND-info-on-Bay-Area-Air-District-Draft-HRA-of-Richmond-Refinery-FAQ_Aug-2026.pdf\">FAQ document\u003c/a> to reporters about the assessment that categorized the tool as “conservative” and meant to understand where regulators should “focus efforts and resources to improve air quality and protect public health.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Scientific methods used in HRAs cannot be used to link individual illnesses to chemical exposures,” the document said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>It also noted that the refinery’s cancer risk assessment “is not itself a violation” and fell below the “action” levels set by air districts in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron has 90 days to challenge the Air District’s findings and suggest modifications to the risk assessment. During that time, the public may also submit comments to the air regulator.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Long-term exposure to these substances may increase cancer risk and harm developmental, reproductive and immune systems. Children under two are more susceptible to effects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Long-term exposure to these substances may increase cancer risk and harm developmental, reproductive and immune systems. Children under two are more susceptible to effects. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Air District measured the potential impact of excess emissions on three categories of people with varying degrees of exposure. First, residents who they assumed to have 24 hours a day of exposure, non-resident refinery workers who face 8 hours of exposure a day, and students who attended school near the refinery but lived elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Air District measured the potential impact of excess emissions on three categories of people with varying degrees of exposure. First, residents who they assumed to have 24 hours a day of exposure, non-resident refinery workers who face 8 hours of exposure a day, and students who attended school near the refinery but lived elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The assessment found that people who live within approximately 3 miles of the refinery, including in the communities of Achitson, Brickyard Cove, Iron Triangle, Point Richmond and North Richmond, face the greatest health risk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The assessment found that people who live within approximately 3 miles of the refinery, including in the communities of Achitson, Brickyard Cove, Iron Triangle, Point Richmond and North Richmond, face the greatest health risk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001806\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png 1616w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-768x601.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-1536x1202.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This map shows where the cancer risk is highest around Chevron’s Richmond refinery, according to air regulators.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001806\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This map shows where the cancer risk is highest around Chevron’s Richmond refinery, according to air regulators.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chevron workers who live out of town did not face an increased risk of cancer, but are subject to acute one-hour releases of benzene that can evaporate from the refinery’s waste treatment system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That is a toxic air contaminant that you can get irritated by in a very short amount of time,” Radhakrishna said. “Smelling it in your nose, in your mouth, in your throat, in your lungs, coughing attacks, and exacerbation of existing health conditions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That is a toxic air contaminant that you can get irritated by in a very short amount of time,” Radhakrishna said. “Smelling it in your nose, in your mouth, in your throat, in your lungs, coughing attacks, and exacerbation of existing health conditions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The effects of benzene are temporary and based on proximity to the refinery, according to the report, but Radhakrishna noted that repeated exposure to benzene can also contribute to cancer over the long term.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The effects of benzene are temporary and based on proximity to the refinery, according to the report, but Radhakrishna noted that repeated exposure to benzene can also contribute to cancer over the long term.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment found that children who attend schools near the refinery but don’t live in the area did not face an elevated risk of cancer, but are exposed to risks from the one-hour releases, as are residents and anyone within approximately three miles of the facilities when it releases emissions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment found that children who attend schools near the refinery but don’t live in the area did not face an elevated risk of cancer, but are exposed to risks from the one-hour releases, as are residents and anyone within approximately three miles of the facilities when it releases emissions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Air District scheduled a public meeting to explain the findings and the comment process on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Civic Auditorium and Convention Center. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Air District scheduled a public meeting to explain the findings and the comment process on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Civic Auditorium and Convention Center. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The air regulators will consider both public comment and responses from Chevron before issuing a final risk assessment for the Richmond refinery. Then the company is required to submit a plan to reduce the risk, which will also be open to public comment and must ultimately be approved by the Air District.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The air regulators will consider both public comment and responses from Chevron before issuing a final risk assessment for the Richmond refinery. Then the company is required to submit a plan to reduce the risk, which will also be open to public comment and must ultimately be approved by the Air District.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "People living close to the Chevron Refinery in Richmond face an elevated risk of developing cancer over a lifetime, according to a preliminary assessment the air regulator released Tuesday. ",
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"title": "Residents Near Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Face Higher Risk of Cancer, Air District Says | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>People living close to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chevron-refinery\">Chevron Refinery\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> face an elevated risk of developing cancer over a lifetime, and illness from short exposure to excess emissions, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/facility-risk-reduction/hra-facilities/fid10/fid10_preliminary-hra.pdf\">preliminary health risk assessment\u003c/a> by the Bay Area Air District released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most of the cancer risk came from benzo[a]pyrene and other toxic air contaminants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) that seeped from pipe fittings and storage tanks throughout the refinery. Diesel particulate matter and arsenic emissions were also found to be above the regulator’s allowed limit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are multiple sources with multiple pollutants that are beyond the risk threshold,” said Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, the Air District’s health officer. “That can harm people’s health, and [it] needs to be reduced.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The model analysis examines the highest cancer risk over a lifetime posed by exposure to facility emissions. The Air District found the Richmond refinery exposure to be 37 chances in a million, which is more than three times higher than its threshold for action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The air regulator requires facilities to take action to reduce the risk if it equals or exceeds 10 in a million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2145\" height=\"1228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1.jpg 2145w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2000x1145.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-768x440.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-1536x879.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CRR-Summary_Fig-3-1-2048x1172.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2145px) 100vw, 2145px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Air District’s breakdown of cancer risk from pollutants at Chevron’s Richmond refinery. (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is an estimate based on worst-case scenarios,” said Ariana Husain, the regulator’s risk assessment manager. “It does not represent the average risk to residents in Richmond.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nor does it mean that 37 more people in a million will develop cancer, Husain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really the first step in understanding risk posed by emissions from facility operations to the nearby community,” Husain said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment is a tool to measure the risk of toxic air contaminants from high-impact industrial facilities like Chevron’s Richmond refinery, Husain said. The Air District is empowered to conduct these assessments \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/rules-and-compliance/rules/regulation-11-rule-18-reduction-of-risk-from-air-toxic-emissions-at-existing-facilities\">under regulations\u003c/a> it adopted in 2017 and modified in June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rules require those facilities to work with the air regulator to reduce emissions and the risk to communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond spokesperson, pushed back in an email and said the company found “significant issues” with the assessment “that we believe materially overstate the Richmond refinery’s emissions and modeled health risk.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron also quickly circulated an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/CHEVRON-RICHMOND-info-on-Bay-Area-Air-District-Draft-HRA-of-Richmond-Refinery-FAQ_Aug-2026.pdf\">FAQ document\u003c/a> to reporters about the assessment that categorized the tool as “conservative” and meant to understand where regulators should “focus efforts and resources to improve air quality and protect public health.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Scientific methods used in HRAs cannot be used to link individual illnesses to chemical exposures,” the document said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>It also noted that the refinery’s cancer risk assessment “is not itself a violation” and fell below the “action” levels set by air districts in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Chevron has 90 days to challenge the Air District’s findings and suggest modifications to the risk assessment. During that time, the public may also submit comments to the air regulator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long-term exposure to these substances may increase cancer risk and harm developmental, reproductive and immune systems. Children under two are more susceptible to effects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District measured the potential impact of excess emissions on three categories of people with varying degrees of exposure. First, residents who they assumed to have 24 hours a day of exposure, non-resident refinery workers who face 8 hours of exposure a day, and students who attended school near the refinery but lived elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The assessment found that people who live within approximately 3 miles of the refinery, including in the communities of Achitson, Brickyard Cove, Iron Triangle, Point Richmond and North Richmond, face the greatest health risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1616\" height=\"1265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001806\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2.png 1616w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-768x601.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Figure-2-1536x1202.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1616px) 100vw, 1616px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This map shows where the cancer risk is highest around Chevron’s Richmond refinery, according to air regulators. (Courtesy of Bay Area Air District Staff)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chevron workers who live out of town did not face an increased risk of cancer, but are subject to acute one-hour releases of benzene that can evaporate from the refinery’s waste treatment system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That is a toxic air contaminant that you can get irritated by in a very short amount of time,” Radhakrishna said. “Smelling it in your nose, in your mouth, in your throat, in your lungs, coughing attacks, and exacerbation of existing health conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The effects of benzene are temporary and based on proximity to the refinery, according to the report, but Radhakrishna noted that repeated exposure to benzene can also contribute to cancer over the long term.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The health risk assessment found that children who attend schools near the refinery but don’t live in the area did not face an elevated risk of cancer, but are exposed to risks from the one-hour releases, as are residents and anyone within approximately three miles of the facilities when it releases emissions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District scheduled a public meeting to explain the findings and the comment process on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Civic Auditorium and Convention Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The air regulators will consider both public comment and responses from Chevron before issuing a final risk assessment for the Richmond refinery. Then the company is required to submit a plan to reduce the risk, which will also be open to public comment and must ultimately be approved by the Air District.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? ",
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"headTitle": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>California is in the middle of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001611/californias-solar-and-battery-boom-is-transforming-the-power-grid\">battery boom\u003c/a>. Yet to meet its clean energy goals, the state needs a lot more storage capacity — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/24/california-reaches-energy-storage-milestone/\">52,000 megawatts\u003c/a>, to be exact. That’s about double what it currently has online.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s electric vehicles could help provide some of that energy through the magic of a technology called bidirectional charging. It allows electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-800x493.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1200x739.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1180x727.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-960x592.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-375x231.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-520x320.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars use the carpool lane onramp to the Bay Bridge. Bidirectional charging technology would allow electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4674\" height=\"3138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1930311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg 4674w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1200x806.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1920x1289.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1180x792.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-960x645.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-375x252.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-520x349.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4674px) 100vw, 4674px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vehicle-charging station is seen near San Francisco City Hall on Aug. 25, 2010. All participants in PG&E bidirectional charging pilot program will receive a $2,500 utility rebate, plus an extra $1,500 for the first 250 to join. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "PG&E is expanding a program that allows electric vehicle owners to sell energy back to the grid when demand — and the price consumers will get for it — are highest. ",
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"title": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California is in the middle of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001611/californias-solar-and-battery-boom-is-transforming-the-power-grid\">battery boom\u003c/a>. Yet to meet its clean energy goals, the state needs a lot more storage capacity — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/24/california-reaches-energy-storage-milestone/\">52,000 megawatts\u003c/a>, to be exact. That’s about double what it currently has online.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s electric vehicles could help provide some of that energy through the magic of a technology called bidirectional charging. It allows electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-800x493.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1200x739.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1180x727.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-960x592.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-375x231.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-520x320.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars use the carpool lane onramp to the Bay Bridge. Bidirectional charging technology would allow electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4674\" height=\"3138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1930311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg 4674w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1200x806.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1920x1289.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1180x792.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-960x645.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-375x252.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-520x349.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4674px) 100vw, 4674px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vehicle-charging station is seen near San Francisco City Hall on Aug. 25, 2010. All participants in PG&E bidirectional charging pilot program will receive a $2,500 utility rebate, plus an extra $1,500 for the first 250 to join. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-franciscos-dahlia-show-celebrates-a-century-of-floral-diversity",
"title": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Hundreds of dahlias turned a corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco into a showcase of color, shape and genetic diversity this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of California’s annual show returned to the park, this time to mark the 100th anniversary of San Francisco naming the dahlia its official flower. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year was themed “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Single-bloom dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001724\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marzieh Yaghini admires a dahlia at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Golden Gate Bridge dahlia arrangement is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visitors wandered among rows of carefully cultivated blooms, many of them competing for ribbons and recognition from judges and, for attendees, simply offering a chance to slow down and look closely at a flower that can be surprisingly complex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the reasons we love San Francisco is because there’s so many different kinds of people here. And Dahlias are kind of the San Francisco of floral society,” said Deborah Dietz, corresponding secretary for the Dahlia Society and longtime volunteer in Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Judges examine dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public enjoy the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Raeann’s Tiger Eye dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Ask With Minnie dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenna Kaiser, a dahlia ambassador with the Dahlia Society of California, poses for a photo at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy Lou, 70, takes a photo with dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1312\" data-id=\"2001721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001721\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-768x504.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-1536x1008.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Addie Lee, 2, takes photos of dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Richard Dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"2001720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Visitors wandered among rows of carefully cultivated blooms, many of them competing for ribbons and recognition from judges and, for attendees, simply offering a chance to slow down and look closely at a flower that can be surprisingly complex.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One of the reasons we love San Francisco is because there’s so many different kinds of people here. And Dahlias are kind of the San Francisco of floral society,” said Deborah Dietz, corresponding secretary for the Dahlia Society and longtime volunteer in Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "This year’s theme was “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.",
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"title": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity | KQED",
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"headline": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Hundreds of dahlias turned a corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco into a showcase of color, shape and genetic diversity this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of California’s annual show returned to the park, this time to mark the 100th anniversary of San Francisco naming the dahlia its official flower. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year was themed “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Single-bloom dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001724\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marzieh Yaghini admires a dahlia at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Golden Gate Bridge dahlia arrangement is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visitors wandered among rows of carefully cultivated blooms, many of them competing for ribbons and recognition from judges and, for attendees, simply offering a chance to slow down and look closely at a flower that can be surprisingly complex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the reasons we love San Francisco is because there’s so many different kinds of people here. And Dahlias are kind of the San Francisco of floral society,” said Deborah Dietz, corresponding secretary for the Dahlia Society and longtime volunteer in Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Judges examine dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public enjoy the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Raeann’s Tiger Eye dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Ask With Minnie dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenna Kaiser, a dahlia ambassador with the Dahlia Society of California, poses for a photo at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy Lou, 70, takes a photo with dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1312\" data-id=\"2001721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001721\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-768x504.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-1536x1008.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Addie Lee, 2, takes photos of dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Richard Dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"2001720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area",
"title": "Strong El Niño May Bring Record Sea Level and Coastal Flooding to Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "Strong El Niño May Bring Record Sea Level and Coastal Flooding to Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Derek Bentley’s San Rafael karate studio \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">flooded\u003c/a> in January, when a heavy storm hit during one of the highest tides of the year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several inches of water rose from under the foundation and filled the building from the inside, soaking the karate mats so thoroughly that they squirted water when Bentley stepped across them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood,” Bentley said. “Then we opened, but we used air dryers and some of the mats were still wet, and we had no carpet for a couple months.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now he fears a bout of déjà vu could be in his future if very strong \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions steer strong storms toward the Bay Area and once again flood his dojo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning and urban design at UC Berkeley, looks out at the South Richmond Marshes in Richmond on July 21, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My fear is we will lose this place because it’ll just be too much water,” Bentley said. He runs Taylor’s House of Karate a few yards away from a marina on San Rafael Creek in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068644/marin-county-looked-like-a-lagoon-after-king-tides-heavy-rain\">Marin County\u003c/a>. “I’ve never seen us beat water around here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is no stranger to the impacts of periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific. These conditions, what researchers call El Niño, have been associated with some of California’s most powerful and punishing storms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many months, weather experts have warned of what could be one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Federal scientists \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">forecast \u003c/a>a greater than 90% % chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. The forecast raises the possibility of a worst-case flooding scenario that Bay Area officials and climate scientists have long been concerned about — in part because warm water expands, raising sea levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In terms of emergency planning, you can think of it as the coastal flooding equivalent of “the Big One”, when the highest tides, biggest storms and largest waves all coincide on top of the elevated sea levels. That superimposition is possible in any given year, but warm water from El Niño will temporarily elevate sea levels this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast,” said Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">virtual town hall\u003c/a> focused on El Niño. “As a sort of unlucky coincidence, the tidal cycle is also gonna be at a peak around the end of this year.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño forms when tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing warm ocean water near Asia to slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming can reshape the jet stream and bring stormier weather while \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001047/scientists-worry-el-nino-could-supercharge-marine-heat-wave-roiling-coastal-california\">disrupting the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling\u003c/a>, heating coastal waters, raising sea levels and stressing marine life.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While El Niño is a natural cycle, human-caused climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/the-ocean-and-climate-change/\">warming oceans\u003c/a>, with large-scale ramifications, including long-term changes in weather and rising seas. This monthslong window into higher tides offers a glimpse of the Bay Area’s climate-altered future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” Merrifield said. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The worst coastal flooding on record’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, is building an exhibit at Pier 15 that features a chart showing how the bay’s water level has risen since 1890. Every few years there’s a really large spike. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” Lunden said. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels. “But overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The temporary rise researchers anticipate this year may come from several forces stacking together. First, the water levels in San Francisco Bay have risen about 8 inches \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0yfSCjRnyNIDGV2niWfAjhmEaue?domain=tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov\">since the 1890s\u003c/a>. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1069\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2000x835.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-1536x641.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2048x855.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sea levels have risen by around 8 inches since the 1800s in the Bay Area, but scientists expect human-caused climate change to raise them by as much as 6 feet by the end of the century. This graph showcases monthly tide levels over time, and the peaks often represent El Niño events. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Second, warm water piling up in the Pacific expands, raising sea levels by several inches. As that water slowly sloshes east, it eventually smacks into South America and forces “local ocean water to push against the coast instead of flowing westward,” flattening out into the Pacific, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These Kelvin waves are the delivery system for warm water associated with El Niño, and Swain said this process can cause up to 9 inches or more of additional temporary sea level rise along the coast and San Francisco Bay over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That rise will be “felt all the way inland into the Delta and Stockton,” Swain said. This El Niño “now appears to be most likely to become the singularly strongest on record and so I think there’s a decent chance we actually break historical records.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, changes in pressure, storm surge and back-to-back storms, and some places could experience as much as 5-to-6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels, Swain said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding could occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said. “I foresee this being a major problem for the Bay Area this year.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The high water anomaly has already begun. The tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge is running about \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches higher\u003c/a> than where it typically is for this time of year, “and that’s partially because of El Niño,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Water levels are here to stay,” Vitousek said. “They will probably get larger in the winter as El Niño ramps up and we get more storm surge, waves and atmospheric pressure effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Do the prep work’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In preparation, the California Department of Water Resources is staging more than 200 shipping containers filled with flood-response supplies across the state. Officials have stockpiled 4.3 million sandbags, 55,000 super sacks that can be filled with rocks or sand, and 400,000 tons of rock for emergencies such as levee repairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We preposition materials around the state to make it faster to have them deployed,” said Michael Anderson, the state climatologist. The department is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to have pumps ready and has partnered with NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on a \u003ca href=\"https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/aqpi/\">system of radar units\u003c/a> to help detect hazardous weather events. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001571\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A tide gauge in between Piers 15 and 17 next to the Exploratorium in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. The water level reached around 8 feet in January 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That can really help communities know where the heavy rains are coming,” Anderson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area, cities are also gearing up ahead of the year’s highest tides, which fall right around Thanksgiving and Christmas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Rafael, where high tides already flood streets and pumps weren’t designed for saltwater, is coordinating with critical agencies to improve communication so that roads can be closed quickly when it floods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted,” said Kate Hagemann, a climate adaptation resilience planner with San Rafael.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parts of Alameda, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000377/for-this-bay-area-island-city-water-is-coming-from-all-sides\">a low-lying island city\u003c/a> with a shallow water table, often floods during high tides and storms. The city is preparing barricades and sandbags, readying pumps and clearing storm drains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may prevent stormwater from flowing,” said Erin Smith, public works director for the City of Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Piers 15 and 17 in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997729/oysters-snails-and-a-wall-that-protects-against-climate-change-one-tile-at-a-time\">Port of San Francisco\u003c/a> is taking similar steps: clearing drains, planning traffic detours and staging pumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“King tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future,” said Brad Benson, waterfront resilience program director for the Port. “In some of these areas, we have very important assets for the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Benson’s biggest concerns is the low-lying Muni tunnel entrance near the Ferry Building. About 60% of the city’s light rail fleet passes through it each night to reach the maintenance yard, making it critical to protect.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Californians can sign up for emergency alerts and create disaster plans by visiting the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.listoscalifornia.org/\">Ready California\u003c/a> site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do the prep work,” said Nate Ortiz, assistant director for planning and preparedness with the California Office of Emergency Services. He suggested creating a go bag with documents, cash, food, water, medication and clothing. “Even if you can just get it started and incrementally build that out, it’s a great way to be a bit more prepared\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The dangerous conditions may expose the weaknesses in flood protections across Bay Area cities, said Kristina Hill, a professor in the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley who studies \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912604/as-sea-levels-rise-what-will-it-take-to-protect-the-bay-area-from-flooding\">sea level rise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael, have a patchwork of private levees. This winter will likely put those barriers to the test.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018103/king-tides-foreshadow-far-wetter-future-sf-shoreline\">San Francisco seawall\u003c/a>,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design at UC Berkeley, poses for a photo at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor in San Rafael on July 21, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on the level of flooding, Hill said, it could show the region that it’s time “to do business differently” by building with more imagination and constructing buildings that are ready for higher seas. She dreams of floating buildings along the bay, like the Ferry Building, or entire blocks of housing as a way to live on the water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again,” Hill said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bentley said that future — where the water doesn’t recede and daily tides inundate shorelines — is something he worries about at the dojo in San Rafael. From inside his practice, Bentley has a front-row view of the boats in the marina as they move up and down with the tide. He can tell when the water is rising. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was kind of crazy to drive in here and see the boats above you,” Bentley said. “Over the last three years I’ve noticed the boats are getting higher and higher and higher.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And every time it rains, Bentley remembers the memory of the January flood that nearly shut down his practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As someone who has lived and worked near water, I’ve only seen flooding get worse,” Bentley said. “We should just start preparing for it versus crossing our fingers.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley’s San Rafael karate studio \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">flooded\u003c/a> in January, when a heavy storm hit during one of the highest tides of the year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Derek Bentley’s San Rafael karate studio \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">flooded\u003c/a> in January, when a heavy storm hit during one of the highest tides of the year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several inches of water rose from under the foundation and filled the building from the inside, soaking the karate mats so thoroughly that they squirted water when Bentley stepped across them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Several inches of water rose from under the foundation and filled the building from the inside, soaking the karate mats so thoroughly that they squirted water when Bentley stepped across them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood,” Bentley said. “Then we opened, but we used air dryers and some of the mats were still wet, and we had no carpet for a couple months.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood,” Bentley said. “Then we opened, but we used air dryers and some of the mats were still wet, and we had no carpet for a couple months.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now he fears a bout of déjà vu could be in his future if very strong \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions steer strong storms toward the Bay Area and once again flood his dojo.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Now he fears a bout of déjà vu could be in his future if very strong \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions steer strong storms toward the Bay Area and once again flood his dojo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning and urban design at UC Berkeley, looks out at the South Richmond Marshes in Richmond on July 21, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001559\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning and urban design at UC Berkeley, looks out at the South Richmond Marshes in Richmond on July 21, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My fear is we will lose this place because it’ll just be too much water,” Bentley said. He runs Taylor’s House of Karate a few yards away from a marina on San Rafael Creek in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068644/marin-county-looked-like-a-lagoon-after-king-tides-heavy-rain\">Marin County\u003c/a>. “I’ve never seen us beat water around here.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“My fear is we will lose this place because it’ll just be too much water,” Bentley said. He runs Taylor’s House of Karate a few yards away from a marina on San Rafael Creek in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068644/marin-county-looked-like-a-lagoon-after-king-tides-heavy-rain\">Marin County\u003c/a>. “I’ve never seen us beat water around here.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California is no stranger to the impacts of periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific. These conditions, what researchers call El Niño, have been associated with some of California’s most powerful and punishing storms. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California is no stranger to the impacts of periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific. These conditions, what researchers call El Niño, have been associated with some of California’s most powerful and punishing storms. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For many months, weather experts have warned of what could be one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Federal scientists \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">forecast \u003c/a>a greater than 90% % chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. The forecast raises the possibility of a worst-case flooding scenario that Bay Area officials and climate scientists have long been concerned about — in part because warm water expands, raising sea levels.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For many months, weather experts have warned of what could be one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Federal scientists \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">forecast \u003c/a>a greater than 90% % chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. The forecast raises the possibility of a worst-case flooding scenario that Bay Area officials and climate scientists have long been concerned about — in part because warm water expands, raising sea levels.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In terms of emergency planning, you can think of it as the coastal flooding equivalent of “the Big One”, when the highest tides, biggest storms and largest waves all coincide on top of the elevated sea levels. That superimposition is possible in any given year, but warm water from El Niño will temporarily elevate sea levels this year.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In terms of emergency planning, you can think of it as the coastal flooding equivalent of “the Big One”, when the highest tides, biggest storms and largest waves all coincide on top of the elevated sea levels. That superimposition is possible in any given year, but warm water from El Niño will temporarily elevate sea levels this year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast,” said Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">virtual town hall\u003c/a> focused on El Niño. “As a sort of unlucky coincidence, the tidal cycle is also gonna be at a peak around the end of this year.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast,” said Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">virtual town hall\u003c/a> focused on El Niño. “As a sort of unlucky coincidence, the tidal cycle is also gonna be at a peak around the end of this year.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño forms when tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing warm ocean water near Asia to slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming can reshape the jet stream and bring stormier weather while \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001047/scientists-worry-el-nino-could-supercharge-marine-heat-wave-roiling-coastal-california\">disrupting the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling\u003c/a>, heating coastal waters, raising sea levels and stressing marine life.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>El Niño forms when tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing warm ocean water near Asia to slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming can reshape the jet stream and bring stormier weather while \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001047/scientists-worry-el-nino-could-supercharge-marine-heat-wave-roiling-coastal-california\">disrupting the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling\u003c/a>, heating coastal waters, raising sea levels and stressing marine life.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While El Niño is a natural cycle, human-caused climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/the-ocean-and-climate-change/\">warming oceans\u003c/a>, with large-scale ramifications, including long-term changes in weather and rising seas. This monthslong window into higher tides offers a glimpse of the Bay Area’s climate-altered future.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While El Niño is a natural cycle, human-caused climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/the-ocean-and-climate-change/\">warming oceans\u003c/a>, with large-scale ramifications, including long-term changes in weather and rising seas. This monthslong window into higher tides offers a glimpse of the Bay Area’s climate-altered future.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” Merrifield said. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” Merrifield said. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘The worst coastal flooding on record’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The worst coastal flooding on record’\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The worst coastal flooding on record’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, is building an exhibit at Pier 15 that features a chart showing how the bay’s water level has risen since 1890. Every few years there’s a really large spike. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, is building an exhibit at Pier 15 that features a chart showing how the bay’s water level has risen since 1890. Every few years there’s a really large spike. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” Lunden said. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels. “But overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” Lunden said. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels. “But overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The temporary rise researchers anticipate this year may come from several forces stacking together. First, the water levels in San Francisco Bay have risen about 8 inches \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0yfSCjRnyNIDGV2niWfAjhmEaue?domain=tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov\">since the 1890s\u003c/a>. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The temporary rise researchers anticipate this year may come from several forces stacking together. First, the water levels in San Francisco Bay have risen about 8 inches \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0yfSCjRnyNIDGV2niWfAjhmEaue?domain=tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov\">since the 1890s\u003c/a>. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 2001620,
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2000x835.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-1536x641.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2048x855.png 2048w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2000x835.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-1536x641.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2048x855.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sea levels have risen by around 8 inches since the 1800s in the Bay Area, but scientists expect human-caused climate change to raise them by as much as 6 feet by the end of the century. This graph showcases monthly tide levels over time, and the peaks often represent El Niño events.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001620\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sea levels have risen by around 8 inches since the 1800s in the Bay Area, but scientists expect human-caused climate change to raise them by as much as 6 feet by the end of the century. This graph showcases monthly tide levels over time, and the peaks often represent El Niño events.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Second, warm water piling up in the Pacific expands, raising sea levels by several inches. As that water slowly sloshes east, it eventually smacks into South America and forces “local ocean water to push against the coast instead of flowing westward,” flattening out into the Pacific, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Second, warm water piling up in the Pacific expands, raising sea levels by several inches. As that water slowly sloshes east, it eventually smacks into South America and forces “local ocean water to push against the coast instead of flowing westward,” flattening out into the Pacific, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These Kelvin waves are the delivery system for warm water associated with El Niño, and Swain said this process can cause up to 9 inches or more of additional temporary sea level rise along the coast and San Francisco Bay over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These Kelvin waves are the delivery system for warm water associated with El Niño, and Swain said this process can cause up to 9 inches or more of additional temporary sea level rise along the coast and San Francisco Bay over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That rise will be “felt all the way inland into the Delta and Stockton,” Swain said. This El Niño “now appears to be most likely to become the singularly strongest on record and so I think there’s a decent chance we actually break historical records.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That rise will be “felt all the way inland into the Delta and Stockton,” Swain said. This El Niño “now appears to be most likely to become the singularly strongest on record and so I think there’s a decent chance we actually break historical records.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, changes in pressure, storm surge and back-to-back storms, and some places could experience as much as 5-to-6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels, Swain said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, changes in pressure, storm surge and back-to-back storms, and some places could experience as much as 5-to-6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels, Swain said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding could occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding could occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said. “I foresee this being a major problem for the Bay Area this year.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said. “I foresee this being a major problem for the Bay Area this year.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The high water anomaly has already begun. The tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge is running about \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches higher\u003c/a> than where it typically is for this time of year, “and that’s partially because of El Niño,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The high water anomaly has already begun. The tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge is running about \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches higher\u003c/a> than where it typically is for this time of year, “and that’s partially because of El Niño,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Water levels are here to stay,” Vitousek said. “They will probably get larger in the winter as El Niño ramps up and we get more storm surge, waves and atmospheric pressure effects.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Water levels are here to stay,” Vitousek said. “They will probably get larger in the winter as El Niño ramps up and we get more storm surge, waves and atmospheric pressure effects.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘Do the prep work’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Do the prep work’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In preparation, the California Department of Water Resources is staging more than 200 shipping containers filled with flood-response supplies across the state. Officials have stockpiled 4.3 million sandbags, 55,000 super sacks that can be filled with rocks or sand, and 400,000 tons of rock for emergencies such as levee repairs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In preparation, the California Department of Water Resources is staging more than 200 shipping containers filled with flood-response supplies across the state. Officials have stockpiled 4.3 million sandbags, 55,000 super sacks that can be filled with rocks or sand, and 400,000 tons of rock for emergencies such as levee repairs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We preposition materials around the state to make it faster to have them deployed,” said Michael Anderson, the state climatologist. The department is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to have pumps ready and has partnered with NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on a \u003ca href=\"https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/aqpi/\">system of radar units\u003c/a> to help detect hazardous weather events. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We preposition materials around the state to make it faster to have them deployed,” said Michael Anderson, the state climatologist. The department is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to have pumps ready and has partnered with NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on a \u003ca href=\"https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/aqpi/\">system of radar units\u003c/a> to help detect hazardous weather events. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"id": 2001571,
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001571\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A tide gauge in between Piers 15 and 17 next to the Exploratorium in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. The water level reached around 8 feet in January 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001571\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A tide gauge in between Piers 15 and 17 next to the Exploratorium in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. The water level reached around 8 feet in January 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That can really help communities know where the heavy rains are coming,” Anderson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That can really help communities know where the heavy rains are coming,” Anderson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area, cities are also gearing up ahead of the year’s highest tides, which fall right around Thanksgiving and Christmas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area, cities are also gearing up ahead of the year’s highest tides, which fall right around Thanksgiving and Christmas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Rafael, where high tides already flood streets and pumps weren’t designed for saltwater, is coordinating with critical agencies to improve communication so that roads can be closed quickly when it floods. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Rafael, where high tides already flood streets and pumps weren’t designed for saltwater, is coordinating with critical agencies to improve communication so that roads can be closed quickly when it floods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted,” said Kate Hagemann, a climate adaptation resilience planner with San Rafael.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted,” said Kate Hagemann, a climate adaptation resilience planner with San Rafael.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Parts of Alameda, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000377/for-this-bay-area-island-city-water-is-coming-from-all-sides\">a low-lying island city\u003c/a> with a shallow water table, often floods during high tides and storms. The city is preparing barricades and sandbags, readying pumps and clearing storm drains.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Parts of Alameda, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000377/for-this-bay-area-island-city-water-is-coming-from-all-sides\">a low-lying island city\u003c/a> with a shallow water table, often floods during high tides and storms. The city is preparing barricades and sandbags, readying pumps and clearing storm drains.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may prevent stormwater from flowing,” said Erin Smith, public works director for the City of Alameda. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may prevent stormwater from flowing,” said Erin Smith, public works director for the City of Alameda. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Piers 15 and 17 in San Francisco on July 24, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001569\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Piers 15 and 17 in San Francisco on July 24, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997729/oysters-snails-and-a-wall-that-protects-against-climate-change-one-tile-at-a-time\">Port of San Francisco\u003c/a> is taking similar steps: clearing drains, planning traffic detours and staging pumps.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997729/oysters-snails-and-a-wall-that-protects-against-climate-change-one-tile-at-a-time\">Port of San Francisco\u003c/a> is taking similar steps: clearing drains, planning traffic detours and staging pumps.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“King tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future,” said Brad Benson, waterfront resilience program director for the Port. “In some of these areas, we have very important assets for the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“King tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future,” said Brad Benson, waterfront resilience program director for the Port. “In some of these areas, we have very important assets for the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of Benson’s biggest concerns is the low-lying Muni tunnel entrance near the Ferry Building. About 60% of the city’s light rail fleet passes through it each night to reach the maintenance yard, making it critical to protect.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Californians can sign up for emergency alerts and create disaster plans by visiting the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.listoscalifornia.org/\">Ready California\u003c/a> site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of Benson’s biggest concerns is the low-lying Muni tunnel entrance near the Ferry Building. About 60% of the city’s light rail fleet passes through it each night to reach the maintenance yard, making it critical to protect.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Californians can sign up for emergency alerts and create disaster plans by visiting the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.listoscalifornia.org/\">Ready California\u003c/a> site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Do the prep work,” said Nate Ortiz, assistant director for planning and preparedness with the California Office of Emergency Services. He suggested creating a go bag with documents, cash, food, water, medication and clothing. “Even if you can just get it started and incrementally build that out, it’s a great way to be a bit more prepared\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Do the prep work,” said Nate Ortiz, assistant director for planning and preparedness with the California Office of Emergency Services. He suggested creating a go bag with documents, cash, food, water, medication and clothing. “Even if you can just get it started and incrementally build that out, it’s a great way to be a bit more prepared\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The dangerous conditions may expose the weaknesses in flood protections across Bay Area cities, said Kristina Hill, a professor in the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley who studies \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912604/as-sea-levels-rise-what-will-it-take-to-protect-the-bay-area-from-flooding\">sea level rise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The dangerous conditions may expose the weaknesses in flood protections across Bay Area cities, said Kristina Hill, a professor in the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley who studies \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912604/as-sea-levels-rise-what-will-it-take-to-protect-the-bay-area-from-flooding\">sea level rise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael, have a patchwork of private levees. This winter will likely put those barriers to the test.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael, have a patchwork of private levees. This winter will likely put those barriers to the test.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018103/king-tides-foreshadow-far-wetter-future-sf-shoreline\">San Francisco seawall\u003c/a>,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018103/king-tides-foreshadow-far-wetter-future-sf-shoreline\">San Francisco seawall\u003c/a>,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design at UC Berkeley, poses for a photo at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor in San Rafael on July 21, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001566\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design at UC Berkeley, poses for a photo at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor in San Rafael on July 21, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Depending on the level of flooding, Hill said, it could show the region that it’s time “to do business differently” by building with more imagination and constructing buildings that are ready for higher seas. She dreams of floating buildings along the bay, like the Ferry Building, or entire blocks of housing as a way to live on the water. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Depending on the level of flooding, Hill said, it could show the region that it’s time “to do business differently” by building with more imagination and constructing buildings that are ready for higher seas. She dreams of floating buildings along the bay, like the Ferry Building, or entire blocks of housing as a way to live on the water. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again,” Hill said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again,” Hill said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bentley said that future — where the water doesn’t recede and daily tides inundate shorelines — is something he worries about at the dojo in San Rafael. From inside his practice, Bentley has a front-row view of the boats in the marina as they move up and down with the tide. He can tell when the water is rising. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bentley said that future — where the water doesn’t recede and daily tides inundate shorelines — is something he worries about at the dojo in San Rafael. From inside his practice, Bentley has a front-row view of the boats in the marina as they move up and down with the tide. He can tell when the water is rising. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was kind of crazy to drive in here and see the boats above you,” Bentley said. “Over the last three years I’ve noticed the boats are getting higher and higher and higher.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was kind of crazy to drive in here and see the boats above you,” Bentley said. “Over the last three years I’ve noticed the boats are getting higher and higher and higher.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And every time it rains, Bentley remembers the memory of the January flood that nearly shut down his practice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And every time it rains, Bentley remembers the memory of the January flood that nearly shut down his practice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As someone who has lived and worked near water, I’ve only seen flooding get worse,” Bentley said. “We should just start preparing for it versus crossing our fingers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As someone who has lived and worked near water, I’ve only seen flooding get worse,” Bentley said. “We should just start preparing for it versus crossing our fingers.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "El Niño conditions temporarily layer tomorrow’s Bay Area sea levels onto today’s and offer a glimpse of a wetter future. ",
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"title": "Strong El Niño May Bring Record Sea Level and Coastal Flooding to Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Derek Bentley’s San Rafael karate studio \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">flooded\u003c/a> in January, when a heavy storm hit during one of the highest tides of the year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several inches of water rose from under the foundation and filled the building from the inside, soaking the karate mats so thoroughly that they squirted water when Bentley stepped across them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were closed for about a week after the flood,” Bentley said. “Then we opened, but we used air dryers and some of the mats were still wet, and we had no carpet for a couple months.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now he fears a bout of déjà vu could be in his future if very strong \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions steer strong storms toward the Bay Area and once again flood his dojo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-77-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning and urban design at UC Berkeley, looks out at the South Richmond Marshes in Richmond on July 21, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My fear is we will lose this place because it’ll just be too much water,” Bentley said. He runs Taylor’s House of Karate a few yards away from a marina on San Rafael Creek in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068644/marin-county-looked-like-a-lagoon-after-king-tides-heavy-rain\">Marin County\u003c/a>. “I’ve never seen us beat water around here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is no stranger to the impacts of periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific. These conditions, what researchers call El Niño, have been associated with some of California’s most powerful and punishing storms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many months, weather experts have warned of what could be one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Federal scientists \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">forecast \u003c/a>a greater than 90% % chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. The forecast raises the possibility of a worst-case flooding scenario that Bay Area officials and climate scientists have long been concerned about — in part because warm water expands, raising sea levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In terms of emergency planning, you can think of it as the coastal flooding equivalent of “the Big One”, when the highest tides, biggest storms and largest waves all coincide on top of the elevated sea levels. That superimposition is possible in any given year, but warm water from El Niño will temporarily elevate sea levels this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast,” said Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">virtual town hall\u003c/a> focused on El Niño. “As a sort of unlucky coincidence, the tidal cycle is also gonna be at a peak around the end of this year.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño forms when tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing warm ocean water near Asia to slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming can reshape the jet stream and bring stormier weather while \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001047/scientists-worry-el-nino-could-supercharge-marine-heat-wave-roiling-coastal-california\">disrupting the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling\u003c/a>, heating coastal waters, raising sea levels and stressing marine life.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While El Niño is a natural cycle, human-caused climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/the-ocean-and-climate-change/\">warming oceans\u003c/a>, with large-scale ramifications, including long-term changes in weather and rising seas. This monthslong window into higher tides offers a glimpse of the Bay Area’s climate-altered future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” Merrifield said. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The worst coastal flooding on record’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, is building an exhibit at Pier 15 that features a chart showing how the bay’s water level has risen since 1890. Every few years there’s a really large spike. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” Lunden said. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels. “But overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The temporary rise researchers anticipate this year may come from several forces stacking together. First, the water levels in San Francisco Bay have risen about 8 inches \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0yfSCjRnyNIDGV2niWfAjhmEaue?domain=tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov\">since the 1890s\u003c/a>. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1069\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-scaled.png 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2000x835.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-1536x641.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/FS_F.02.01_SeaLevelCylinder_v12-2048x855.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sea levels have risen by around 8 inches since the 1800s in the Bay Area, but scientists expect human-caused climate change to raise them by as much as 6 feet by the end of the century. This graph showcases monthly tide levels over time, and the peaks often represent El Niño events. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Second, warm water piling up in the Pacific expands, raising sea levels by several inches. As that water slowly sloshes east, it eventually smacks into South America and forces “local ocean water to push against the coast instead of flowing westward,” flattening out into the Pacific, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These Kelvin waves are the delivery system for warm water associated with El Niño, and Swain said this process can cause up to 9 inches or more of additional temporary sea level rise along the coast and San Francisco Bay over days or weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That rise will be “felt all the way inland into the Delta and Stockton,” Swain said. This El Niño “now appears to be most likely to become the singularly strongest on record and so I think there’s a decent chance we actually break historical records.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, which will be among the highest on record in December, changes in pressure, storm surge and back-to-back storms, and some places could experience as much as 5-to-6 feet of temporary inundation above historical high tide levels, Swain said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding could occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said. “I foresee this being a major problem for the Bay Area this year.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The high water anomaly has already begun. The tide gauge near the Golden Gate Bridge is running about \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches higher\u003c/a> than where it typically is for this time of year, “and that’s partially because of El Niño,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Water levels are here to stay,” Vitousek said. “They will probably get larger in the winter as El Niño ramps up and we get more storm surge, waves and atmospheric pressure effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Do the prep work’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In preparation, the California Department of Water Resources is staging more than 200 shipping containers filled with flood-response supplies across the state. Officials have stockpiled 4.3 million sandbags, 55,000 super sacks that can be filled with rocks or sand, and 400,000 tons of rock for emergencies such as levee repairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We preposition materials around the state to make it faster to have them deployed,” said Michael Anderson, the state climatologist. The department is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to have pumps ready and has partnered with NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on a \u003ca href=\"https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/aqpi/\">system of radar units\u003c/a> to help detect hazardous weather events. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001571\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A tide gauge in between Piers 15 and 17 next to the Exploratorium in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. The water level reached around 8 feet in January 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That can really help communities know where the heavy rains are coming,” Anderson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area, cities are also gearing up ahead of the year’s highest tides, which fall right around Thanksgiving and Christmas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Rafael, where high tides already flood streets and pumps weren’t designed for saltwater, is coordinating with critical agencies to improve communication so that roads can be closed quickly when it floods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That unfortunately doesn’t reduce the risk that those roads flood or those facilities are impacted,” said Kate Hagemann, a climate adaptation resilience planner with San Rafael.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parts of Alameda, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000377/for-this-bay-area-island-city-water-is-coming-from-all-sides\">a low-lying island city\u003c/a> with a shallow water table, often floods during high tides and storms. The city is preparing barricades and sandbags, readying pumps and clearing storm drains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have a vacuum truck that’s able to quickly dislodge material that may prevent stormwater from flowing,” said Erin Smith, public works director for the City of Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260724-ELNINOWORST-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Piers 15 and 17 in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997729/oysters-snails-and-a-wall-that-protects-against-climate-change-one-tile-at-a-time\">Port of San Francisco\u003c/a> is taking similar steps: clearing drains, planning traffic detours and staging pumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“King tides and these El Niño events are a glimpse into the future,” said Brad Benson, waterfront resilience program director for the Port. “In some of these areas, we have very important assets for the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Benson’s biggest concerns is the low-lying Muni tunnel entrance near the Ferry Building. About 60% of the city’s light rail fleet passes through it each night to reach the maintenance yard, making it critical to protect.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Californians can sign up for emergency alerts and create disaster plans by visiting the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.listoscalifornia.org/\">Ready California\u003c/a> site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do the prep work,” said Nate Ortiz, assistant director for planning and preparedness with the California Office of Emergency Services. He suggested creating a go bag with documents, cash, food, water, medication and clothing. “Even if you can just get it started and incrementally build that out, it’s a great way to be a bit more prepared\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The dangerous conditions may expose the weaknesses in flood protections across Bay Area cities, said Kristina Hill, a professor in the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley who studies \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912604/as-sea-levels-rise-what-will-it-take-to-protect-the-bay-area-from-flooding\">sea level rise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael, have a patchwork of private levees. This winter will likely put those barriers to the test.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018103/king-tides-foreshadow-far-wetter-future-sf-shoreline\">San Francisco seawall\u003c/a>,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260721-ELNINOWORST-NG-221-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kristina Hill, professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design at UC Berkeley, poses for a photo at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor in San Rafael on July 21, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on the level of flooding, Hill said, it could show the region that it’s time “to do business differently” by building with more imagination and constructing buildings that are ready for higher seas. She dreams of floating buildings along the bay, like the Ferry Building, or entire blocks of housing as a way to live on the water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The things we’ve done in the past to prevent coastal flooding won’t work when that water doesn’t go back down again,” Hill said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bentley said that future — where the water doesn’t recede and daily tides inundate shorelines — is something he worries about at the dojo in San Rafael. From inside his practice, Bentley has a front-row view of the boats in the marina as they move up and down with the tide. He can tell when the water is rising. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was kind of crazy to drive in here and see the boats above you,” Bentley said. “Over the last three years I’ve noticed the boats are getting higher and higher and higher.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And every time it rains, Bentley remembers the memory of the January flood that nearly shut down his practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As someone who has lived and worked near water, I’ve only seen flooding get worse,” Bentley said. “We should just start preparing for it versus crossing our fingers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "californias-solar-and-battery-boom-is-transforming-the-power-grid",
"title": "California’s Solar and Battery Boom Is Transforming the Power Grid",
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"headTitle": "California’s Solar and Battery Boom Is Transforming the Power Grid | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s electric grid is cleaner today than it has ever been, thanks to renewable energy sources like solar power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These sources of carbon-free power, including wind, hydroelectric power, geothermal and nuclear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">provided 62% of California’s electricity in 2024\u003c/a>, according to the California Energy Commission. This is up from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2023-total-system-electric-generation\">58% in 2023\u003c/a>, largely due to more electricity coming from solar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Solar is now the state’s largest renewable source, though natural gas remains one of the single largest sources of electricity, particularly after sunset. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although that is changing with explosive growth this decade in California’s ability to store power in large batteries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Renewable and carbon-free sources — including solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power — make up the majority of California’s electricity mix. (Courtesy of California Energy Commission)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state is now home to one of the world’s largest battery fleets, capable of punching through enough electricity to power more than fifteen San Franciscos at the time of day the city needs it the most. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s very steadily and significantly becoming more green,” said Andrew Campbell, executive director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley Haas. “The big change over the last 10 years is the dramatic growth in utility-scale solar and the growth of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has more batteries installed than any other state or country at this point,” Campbell said. “The batteries alone could probably satisfy about a quarter of the state’s demand at peak times and maybe even half the demand at off-peak times.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Batteries have transformed how California uses renewable energy. They store excess electricity generated during the day, when production exceeds demand, and discharge it in the evening after the sun sets, when more people use electricity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California’s electricity has changed dramatically in just one decade\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation/2016\">decade ago, natural gas was the main source of California’s electricity supply\u003c/a>, with solar providing just 8% of the energy mix. In 2024, solar’s share had more than doubled to 20%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Large solar farm projects have cropped up across California, and \u003ca href=\"https://environmentamerica.org/california/articles/2026-solar-strong-priorities-for-california/\">more than 2 million homes now have rooftop solar\u003c/a>. Geothermal sources and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000835/the-view-inside-californias-last-nuclear-power-plant\">Diablo Canyon nuclear plant\u003c/a> continue providing carbon-free electricity around the clock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California now has the largest fleet of batteries in the country, producing roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/california-surpasses-21000-megawatts-battery-resources-supporting-states\">21,000 megawatts\u003c/a> of power. Just five years ago, that number was only a fraction of today’s capacity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001679\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California’s electricity mix in 2014 and 2024. Data for 2024 are the latest available from the California Energy Commission. (Source: California Energy Commission. Credit: Sarah Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The grid has been transformed not just by solar, but really coupled with the growth of battery projects,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, California ran on 100% clean energy for 1,856 hours — that’s up from 147 hours in 2022, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/tracking-progress-toward-100-clean-energy\">Energy Commission\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During that time, solar, wind and other renewables collectively generated enough electricity to meet statewide demand, although some natural gas plants are still operating and helping to keep the grid stable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This illustrates how rapidly renewable energy and storage have changed grid operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the state’s energy mix changes throughout the day\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s electricity mix changes minute by minute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keeping electricity flowing 24 hours a day means the state still relies on natural gas, imports power from neighboring states and constantly balances supply and demand in real time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"668\" height=\"426\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png 668w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve-160x102.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The duck curve shows how solar generation peaks during the day, then drops as people return home and electricity demand rises. (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages about 80% of the state’s power grid, constantly adjusts which power plants, batteries and imports are supplying electricity to match demand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around midday, solar panels across California produce enormous amounts of electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then the sun begins to set. Between about 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., solar production falls rapidly as millions of Californians return home, cook dinner, charge electric vehicles, and turn on air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Grid operators call this the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/cmei/solar/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy\">Duck Curve\u003c/a>, the famous phenomenon in which solar generation spikes during the day but drops off just as evening energy demand peaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, natural gas plants have covered that steep evening spike in demand for energy. Today, batteries increasingly do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role do batteries play for a greener grid?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Batteries now provide more than 60% of the power to cover the evening surge in demand during hot months as people get home and turn on their appliances, according to CAISO.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean natural gas has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While California relies less on natural gas on a normal day because the state uses more wind and solar, “gas plants are still essential for meeting energy needs during,” [the busiest times] said Stacey Shepard, a senior information officer at the California Energy Commission. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Battery storage has dramatically reduced how often gas plants are needed, but they are still needed during prolonged heat waves, cloudy periods, wildfire-related power outages and other emergencies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when there’s too much solar power\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On some sunny afternoons, California generates more solar power than it can use. Thanks to batteries, that energy can be stored for later use in the evening.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“That energy is then put back onto the grid in the evenings after the sun sets,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California also exports extra energy to neighboring states. “It can be a positive thing where California is essentially making money by selling electricity to [for example] Arizona when the weather may be hot there,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year, California imports more electricity than it exports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1992\" height=\"1504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg\" alt=\"Solar panels and wind turbines in desert with mountains in the distance.\" class=\"wp-image-1985612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg 1992w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-800x604.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1020x770.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-160x121.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-768x580.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1536x1160.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1920x1450.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1992px) 100vw, 1992px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A solar and wind farm in Palm Springs that generates 100% renewable energy. (Murat Taner/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state often sends out electricity in the middle of a spring or summer day before bringing power in again in the evening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The negative of having too much solar energy is that CAISO asks solar and wind farms to shut down or back off to avoid overloading the system; what the grid operator calls “curtailment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65364\">CAISO curtailed \u003c/a>29% more output from these farms than in the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Electricity] supply and demand have to be precisely equal at all times. What’s happening more and more is that some of these big [wind and solar] plants are being turned off,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If renewable energy is so cheap, why are electric bills in California still so high?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While solar and wind are some of the cheapest sources of electricity ever built, utilities have spent billions upgrading poles, wires and substations, expanding transmission lines and making all this equipment more secure and less likely to touch off a destructive wildfire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[High costs are] entirely related to the distribution grid,” Campbell said. Investments in the network that delivers electricity to homes and businesses are one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">biggest drivers of California’s electric rates\u003c/a>, which are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">highest in the country\u003c/a> outside of Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Energy Commission said it’s trying to reduce future costs by focusing on improving energy efficiency, investing in emerging technologies and identifying the lowest-cost clean energy mix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about AI and data centers? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity demand is expected to grow substantially over the next two decades because of electric vehicles, building electrification and AI data centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/data-centers\">more than 200 data centers\u003c/a>, and the state forecasts power demand from those facilities to more than quadruple by 2040.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether that raises consumer electricity bills depends largely on policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campbell said the best outcome is for data centers to pay the full cost of connecting to the grid, which could actually help spread infrastructure costs across more customers and reduce the cost for everyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they don’t, existing ratepayers may shoulder more of those expenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can Californians do to help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you use electricity increasingly matters as much as how much you use.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Twenty years ago, using electricity in the middle of the day was a very bad idea,” Campbell said, referencing the energy crisis in the early 2000s when the grid relied on fossil fuels. “Now it’s entirely different. The middle of the day is the best time to use electricity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Power generation from solar panels peaks in the middle of the day. When you charge an electric vehicle, run the dishwasher or do laundry during sunny hours, you are using abundant solar power. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023805/pge-bills-keep-rising-what-can-you-do-to-potentially-lower-your-bills\">Rates are also lower during this time.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As California builds more renewable energy and batteries, residents shifting the time they use appliances is one of the easiest ways they can help make the grid greener.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Solar is now the state’s largest renewable source, though natural gas remains one of the single largest sources of electricity, particularly after sunset. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Solar is now the state’s largest renewable source, though natural gas remains one of the single largest sources of electricity, particularly after sunset. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although that is changing with explosive growth this decade in California’s ability to store power in large batteries. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Although that is changing with explosive growth this decade in California’s ability to store power in large batteries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Renewable and carbon-free sources — including solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power — make up the majority of California’s electricity mix. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Energy Commission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001644\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Renewable and carbon-free sources — including solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power — make up the majority of California’s electricity mix. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Energy Commission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state is now home to one of the world’s largest battery fleets, capable of punching through enough electricity to power more than fifteen San Franciscos at the time of day the city needs it the most. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state is now home to one of the world’s largest battery fleets, capable of punching through enough electricity to power more than fifteen San Franciscos at the time of day the city needs it the most. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s very steadily and significantly becoming more green,” said Andrew Campbell, executive director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley Haas. “The big change over the last 10 years is the dramatic growth in utility-scale solar and the growth of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s very steadily and significantly becoming more green,” said Andrew Campbell, executive director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley Haas. “The big change over the last 10 years is the dramatic growth in utility-scale solar and the growth of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California has more batteries installed than any other state or country at this point,” Campbell said. “The batteries alone could probably satisfy about a quarter of the state’s demand at peak times and maybe even half the demand at off-peak times.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“California has more batteries installed than any other state or country at this point,” Campbell said. “The batteries alone could probably satisfy about a quarter of the state’s demand at peak times and maybe even half the demand at off-peak times.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Batteries have transformed how California uses renewable energy. They store excess electricity generated during the day, when production exceeds demand, and discharge it in the evening after the sun sets, when more people use electricity.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Batteries have transformed how California uses renewable energy. They store excess electricity generated during the day, when production exceeds demand, and discharge it in the evening after the sun sets, when more people use electricity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "California’s electricity has changed dramatically in just one decade",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California’s electricity has changed dramatically in just one decade\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California’s electricity has changed dramatically in just one decade\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation/2016\">decade ago, natural gas was the main source of California’s electricity supply\u003c/a>, with solar providing just 8% of the energy mix. In 2024, solar’s share had more than doubled to 20%.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation/2016\">decade ago, natural gas was the main source of California’s electricity supply\u003c/a>, with solar providing just 8% of the energy mix. In 2024, solar’s share had more than doubled to 20%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Large solar farm projects have cropped up across California, and \u003ca href=\"https://environmentamerica.org/california/articles/2026-solar-strong-priorities-for-california/\">more than 2 million homes now have rooftop solar\u003c/a>. Geothermal sources and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000835/the-view-inside-californias-last-nuclear-power-plant\">Diablo Canyon nuclear plant\u003c/a> continue providing carbon-free electricity around the clock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Large solar farm projects have cropped up across California, and \u003ca href=\"https://environmentamerica.org/california/articles/2026-solar-strong-priorities-for-california/\">more than 2 million homes now have rooftop solar\u003c/a>. Geothermal sources and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000835/the-view-inside-californias-last-nuclear-power-plant\">Diablo Canyon nuclear plant\u003c/a> continue providing carbon-free electricity around the clock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California now has the largest fleet of batteries in the country, producing roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/california-surpasses-21000-megawatts-battery-resources-supporting-states\">21,000 megawatts\u003c/a> of power. Just five years ago, that number was only a fraction of today’s capacity.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California now has the largest fleet of batteries in the country, producing roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/california-surpasses-21000-megawatts-battery-resources-supporting-states\">21,000 megawatts\u003c/a> of power. Just five years ago, that number was only a fraction of today’s capacity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1200x675.jpg 1200w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001679\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California’s electricity mix in 2014 and 2024. Data for 2024 are the latest available from the California Energy Commission. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Source: California Energy Commission. Credit: Sarah Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001679\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California’s electricity mix in 2014 and 2024. Data for 2024 are the latest available from the California Energy Commission. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Source: California Energy Commission. Credit: Sarah Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The grid has been transformed not just by solar, but really coupled with the growth of battery projects,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The grid has been transformed not just by solar, but really coupled with the growth of battery projects,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last year, California ran on 100% clean energy for 1,856 hours — that’s up from 147 hours in 2022, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/tracking-progress-toward-100-clean-energy\">Energy Commission\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last year, California ran on 100% clean energy for 1,856 hours — that’s up from 147 hours in 2022, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/tracking-progress-toward-100-clean-energy\">Energy Commission\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During that time, solar, wind and other renewables collectively generated enough electricity to meet statewide demand, although some natural gas plants are still operating and helping to keep the grid stable. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During that time, solar, wind and other renewables collectively generated enough electricity to meet statewide demand, although some natural gas plants are still operating and helping to keep the grid stable. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This illustrates how rapidly renewable energy and storage have changed grid operations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This illustrates how rapidly renewable energy and storage have changed grid operations.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Why the state’s energy mix changes throughout the day",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the state’s energy mix changes throughout the day\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the state’s energy mix changes throughout the day\u003c/h2>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s electricity mix changes minute by minute.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s electricity mix changes minute by minute.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keeping electricity flowing 24 hours a day means the state still relies on natural gas, imports power from neighboring states and constantly balances supply and demand in real time.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keeping electricity flowing 24 hours a day means the state still relies on natural gas, imports power from neighboring states and constantly balances supply and demand in real time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png 668w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve-160x102.png 160w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png 668w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve-160x102.png 160w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The duck curve shows how solar generation peaks during the day, then drops as people return home and electricity demand rises. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001652\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The duck curve shows how solar generation peaks during the day, then drops as people return home and electricity demand rises. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages about 80% of the state’s power grid, constantly adjusts which power plants, batteries and imports are supplying electricity to match demand.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages about 80% of the state’s power grid, constantly adjusts which power plants, batteries and imports are supplying electricity to match demand.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around midday, solar panels across California produce enormous amounts of electricity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around midday, solar panels across California produce enormous amounts of electricity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then the sun begins to set. Between about 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., solar production falls rapidly as millions of Californians return home, cook dinner, charge electric vehicles, and turn on air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then the sun begins to set. Between about 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., solar production falls rapidly as millions of Californians return home, cook dinner, charge electric vehicles, and turn on air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Grid operators call this the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/cmei/solar/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy\">Duck Curve\u003c/a>, the famous phenomenon in which solar generation spikes during the day but drops off just as evening energy demand peaks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Grid operators call this the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/cmei/solar/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy\">Duck Curve\u003c/a>, the famous phenomenon in which solar generation spikes during the day but drops off just as evening energy demand peaks.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For years, natural gas plants have covered that steep evening spike in demand for energy. Today, batteries increasingly do.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For years, natural gas plants have covered that steep evening spike in demand for energy. Today, batteries increasingly do.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What role do batteries play for a greener grid?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role do batteries play for a greener grid?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role do batteries play for a greener grid?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Batteries now provide more than 60% of the power to cover the evening surge in demand during hot months as people get home and turn on their appliances, according to CAISO.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Batteries now provide more than 60% of the power to cover the evening surge in demand during hot months as people get home and turn on their appliances, according to CAISO.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean natural gas has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean natural gas has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While California relies less on natural gas on a normal day because the state uses more wind and solar, “gas plants are still essential for meeting energy needs during,” [the busiest times] said Stacey Shepard, a senior information officer at the California Energy Commission. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While California relies less on natural gas on a normal day because the state uses more wind and solar, “gas plants are still essential for meeting energy needs during,” [the busiest times] said Stacey Shepard, a senior information officer at the California Energy Commission. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Battery storage has dramatically reduced how often gas plants are needed, but they are still needed during prolonged heat waves, cloudy periods, wildfire-related power outages and other emergencies. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Battery storage has dramatically reduced how often gas plants are needed, but they are still needed during prolonged heat waves, cloudy periods, wildfire-related power outages and other emergencies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What happens when there’s too much solar power",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when there’s too much solar power\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when there’s too much solar power\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On some sunny afternoons, California generates more solar power than it can use. Thanks to batteries, that energy can be stored for later use in the evening.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“That energy is then put back onto the grid in the evenings after the sun sets,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On some sunny afternoons, California generates more solar power than it can use. Thanks to batteries, that energy can be stored for later use in the evening.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“That energy is then put back onto the grid in the evenings after the sun sets,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California also exports extra energy to neighboring states. “It can be a positive thing where California is essentially making money by selling electricity to [for example] Arizona when the weather may be hot there,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California also exports extra energy to neighboring states. “It can be a positive thing where California is essentially making money by selling electricity to [for example] Arizona when the weather may be hot there,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year, California imports more electricity than it exports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year, California imports more electricity than it exports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg\" alt=\"Solar panels and wind turbines in desert with mountains in the distance.\" class=\"wp-image-1985612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg 1992w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-800x604.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1020x770.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-160x121.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-768x580.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1536x1160.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1920x1450.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A solar and wind farm in Palm Springs that generates 100% renewable energy. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Murat Taner/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg\" alt=\"Solar panels and wind turbines in desert with mountains in the distance.\" class=\"wp-image-1985612\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A solar and wind farm in Palm Springs that generates 100% renewable energy. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Murat Taner/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state often sends out electricity in the middle of a spring or summer day before bringing power in again in the evening. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state often sends out electricity in the middle of a spring or summer day before bringing power in again in the evening. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The negative of having too much solar energy is that CAISO asks solar and wind farms to shut down or back off to avoid overloading the system; what the grid operator calls “curtailment.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The negative of having too much solar energy is that CAISO asks solar and wind farms to shut down or back off to avoid overloading the system; what the grid operator calls “curtailment.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65364\">CAISO curtailed \u003c/a>29% more output from these farms than in the previous year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65364\">CAISO curtailed \u003c/a>29% more output from these farms than in the previous year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Electricity] supply and demand have to be precisely equal at all times. What’s happening more and more is that some of these big [wind and solar] plants are being turned off,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Electricity] supply and demand have to be precisely equal at all times. What’s happening more and more is that some of these big [wind and solar] plants are being turned off,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "If renewable energy is so cheap, why are electric bills in California still so high?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If renewable energy is so cheap, why are electric bills in California still so high?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While solar and wind are some of the cheapest sources of electricity ever built, utilities have spent billions upgrading poles, wires and substations, expanding transmission lines and making all this equipment more secure and less likely to touch off a destructive wildfire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While solar and wind are some of the cheapest sources of electricity ever built, utilities have spent billions upgrading poles, wires and substations, expanding transmission lines and making all this equipment more secure and less likely to touch off a destructive wildfire. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[High costs are] entirely related to the distribution grid,” Campbell said. Investments in the network that delivers electricity to homes and businesses are one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">biggest drivers of California’s electric rates\u003c/a>, which are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">highest in the country\u003c/a> outside of Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[High costs are] entirely related to the distribution grid,” Campbell said. Investments in the network that delivers electricity to homes and businesses are one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">biggest drivers of California’s electric rates\u003c/a>, which are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">highest in the country\u003c/a> outside of Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Energy Commission said it’s trying to reduce future costs by focusing on improving energy efficiency, investing in emerging technologies and identifying the lowest-cost clean energy mix.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Energy Commission said it’s trying to reduce future costs by focusing on improving energy efficiency, investing in emerging technologies and identifying the lowest-cost clean energy mix.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What about AI and data centers? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electricity demand is expected to grow substantially over the next two decades because of electric vehicles, building electrification and AI data centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/data-centers\">more than 200 data centers\u003c/a>, and the state forecasts power demand from those facilities to more than quadruple by 2040.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/data-centers\">more than 200 data centers\u003c/a>, and the state forecasts power demand from those facilities to more than quadruple by 2040.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether that raises consumer electricity bills depends largely on policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campbell said the best outcome is for data centers to pay the full cost of connecting to the grid, which could actually help spread infrastructure costs across more customers and reduce the cost for everyone. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Campbell said the best outcome is for data centers to pay the full cost of connecting to the grid, which could actually help spread infrastructure costs across more customers and reduce the cost for everyone. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If they don’t, existing ratepayers may shoulder more of those expenses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "What can Californians do to help?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can Californians do to help?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When you use electricity increasingly matters as much as how much you use.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When you use electricity increasingly matters as much as how much you use.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Twenty years ago, using electricity in the middle of the day was a very bad idea,” Campbell said, referencing the energy crisis in the early 2000s when the grid relied on fossil fuels. “Now it’s entirely different. The middle of the day is the best time to use electricity.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Twenty years ago, using electricity in the middle of the day was a very bad idea,” Campbell said, referencing the energy crisis in the early 2000s when the grid relied on fossil fuels. “Now it’s entirely different. The middle of the day is the best time to use electricity.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Power generation from solar panels peaks in the middle of the day. When you charge an electric vehicle, run the dishwasher or do laundry during sunny hours, you are using abundant solar power. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023805/pge-bills-keep-rising-what-can-you-do-to-potentially-lower-your-bills\">Rates are also lower during this time.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Power generation from solar panels peaks in the middle of the day. When you charge an electric vehicle, run the dishwasher or do laundry during sunny hours, you are using abundant solar power. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023805/pge-bills-keep-rising-what-can-you-do-to-potentially-lower-your-bills\">Rates are also lower during this time.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As California builds more renewable energy and batteries, residents shifting the time they use appliances is one of the easiest ways they can help make the grid greener.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As California builds more renewable energy and batteries, residents shifting the time they use appliances is one of the easiest ways they can help make the grid greener.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "KQED readers have asked us about where their electricity comes from, how much of it is “green,” and what's powering the state's electric grid. So we found out.",
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"title": "California’s Solar and Battery Boom Is Transforming the Power Grid | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s electric grid is cleaner today than it has ever been, thanks to renewable energy sources like solar power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These sources of carbon-free power, including wind, hydroelectric power, geothermal and nuclear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">provided 62% of California’s electricity in 2024\u003c/a>, according to the California Energy Commission. This is up from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2023-total-system-electric-generation\">58% in 2023\u003c/a>, largely due to more electricity coming from solar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Solar is now the state’s largest renewable source, though natural gas remains one of the single largest sources of electricity, particularly after sunset. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although that is changing with explosive growth this decade in California’s ability to store power in large batteries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Estimated-Annual-Clean-Energy-1536x1092-1-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Renewable and carbon-free sources — including solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power — make up the majority of California’s electricity mix. (Courtesy of California Energy Commission)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state is now home to one of the world’s largest battery fleets, capable of punching through enough electricity to power more than fifteen San Franciscos at the time of day the city needs it the most. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s very steadily and significantly becoming more green,” said Andrew Campbell, executive director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley Haas. “The big change over the last 10 years is the dramatic growth in utility-scale solar and the growth of battery storage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has more batteries installed than any other state or country at this point,” Campbell said. “The batteries alone could probably satisfy about a quarter of the state’s demand at peak times and maybe even half the demand at off-peak times.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Batteries have transformed how California uses renewable energy. They store excess electricity generated during the day, when production exceeds demand, and discharge it in the evening after the sun sets, when more people use electricity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California’s electricity has changed dramatically in just one decade\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation/2016\">decade ago, natural gas was the main source of California’s electricity supply\u003c/a>, with solar providing just 8% of the energy mix. In 2024, solar’s share had more than doubled to 20%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Large solar farm projects have cropped up across California, and \u003ca href=\"https://environmentamerica.org/california/articles/2026-solar-strong-priorities-for-california/\">more than 2 million homes now have rooftop solar\u003c/a>. Geothermal sources and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000835/the-view-inside-californias-last-nuclear-power-plant\">Diablo Canyon nuclear plant\u003c/a> continue providing carbon-free electricity around the clock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California now has the largest fleet of batteries in the country, producing roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/california-surpasses-21000-megawatts-battery-resources-supporting-states\">21,000 megawatts\u003c/a> of power. Just five years ago, that number was only a fraction of today’s capacity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001679\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Total-California-Power-Mix-08102026-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California’s electricity mix in 2014 and 2024. Data for 2024 are the latest available from the California Energy Commission. (Source: California Energy Commission. Credit: Sarah Mohamad/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The grid has been transformed not just by solar, but really coupled with the growth of battery projects,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, California ran on 100% clean energy for 1,856 hours — that’s up from 147 hours in 2022, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/tracking-progress-toward-100-clean-energy\">Energy Commission\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During that time, solar, wind and other renewables collectively generated enough electricity to meet statewide demand, although some natural gas plants are still operating and helping to keep the grid stable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This illustrates how rapidly renewable energy and storage have changed grid operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the state’s energy mix changes throughout the day\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s electricity mix changes minute by minute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keeping electricity flowing 24 hours a day means the state still relies on natural gas, imports power from neighboring states and constantly balances supply and demand in real time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"668\" height=\"426\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve.png 668w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/Duck-Curve-160x102.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The duck curve shows how solar generation peaks during the day, then drops as people return home and electricity demand rises. (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages about 80% of the state’s power grid, constantly adjusts which power plants, batteries and imports are supplying electricity to match demand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around midday, solar panels across California produce enormous amounts of electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then the sun begins to set. Between about 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., solar production falls rapidly as millions of Californians return home, cook dinner, charge electric vehicles, and turn on air conditioners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Grid operators call this the \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/cmei/solar/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy\">Duck Curve\u003c/a>, the famous phenomenon in which solar generation spikes during the day but drops off just as evening energy demand peaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, natural gas plants have covered that steep evening spike in demand for energy. Today, batteries increasingly do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role do batteries play for a greener grid?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Batteries now provide more than 60% of the power to cover the evening surge in demand during hot months as people get home and turn on their appliances, according to CAISO.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean natural gas has disappeared.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While California relies less on natural gas on a normal day because the state uses more wind and solar, “gas plants are still essential for meeting energy needs during,” [the busiest times] said Stacey Shepard, a senior information officer at the California Energy Commission. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Battery storage has dramatically reduced how often gas plants are needed, but they are still needed during prolonged heat waves, cloudy periods, wildfire-related power outages and other emergencies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when there’s too much solar power\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On some sunny afternoons, California generates more solar power than it can use. Thanks to batteries, that energy can be stored for later use in the evening.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“That energy is then put back onto the grid in the evenings after the sun sets,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California also exports extra energy to neighboring states. “It can be a positive thing where California is essentially making money by selling electricity to [for example] Arizona when the weather may be hot there,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year, California imports more electricity than it exports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1992\" height=\"1504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg\" alt=\"Solar panels and wind turbines in desert with mountains in the distance.\" class=\"wp-image-1985612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100.jpeg 1992w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-800x604.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1020x770.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-160x121.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-768x580.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1536x1160.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/12/GettyImages-812546100-1920x1450.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1992px) 100vw, 1992px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A solar and wind farm in Palm Springs that generates 100% renewable energy. (Murat Taner/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state often sends out electricity in the middle of a spring or summer day before bringing power in again in the evening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The negative of having too much solar energy is that CAISO asks solar and wind farms to shut down or back off to avoid overloading the system; what the grid operator calls “curtailment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65364\">CAISO curtailed \u003c/a>29% more output from these farms than in the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Electricity] supply and demand have to be precisely equal at all times. What’s happening more and more is that some of these big [wind and solar] plants are being turned off,” Campbell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If renewable energy is so cheap, why are electric bills in California still so high?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While solar and wind are some of the cheapest sources of electricity ever built, utilities have spent billions upgrading poles, wires and substations, expanding transmission lines and making all this equipment more secure and less likely to touch off a destructive wildfire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[High costs are] entirely related to the distribution grid,” Campbell said. Investments in the network that delivers electricity to homes and businesses are one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\">biggest drivers of California’s electric rates\u003c/a>, which are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">highest in the country\u003c/a> outside of Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Energy Commission said it’s trying to reduce future costs by focusing on improving energy efficiency, investing in emerging technologies and identifying the lowest-cost clean energy mix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about AI and data centers? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electricity demand is expected to grow substantially over the next two decades because of electric vehicles, building electrification and AI data centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/topics/data-centers\">more than 200 data centers\u003c/a>, and the state forecasts power demand from those facilities to more than quadruple by 2040.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether that raises consumer electricity bills depends largely on policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campbell said the best outcome is for data centers to pay the full cost of connecting to the grid, which could actually help spread infrastructure costs across more customers and reduce the cost for everyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they don’t, existing ratepayers may shoulder more of those expenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can Californians do to help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you use electricity increasingly matters as much as how much you use.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Twenty years ago, using electricity in the middle of the day was a very bad idea,” Campbell said, referencing the energy crisis in the early 2000s when the grid relied on fossil fuels. “Now it’s entirely different. The middle of the day is the best time to use electricity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Power generation from solar panels peaks in the middle of the day. When you charge an electric vehicle, run the dishwasher or do laundry during sunny hours, you are using abundant solar power. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023805/pge-bills-keep-rising-what-can-you-do-to-potentially-lower-your-bills\">Rates are also lower during this time.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As California builds more renewable energy and batteries, residents shifting the time they use appliances is one of the easiest ways they can help make the grid greener.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\n\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-teens-dont-want-to-hide-behind-screens-they-want-more-places-to-belong",
"title": "California Teens Don’t Want to Hide Behind Screens. They Want More Places to Belong",
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"headTitle": "California Teens Don’t Want to Hide Behind Screens. They Want More Places to Belong | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>For years, parents have watched their teenagers disappear behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=kqed+social+media+tagged&sca_esv=b0e23ee05b473abd&sxsrf=APpeQnvz49MVS1V9f84iyWpMciC6gfcItQ%3A1786126776991&ei=uCF2atmHPNS80PEPo-ibkAY&biw=1286&bih=694&ved=0ahUKEwjZw8PgkI-WAxVUHjQIHSP0BmIQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=kqed+social+media+tagged&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGtxZWQgc29jaWFsIG1lZGlhIHRhZ2dlZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUiuElCeBFi3EXAEeACQAQCYAY0BoAHFB6oBAzcuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCDaAC5QfCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYiQUYogTCAgUQIRirAsICBRAhGJ8FwgIHECEYChigAZgDAIgGAZIHBDEwLjOgB8wisgcDNy4zuAfeB8IHAzYuN8gHEIAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp\">glowing screens\u003c/a>, texting more than talking, and asking chatbots the kinds of questions they used to ask a friend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research suggests the fix may not be prying phones out of teenagers’ hands, but instead, giving them somewhere to go once they put them down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"http://www.calpartnersproject.org/thirdplaces\">statewide survey\u003c/a>, released by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calpartnersproject.org/\">California Partners Project\u003c/a>, co-founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, found teens need more places where they feel like they belong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly nine in 10 teens say being with friends in person matters to them, and more than half wish they saw friends in person more often. And among teens who lean on artificial intelligence for friendship or advice, nearly half say they’d use them less if they had more chances to connect with peers face to face.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Francis Martinez (left) and Ethan Liu, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play air hockey in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sociologists call these spaces for connection “third places” or places that are neither home nor school, but somewhere else to exist without a specific purpose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The kind of aimless afternoons spent in a 7-Eleven parking lot many adults may remember from their own adolescence have become less acceptable. Parents are more reluctant to let teens roam, and teens say that when they do gather in public, they often feel like they’re being watched instead of welcomed. Whether they’re browsing in a bookstore or lingering in a coffee shop, many say adults treat them like they’re loitering rather than simply spending time together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The teens are sending us a clear signal,” said Jennifer Heifferon, the survey’s lead. “Teens are wanting more places to connect with their peers in person. And when they don’t find those places, many of them are defaulting to digital alternatives.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ZIP codes tend to influence why teens say they can’t find places to hang out, according to the study, based on responses from more than 1,000 California teens, ages 13-18. Suburban teens say they don’t have enough free time between school, sports, jobs and college preparation. Urban teens point to cost, saying even casual outings often come with an expectation to buy coffee or shop. Rural teens are more likely to say they didn’t feel welcome in the places available to them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But underneath those differences, teens across the state wanted the same basic thing: somewhere affordable to gather with friends, without fear of being judged or left out, and where cheap food is available.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what \u003ca href=\"https://allcove.org/centers/san-mateo/\">allcove Youth Center in San Mateo\u003c/a> is trying to be. On a warm summer afternoon, teenagers painted flowers by number, battled it out over foosball, and sipped free boba while music videos played overhead. The teens themselves painted the murals on the walls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s one of 18-year-old Ariya Kaushek’s favorite places. Her anxiety and isolation started in middle school, right around when she started scrolling. She said TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat fed an endless inner critic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s really hard navigating the digital world,” Kaushek said, describing “this kind of sense of constant comparison and worthlessness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ariya Kaushek poses for a photo at a duck park near the Menlo Park Library in Menlo Park on Aug. 4, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of California teens reported experiencing some degree of loneliness, even if they regularly spent time with friends. Kaushek said that’s because relationships aren’t just about being together, but about feeling safe enough to be yourself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, many teens are navigating a never-ending stream of messages about how they should look, dress, speak and even how wealthy they should appear. That pressure, she said, chips away at kids’ confidence and makes authentic connection harder to find.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Things started to shift for Kaushek after she joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.safespace.org/\">SafeSpace\u003c/a>, a youth mental health nonprofit in Redwood City. Over casual meals with other teens, she began talking, really talking, about how hollow she felt on the inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Being present was such a rare feeling that it almost felt like I could unmask and take off this cloak of anxiety and just be.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dayanna Alvarado, Isabella Chin and Taryn Hwang, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play Apples to Apples in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For 17-year-old Vihaan Bhardwaj, that place is a small public library overlooking the ocean in Del Mar. He’s not necessarily going there to make friends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that just being around other people can be super helpful,” he said. “Just hearing other people talk, hearing other people play is very healing, especially when we spend most of our time in our rooms and on our screens.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public libraries have the “highest unused potential” to connect young people, according to the study, with 43% of teens having access to one but not visiting in the past month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj lives on the outskirts of San Diego County, where homes are a half-mile apart, and his high school is a 30-minute drive away. His surroundings can lead him to reach for a phone, but after realizing social media consistently left him feeling angry and insecure, Bhardwaj deleted his accounts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Isla Beltzner (center) shows fellow allcove San Mateo youth adviser Lia Finn (left) something on her phone in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now, I’m seeing exactly what I want to see, when I want to see it, where I want to see it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj still texts to stay in touch with friends, but said he’d rather spend his afternoons running through a park. After the library, that’s where he feels most like himself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing other people doing the same thing as you, putting in the same effort, can be super motivating, especially when we’re doing so much of our daily lives in isolation,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For years, parents have watched their teenagers disappear behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=kqed+social+media+tagged&sca_esv=b0e23ee05b473abd&sxsrf=APpeQnvz49MVS1V9f84iyWpMciC6gfcItQ%3A1786126776991&ei=uCF2atmHPNS80PEPo-ibkAY&biw=1286&bih=694&ved=0ahUKEwjZw8PgkI-WAxVUHjQIHSP0BmIQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=kqed+social+media+tagged&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGtxZWQgc29jaWFsIG1lZGlhIHRhZ2dlZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUiuElCeBFi3EXAEeACQAQCYAY0BoAHFB6oBAzcuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCDaAC5QfCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYiQUYogTCAgUQIRirAsICBRAhGJ8FwgIHECEYChigAZgDAIgGAZIHBDEwLjOgB8wisgcDNy4zuAfeB8IHAzYuN8gHEIAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp\">glowing screens\u003c/a>, texting more than talking, and asking chatbots the kinds of questions they used to ask a friend. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For years, parents have watched their teenagers disappear behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=kqed+social+media+tagged&sca_esv=b0e23ee05b473abd&sxsrf=APpeQnvz49MVS1V9f84iyWpMciC6gfcItQ%3A1786126776991&ei=uCF2atmHPNS80PEPo-ibkAY&biw=1286&bih=694&ved=0ahUKEwjZw8PgkI-WAxVUHjQIHSP0BmIQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=kqed+social+media+tagged&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGtxZWQgc29jaWFsIG1lZGlhIHRhZ2dlZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUiuElCeBFi3EXAEeACQAQCYAY0BoAHFB6oBAzcuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCDaAC5QfCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYiQUYogTCAgUQIRirAsICBRAhGJ8FwgIHECEYChigAZgDAIgGAZIHBDEwLjOgB8wisgcDNy4zuAfeB8IHAzYuN8gHEIAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp\">glowing screens\u003c/a>, texting more than talking, and asking chatbots the kinds of questions they used to ask a friend. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>New research suggests the fix may not be prying phones out of teenagers’ hands, but instead, giving them somewhere to go once they put them down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>New research suggests the fix may not be prying phones out of teenagers’ hands, but instead, giving them somewhere to go once they put them down. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"http://www.calpartnersproject.org/thirdplaces\">statewide survey\u003c/a>, released by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calpartnersproject.org/\">California Partners Project\u003c/a>, co-founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, found teens need more places where they feel like they belong. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"http://www.calpartnersproject.org/thirdplaces\">statewide survey\u003c/a>, released by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calpartnersproject.org/\">California Partners Project\u003c/a>, co-founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, found teens need more places where they feel like they belong. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly nine in 10 teens say being with friends in person matters to them, and more than half wish they saw friends in person more often. And among teens who lean on artificial intelligence for friendship or advice, nearly half say they’d use them less if they had more chances to connect with peers face to face.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nearly nine in 10 teens say being with friends in person matters to them, and more than half wish they saw friends in person more often. And among teens who lean on artificial intelligence for friendship or advice, nearly half say they’d use them less if they had more chances to connect with peers face to face.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Francis Martinez (left) and Ethan Liu, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play air hockey in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001626\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Francis Martinez (left) and Ethan Liu, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play air hockey in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sociologists call these spaces for connection “third places” or places that are neither home nor school, but somewhere else to exist without a specific purpose. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sociologists call these spaces for connection “third places” or places that are neither home nor school, but somewhere else to exist without a specific purpose. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The kind of aimless afternoons spent in a 7-Eleven parking lot many adults may remember from their own adolescence have become less acceptable. Parents are more reluctant to let teens roam, and teens say that when they do gather in public, they often feel like they’re being watched instead of welcomed. Whether they’re browsing in a bookstore or lingering in a coffee shop, many say adults treat them like they’re loitering rather than simply spending time together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The kind of aimless afternoons spent in a 7-Eleven parking lot many adults may remember from their own adolescence have become less acceptable. Parents are more reluctant to let teens roam, and teens say that when they do gather in public, they often feel like they’re being watched instead of welcomed. Whether they’re browsing in a bookstore or lingering in a coffee shop, many say adults treat them like they’re loitering rather than simply spending time together.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The teens are sending us a clear signal,” said Jennifer Heifferon, the survey’s lead. “Teens are wanting more places to connect with their peers in person. And when they don’t find those places, many of them are defaulting to digital alternatives.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The teens are sending us a clear signal,” said Jennifer Heifferon, the survey’s lead. “Teens are wanting more places to connect with their peers in person. And when they don’t find those places, many of them are defaulting to digital alternatives.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>ZIP codes tend to influence why teens say they can’t find places to hang out, according to the study, based on responses from more than 1,000 California teens, ages 13-18. Suburban teens say they don’t have enough free time between school, sports, jobs and college preparation. Urban teens point to cost, saying even casual outings often come with an expectation to buy coffee or shop. Rural teens are more likely to say they didn’t feel welcome in the places available to them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>ZIP codes tend to influence why teens say they can’t find places to hang out, according to the study, based on responses from more than 1,000 California teens, ages 13-18. Suburban teens say they don’t have enough free time between school, sports, jobs and college preparation. Urban teens point to cost, saying even casual outings often come with an expectation to buy coffee or shop. Rural teens are more likely to say they didn’t feel welcome in the places available to them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But underneath those differences, teens across the state wanted the same basic thing: somewhere affordable to gather with friends, without fear of being judged or left out, and where cheap food is available.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But underneath those differences, teens across the state wanted the same basic thing: somewhere affordable to gather with friends, without fear of being judged or left out, and where cheap food is available.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what \u003ca href=\"https://allcove.org/centers/san-mateo/\">allcove Youth Center in San Mateo\u003c/a> is trying to be. On a warm summer afternoon, teenagers painted flowers by number, battled it out over foosball, and sipped free boba while music videos played overhead. The teens themselves painted the murals on the walls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what \u003ca href=\"https://allcove.org/centers/san-mateo/\">allcove Youth Center in San Mateo\u003c/a> is trying to be. On a warm summer afternoon, teenagers painted flowers by number, battled it out over foosball, and sipped free boba while music videos played overhead. The teens themselves painted the murals on the walls.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s one of 18-year-old Ariya Kaushek’s favorite places. Her anxiety and isolation started in middle school, right around when she started scrolling. She said TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat fed an endless inner critic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s one of 18-year-old Ariya Kaushek’s favorite places. Her anxiety and isolation started in middle school, right around when she started scrolling. She said TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat fed an endless inner critic.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think it’s really hard navigating the digital world,” Kaushek said, describing “this kind of sense of constant comparison and worthlessness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think it’s really hard navigating the digital world,” Kaushek said, describing “this kind of sense of constant comparison and worthlessness.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ariya Kaushek poses for a photo at a duck park near the Menlo Park Library in Menlo Park on Aug. 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001629\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ariya Kaushek poses for a photo at a duck park near the Menlo Park Library in Menlo Park on Aug. 4, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than half of California teens reported experiencing some degree of loneliness, even if they regularly spent time with friends. Kaushek said that’s because relationships aren’t just about being together, but about feeling safe enough to be yourself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than half of California teens reported experiencing some degree of loneliness, even if they regularly spent time with friends. Kaushek said that’s because relationships aren’t just about being together, but about feeling safe enough to be yourself. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, many teens are navigating a never-ending stream of messages about how they should look, dress, speak and even how wealthy they should appear. That pressure, she said, chips away at kids’ confidence and makes authentic connection harder to find.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, many teens are navigating a never-ending stream of messages about how they should look, dress, speak and even how wealthy they should appear. That pressure, she said, chips away at kids’ confidence and makes authentic connection harder to find.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Things started to shift for Kaushek after she joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.safespace.org/\">SafeSpace\u003c/a>, a youth mental health nonprofit in Redwood City. Over casual meals with other teens, she began talking, really talking, about how hollow she felt on the inside.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Things started to shift for Kaushek after she joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.safespace.org/\">SafeSpace\u003c/a>, a youth mental health nonprofit in Redwood City. Over casual meals with other teens, she began talking, really talking, about how hollow she felt on the inside.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Being present was such a rare feeling that it almost felt like I could unmask and take off this cloak of anxiety and just be.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Being present was such a rare feeling that it almost felt like I could unmask and take off this cloak of anxiety and just be.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dayanna Alvarado, Isabella Chin and Taryn Hwang, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play Apples to Apples in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001625\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dayanna Alvarado, Isabella Chin and Taryn Hwang, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play Apples to Apples in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For 17-year-old Vihaan Bhardwaj, that place is a small public library overlooking the ocean in Del Mar. He’s not necessarily going there to make friends.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that just being around other people can be super helpful,” he said. “Just hearing other people talk, hearing other people play is very healing, especially when we spend most of our time in our rooms and on our screens.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that just being around other people can be super helpful,” he said. “Just hearing other people talk, hearing other people play is very healing, especially when we spend most of our time in our rooms and on our screens.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public libraries have the “highest unused potential” to connect young people, according to the study, with 43% of teens having access to one but not visiting in the past month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Public libraries have the “highest unused potential” to connect young people, according to the study, with 43% of teens having access to one but not visiting in the past month. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj lives on the outskirts of San Diego County, where homes are a half-mile apart, and his high school is a 30-minute drive away. His surroundings can lead him to reach for a phone, but after realizing social media consistently left him feeling angry and insecure, Bhardwaj deleted his accounts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj lives on the outskirts of San Diego County, where homes are a half-mile apart, and his high school is a 30-minute drive away. His surroundings can lead him to reach for a phone, but after realizing social media consistently left him feeling angry and insecure, Bhardwaj deleted his accounts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Teenagers across the state would rather set down their devices and hang out in real time, but say there aren't enough affordable spaces to truly connect.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For years, parents have watched their teenagers disappear behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=kqed+social+media+tagged&sca_esv=b0e23ee05b473abd&sxsrf=APpeQnvz49MVS1V9f84iyWpMciC6gfcItQ%3A1786126776991&ei=uCF2atmHPNS80PEPo-ibkAY&biw=1286&bih=694&ved=0ahUKEwjZw8PgkI-WAxVUHjQIHSP0BmIQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=kqed+social+media+tagged&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGtxZWQgc29jaWFsIG1lZGlhIHRhZ2dlZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUiuElCeBFi3EXAEeACQAQCYAY0BoAHFB6oBAzcuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCDaAC5QfCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYiQUYogTCAgUQIRirAsICBRAhGJ8FwgIHECEYChigAZgDAIgGAZIHBDEwLjOgB8wisgcDNy4zuAfeB8IHAzYuN8gHEIAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp\">glowing screens\u003c/a>, texting more than talking, and asking chatbots the kinds of questions they used to ask a friend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research suggests the fix may not be prying phones out of teenagers’ hands, but instead, giving them somewhere to go once they put them down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"http://www.calpartnersproject.org/thirdplaces\">statewide survey\u003c/a>, released by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calpartnersproject.org/\">California Partners Project\u003c/a>, co-founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, found teens need more places where they feel like they belong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly nine in 10 teens say being with friends in person matters to them, and more than half wish they saw friends in person more often. And among teens who lean on artificial intelligence for friendship or advice, nearly half say they’d use them less if they had more chances to connect with peers face to face.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-44-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Francis Martinez (left) and Ethan Liu, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play air hockey in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sociologists call these spaces for connection “third places” or places that are neither home nor school, but somewhere else to exist without a specific purpose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The kind of aimless afternoons spent in a 7-Eleven parking lot many adults may remember from their own adolescence have become less acceptable. Parents are more reluctant to let teens roam, and teens say that when they do gather in public, they often feel like they’re being watched instead of welcomed. Whether they’re browsing in a bookstore or lingering in a coffee shop, many say adults treat them like they’re loitering rather than simply spending time together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The teens are sending us a clear signal,” said Jennifer Heifferon, the survey’s lead. “Teens are wanting more places to connect with their peers in person. And when they don’t find those places, many of them are defaulting to digital alternatives.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ZIP codes tend to influence why teens say they can’t find places to hang out, according to the study, based on responses from more than 1,000 California teens, ages 13-18. Suburban teens say they don’t have enough free time between school, sports, jobs and college preparation. Urban teens point to cost, saying even casual outings often come with an expectation to buy coffee or shop. Rural teens are more likely to say they didn’t feel welcome in the places available to them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But underneath those differences, teens across the state wanted the same basic thing: somewhere affordable to gather with friends, without fear of being judged or left out, and where cheap food is available.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what \u003ca href=\"https://allcove.org/centers/san-mateo/\">allcove Youth Center in San Mateo\u003c/a> is trying to be. On a warm summer afternoon, teenagers painted flowers by number, battled it out over foosball, and sipped free boba while music videos played overhead. The teens themselves painted the murals on the walls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s one of 18-year-old Ariya Kaushek’s favorite places. Her anxiety and isolation started in middle school, right around when she started scrolling. She said TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat fed an endless inner critic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s really hard navigating the digital world,” Kaushek said, describing “this kind of sense of constant comparison and worthlessness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260804-THIRDSPACES-NG-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ariya Kaushek poses for a photo at a duck park near the Menlo Park Library in Menlo Park on Aug. 4, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of California teens reported experiencing some degree of loneliness, even if they regularly spent time with friends. Kaushek said that’s because relationships aren’t just about being together, but about feeling safe enough to be yourself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, many teens are navigating a never-ending stream of messages about how they should look, dress, speak and even how wealthy they should appear. That pressure, she said, chips away at kids’ confidence and makes authentic connection harder to find.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Things started to shift for Kaushek after she joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.safespace.org/\">SafeSpace\u003c/a>, a youth mental health nonprofit in Redwood City. Over casual meals with other teens, she began talking, really talking, about how hollow she felt on the inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Being present was such a rare feeling that it almost felt like I could unmask and take off this cloak of anxiety and just be.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dayanna Alvarado, Isabella Chin and Taryn Hwang, youth advisers at allcove San Mateo, play Apples to Apples in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For 17-year-old Vihaan Bhardwaj, that place is a small public library overlooking the ocean in Del Mar. He’s not necessarily going there to make friends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that just being around other people can be super helpful,” he said. “Just hearing other people talk, hearing other people play is very healing, especially when we spend most of our time in our rooms and on our screens.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public libraries have the “highest unused potential” to connect young people, according to the study, with 43% of teens having access to one but not visiting in the past month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj lives on the outskirts of San Diego County, where homes are a half-mile apart, and his high school is a 30-minute drive away. His surroundings can lead him to reach for a phone, but after realizing social media consistently left him feeling angry and insecure, Bhardwaj deleted his accounts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260803-THIRDSPACES-NG-54-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Isla Beltzner (center) shows fellow allcove San Mateo youth adviser Lia Finn (left) something on her phone in the wellness center at allcove San Mateo in San Mateo on Aug. 3, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now, I’m seeing exactly what I want to see, when I want to see it, where I want to see it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bhardwaj still texts to stay in touch with friends, but said he’d rather spend his afternoons running through a park. After the library, that’s where he feels most like himself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"here-and-now": {
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
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