This weekly newsletter highlights the latest from the California Energy Journal along with links to articles and analysis on key developments in California energy policy.
Questions, comments, or tips? Contact editor@californiaenergyjournal.com.
Top Stories from the California Energy Journal
Los Angeles Reinstates Citywide Oil Drilling Phaseout (October 30, 2026) – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a revised ordinance on October 29 prohibiting new oil and gas drilling across the city and setting a 20-year deadline for most existing operations to end. The Los Angeles City Council approved the measure the day before. The ordinance also limits expansion and redevelopment, with exceptions for work needed to address health, safety, or environmental threats. Read more.
CEJ Alert: CPUC Orders Framework for Coordinating Customer Batteries and Other Energy Resources (October 29, 2026) – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a decision October 29 directing the state’s three largest investor-owned electric utilities to develop a common framework for coordinating customer batteries, electric vehicles, and other distributed energy resources. Read more.
CEJ Alert: CAISO Board Approves Proposal to Speed Grid Connections for Data Centers and Large Loads (November 2, 2026) – The California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) Board of Governors approved a proposal October 28 to speed transmission-grid connections for large electricity customers, including data centers and manufacturing facilities. Read more.
California News and Analysis
California utility regulation and grid planning
CPUC authorizes approximately $608 million in bridge funding for utility demand-response programs. The commission approved two additional years of funding for PG&E, Edison, and SDG&E programs while it considers broader reforms, temporarily exempting the portfolios from the Societal Cost Test and extending the deadline for the utilities’ next applications. Utility Community, October 30, 2026.
CPUC reaches $7.7 million settlement with Edison over improperly requested customer deposits. Shareholder funds will provide $3.1 million to affected residential customers, $3.9 million to Edison’s Energy Assistance Fund, and a $700,000 penalty to the state General Fund. California Public Utilities Commission, October 29, 2026.
CPUC prepares decision on Diablo Canyon’s 2027 extended-operations costs. A proposed decision would address PG&E’s revenue requirement for continued operation of the nuclear plant and the utility’s proposed volumetric performance fees for 2027. California Public Utilities Commission, October 29, 2026.
PG&E describes technology strategy for controlling grid costs and accelerating electrification. PG&E Vice President Mike Delaney discussed programs that allow customers to add EV chargers and electric appliances without expensive panel or service upgrades, while arguing that utility pilots must demonstrate an ability to operate at scale and produce measurable customer benefits. Renewable Energy World, October 30, 2026.
Data centers and large-load growth
San Diego City Council unanimously ratifies temporary data-center moratorium. The pause will allow the city to evaluate potential effects on electricity demand, utility costs, water supplies, infrastructure, housing, and surrounding neighborhoods. City of San Diego, October 27, 2026.
Proposition 45 raises questions about streamlined review of California data centers. Environmental attorneys argue that developers might characterize data centers as broadband infrastructure eligible for accelerated environmental review, while supporters maintain that the measure’s broadband provisions would not apply to the facilities. The Verge, November 1, 2026.
Carbon management and climate policy
CARB opens formal rulemaking for California’s carbon-capture program. The proposed regulations would establish monitoring, reporting, emergency-response, financial-responsibility, public-disclosure, and community-engagement requirements for carbon capture, direct-air-capture, and geologic-storage projects. California Air Resources Board, October 27, 2026.
California Resources Corporation and Bloom Energy consider 1 GW of fuel-cell generation with carbon capture. The companies signed a nonbinding agreement to evaluate front- and behind-the-meter projects using solid-oxide fuel cells paired with Carbon TerraVault transportation and storage infrastructure. Potential customers include utilities, community choice aggregators, municipalities, data centers, and industrial facilities. California Resources Corporation, November 2, 2026.
Carbon TerraVault submits application for an additional 57 million metric tons of carbon-storage capacity. The new EPA Class VI permit application increases the company’s submitted California storage volume to approximately 409 million metric tons as it begins injection and commercial operations at its first Elk Hills project. Carbon TerraVault, November 2, 2026.
Oil and fuels
CEC begins implementing new reporting requirements for crude-oil pipelines serving refineries. The commission is developing criteria to identify pipelines whose closure could materially reduce California refinery capacity. Beginning March 30, 2027, operators of covered pipelines must report operating volumes, delivery data, operating hours, nameplate capacity, and available capacity. California Energy Commission, October 28, 2026.
CEC prepares rulemaking on refinery resupply requirements. The commission announced a November 9 workshop on potential requirements governing refinery inventories and resupply plans during maintenance and outages, building on the petroleum-market oversight authority enacted under Assembly Bill X2-1. California Energy Commission, October 27, 2026.
EVs
California launches electric-vehicle incentives for high-mileage rideshare drivers. Eligible lower- and moderate-income drivers working with Uber, Lyft, or HopSkipDrive may receive up to $20,300 for a new EV, up to $14,200 for a used EV, and $1,170 annually for charging expenses for as many as four years. California Public Utilities Commission, November 2, 2026.
California’s EV-charger reliability rules take effect for publicly funded projects. Projects seeking approximately $55 million in CALeVIP incentives must use approved equipment and software, provide hourly performance information, and meet interoperability requirements intended to prevent chargers from becoming unusable if a manufacturer or network operator leaves the market. Canary Media, October 29, 2026.
Solar
California’s new plug-in solar law leaves unresolved questions for renters. Beginning in January, residents will be allowed to install certified plug-in solar systems of less than 1,200 watts without utility approval, but the law does not expressly determine when landlords may restrict installations at rental properties. Los Angeles Times, October 27, 2026.
Commentary and analysis
Kelly Pickerel, “California is still without a functioning community solar program,” Solar Power World, October 27, 2026.
Batteries
Report estimates utility-scale batteries provide substantial reliability, ratepayer, and community benefits. RMI found that batteries supplied between 13 and 19 percent of California generation during the grid’s most stressed hours in 2024 and estimated that the state’s battery fleet reduced wholesale costs by approximately $29.2 million during July 2024. pv magazine USA, October 29, 2026.
Permitting
Proposition 45 would impose new deadlines on California environmental reviews. The measure would generally require agencies to complete environmental-impact reports for qualifying projects within 365 business days and accelerate related litigation. Supporters argue that it would reduce delays for housing, clean energy, and infrastructure, while opponents warn it would limit public, tribal, and environmental review. Inside Climate News, October 28, 2026.
Affordability
Rising LADWP bills place electricity policy at the center of the Los Angeles mayoral race. Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman have both called for audits of LADWP rates and billing, while proposing different approaches to affordability, utility oversight, energy-efficiency incentives, and modernization of the city-owned utility. POLITICO Pro, October 30, 2026.
Renewable energy
Commentary and analysis
Wayne Winegarden, “California’s renewable mandates are increasing your electricity costs,” OC Register, November 1, 2026.
Politics and elections
Commentary and analysis
Kathryn Krawczyk, “5 ballot proposals that could drive or derail clean energy,” Canary Media, October 30, 2026.
“California’s New Governor Needs to Prioritize Seven Things When it Comes to Energy,” Union of Concerned Scientists, October 28, 2026.
Beyond California
Data centers and large-load growth
Electricity bills and data centers become major issues in the U.S. midterm elections. Residential electricity prices have increased more than 10 percent nationally since 2024, while candidates are proposing rate freezes, reduced utility returns, stronger oversight, and data-center restrictions. Utilities are seeking record rate increases while planning nearly $1.3 trillion in capital investment over five years. Reuters, October 31, 2026.
Climate policy
Lancet report describes climate change as an accelerating global health emergency. Researchers estimated that heat was associated with more than 540,000 deaths annually between 2016 and 2023 and that climate change accounted for 68 percent of those deaths. The report also estimated that heat-related productivity losses exceeded $1 trillion in 2025. ABC News, October 27, 2026.
Oil and fuels
EPA proposes major rollback of federal methane requirements for oil and gas operations. The proposal would rescind the Super Emitter Program, establish separate requirements for certain lower-producing wells, and restore flaring and other control devices as permissible approaches for associated gas. EPA estimates the changes would avoid $45 billion in regulatory costs, while environmental groups warn they would increase methane emissions from high-emitting marginal wells. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Hill, October 27, 2026.
OPEC+ maintains December oil-production targets amid continued Middle East disruptions. Seven core members left targets unchanged and deferred more difficult decisions on 2027 production levels until later in November, as the group assesses disrupted exports, uncertain production capacity, and the risk of a future supply surplus. Reuters, November 1, 2026.
Solar
Solar projects are increasingly being paired with battery storage. More than 16 percent of U.S. utility-scale solar capacity added through September included co-located storage, and project plans indicate that the share could exceed 30 percent in 2027 and 2028. California and other Southwestern states have co-location rates more than twice the national average. U.S. Energy Information Administration, October 30, 2026.
Federal transmission and permitting policy
Senate permitting legislation would overhaul federal transmission approvals and cost allocation. The bipartisan measure seeks to accelerate transmission, renewable-energy, and fossil-fuel projects while generally assigning new transmission costs to customers receiving the associated benefits. The bill has support from clean-energy and fossil-fuel interests, although large electric utilities remain divided. Roll Call, October 27, 2026.