Trump is promising to roll back the $7500 tax credit for electric vehicles. CBS News covered the story last night, where I talked about the potential impact:
I appeared on CBS News Bay Area last week talking about what the Trump administration might do to try to gut California’s electric vehicle requirements:
And a similar story on Monday from CBS News Sacramento:
California will need a significant build-out of new high-voltage transmission lines to meet state goals for renewable energy deployment and a decarbonized grid by 2045, which requires quadrupling its current in-state solar and wind capacity. But if this new infrastructure is paid for solely through electricity rates, it could increase them significantly, when they have already increased roughly 50% over the past three years for investor-owned utility customers.
In response, UC Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) is releasing today the policy report Improving Transmission Financing in California: Alternative Models and Policy Strategies to Increase Affordability. It contains a variety of strategies available to policymakers for financing new high-voltage power transmission in California, with the dual goals of 1) reducing costs to ratepayers and 2) accelerating transmission development. The report was developed with the support of Net-Zero California and Clean Air Task Force.
Among the key findings:
- Some form of public-private partnership (P3) could provide significant benefits to deploying lower-cost transmission, due to cost-savings potential and the ability to leverage existing institutions and structures. A number of possibilities and considerations exist, and the form of P3 may depend on the particular transmission line, developers, and other project-specific circumstances.
- Policymakers could endow an existing entity with transmission financing and related P3 authorities, rather than create a new entity. Currently, California has multiple entities with at least some role in transmission. Creating a wholly new public entity, or endowing an existing agency, in California to finance and oversee transmission would entail administrative and procedural changes, which may be more significant for a new public entity.
- State leaders could focus on demonstrating alternative financing arrangements for four to six key transmission regions and lines in the California Independent System Operator’s 20-year transmission outlook that most stakeholders agree are essential. The Governor’s Office could designate a coordinator for high-priority lines and support a process to speed implementation and financing.
- State leaders could minimize risk for the entity or entities owning new transmission lines, including establishing a liability backstop and developing insurance, contract, indemnity, and first loss protection, and other mechanisms, subject to negotiation and legislation.
These and other findings, as well as more detail on selected financing options and their specific challenges, can be found in the new report.
To learn more, register for the CLEE webinar “Financing California’s Transmission Needs” on Wednesday, November 13, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Pacific. Keynote remarks will be provided by:
- Le-Quyen Nguyen, Acting Senior Advisor for Energy for Governor Gavin Newsom
- Cliff Rechtschaffen, California Air Resources Board member and former California Public Utilities Commissioner
In addition, CLEE will discuss the report findings, along with representatives from Net Zero California, Clean Air Task Force, and DH Infrastructure.
For French speakers, here’s a new Radio-Canada/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report on California’s high speed rail system, featuring an interview with moi:
Tonight on State of the Bay, we’ll celebrate female trailblazers in Bay Area sports.
First, San Francisco Giants coach Alyssa Nakken will share how she became the first on-field female coach in the MLB.
Then we’ll have a conversation with Jess Smith, President of WNBA Golden State Valkyries, and Brady Stewart, CEO of women’s soccer team Bay FC, about the future of women’s sports.
Then we’ll finish off this special episode with DJ Umami, who keeps the fans on their feet at the Giants games.
Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!
I’ll be a guest on KQED Forum at 10am PT today for our In Transit series, this time discussing the future of Amtrak and long-distance passenger rail in California.
Amtrak reports that overall demand for passenger rail is soaring, as yearly ridership totals approach pre-pandemic levels. But here in California the story is different. Popular west coast lines are losing riders and remain challenged by underinvestment and too much track priority to freight trains. In addition, increasingly powerful storms and rising seas threaten Amtrak’s infrastructure, with Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner has repeatedly suspended service for emergency repairs.
Joining me as a panelist on the show will be Tom Zoellner, English professor at Chapman University and author of “Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World -from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief.”
Tune in on KQED 88.5 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT!
Tonight on State of the Bay, I’ll interview San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu about what the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision will mean for the legal treatment of San Francisco’s homeless population. I’ll also talk to him about his lawsuit against Oakland over its airport renaming.
Then we’ll cover the latest developments in the Oakland A’s saga with journalist Dan Moore and Jorge Leon, founder of the fan group Oakland ’68s. What’s the latest on the team’s plan to move temporarily to Sacramento and eventually to Las Vegas?
And finally, we’ll meet San Francisco artist Yunfei Ren, who uses sound, sculpture, and photography to highlight underrepresented groups and experiences. We are highlighting his exhibit called “Prevailing Winds,” which is currently at the Guardhouse in Fort Mason.
Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!
On tonight’s State of the Bay, I’ll talk with Joe Eskenazi, Managing Editor of Mission Local, about the results of the March 5th Election and what they mean for San Francisco.
Then, I’ll interview three experts about whether climate disclosure and emissions requirements will be effective and what the prospects are for divestment from fossil fuels. The panel will include:
- Dave Jones, Director of the Climate Risk Initiative at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE)
- Rev. Kirsten Snow Spalding, Vice President of the Ceres Investor Network
- Malin Clark, Partner at Third Economy, a sustainability consulting firm
Finally, we’ll hear about the all-girl robotics team, The Janksters, and their robot Rosa! Joining me will be their coach, Marta Carrillo.
Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s expansion of autonomous taxi service into communities south of San Francisco and in Los Angeles. Notably, the list of supporters included many organizations committed to enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, as well as disability advocates. That tells me they understand that robot drivers are much safer than human drivers.
In opposition were a number of city and county leaders in the expansion zones. That tells me that Waymo and its supporters need to do a lot more outreach with local government leaders to explain how their technology interacts with existing municipal services, from waste haulers to fire safety vehicles.
I spoke to KTVU news about the decision and its basis in California law:
Ultimately this expansion signals that a driverless future is already here and growing, with companies like Waymo believing that there’s a profit to be made from it. And despite some high-profile malfunctions, this future promises to be a safer one than the status quo.
On tonight’s State of the Bay, we’ll play Monday night quarterback with Steve Berman, the “Bay Area Sports Guy” at The Athletic, who will provide analysis of the San Francisco 49ers loss in the Super Bowl yesterday, plus his latest on the Warriors and the A’s.
Then we’ll discuss how Marin County is consistently ranked as the #1 healthiest county in California, but with one notable exception: when it comes to underage substance use, Marin’s rate is nearly twice the state’s average. Adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Emily Tejani and Dr. Matt Willis, Marin county’s public health officer, will talk more about the problem and offer some potential solutions.
Finally, we’ll hear all about George McCalman’s book Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and Unseen.
Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 6pm PT. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!
