By SDCN Staff
Sacramento, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week aimed at protecting California’s clean energy progress and speeding up the development of new renewable projects, in response to recent federal policy changes under President Donald Trump.
Earlier this year, Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which eliminates federal tax credits for clean energy projects that do not begin construction by July 2026 or come online by the end of 2027. State officials warn the change could stall hundreds of projects in California, raise energy costs for consumers, and jeopardize thousands of clean energy jobs.
“No other state in the nation has built as much clean energy as fast as California — it’s why we just recently became the largest economy on the planet to be powered by two-thirds clean electricity,” Newsom said in a statement.
The governor sharply criticized the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers, arguing that their policies would lead to higher electric bills, increased air pollution, and a greater risk of blackouts.
“Trump’s biased, 19th-century energy policies mean dirtier, more expensive electricity and higher risk of power outages,” Newsom said.
A recent analysis by Energy Innovation projects that Californians could pay an additional $320 annually for energy under Trump’s policies. Nationwide, Newsom warned, consumers may face $170 billion in added energy costs, while hundreds of thousands of jobs and significant clean power capacity are lost.
The governor’s executive order tasks the Energy Working Group of the Governor’s Infrastructure Strike Team with monitoring projects eligible for tax credits and ensuring state agencies prioritize actions that keep projects on track to meet the federal deadlines. Agencies are also directed to propose new ways to accelerate clean energy deployment.
Newsom also pledged to work with the state legislature to expand regional energy markets, a move he says would help lower costs, reduce pollution, and strengthen grid reliability.
State data shows California has cut greenhouse gas emissions 20% since 2000 while growing its economy by 78%. In 2023, two-thirds of the state’s electricity came from clean energy sources — the highest level achieved by any major economy in the world. Officials note the state’s power grid is frequently supplied by 100% clean electricity during certain parts of the day, thanks in part to massive growth in battery storage, which now exceeds 15,000 megawatts.
“Pollution is down and the economy is up,” the governor’s office emphasized in its report, underscoring California’s commitment to clean energy despite shifting federal policies.
