It’s been a rough year for the environment in California.

By Melissa Romero, Policy Advocacy Director at EnviroVoters

Hey everyone,

It has been a rough year so far for us empaths who care deeply about human rights and holding corporations accountable for the damage they are responsible for. The 2025 legislative session just ended for the year, and with it came rollbacks, corporate handouts, and lack action on the bold climate progress California needs.

But there is some hope this year to celebrate. In the last days leading up to the closing of the 2025 State Legislative Session, which is the time that we have to advocate for and pass new laws, there were some big wins for clean energy and electricity affordability. Some of these efforts had been in the works for many years and finally passed. 

There were also some major losses and unfinished business from this year at the same time, which means that we have a lot to fight for in 2026 and beyond. The public pressure is working, and we are in this together for the long haul, so we hope you’ll continue fighting for what is right with us!

Our Focus in 2025

This past year, EnviroVoters zeroed in on urgent affordability crises caused by climate change:

• • Insurance affordability: As the insurance industry struggles from costly climate-driven disasters, rising insurance costs are the canary in the coalmine for how climate is driving up the affordability crisis for everyday Californians.
  • Electricity affordability: As energy bill rates get higher and higher, people are demanding solutions that lower costs and reward the people choosing clean energy and electrification.

We sponsored SB 222 (Wiener), the Insurance Affordability and Climate Recovery Act, which would have held Big Oil accountable for skyrocketing insurance costs. We also sponsored AB 1243 (Addis) and SB 684 (Menjivar), the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act which would have created a fund paid for by the top polluters to fund climate solutions. We also supported a number of bills that would bring stronger oversight of investor-owned utilities and make electricity more affordable for Californians.

Despite overwhelming evidence that fossil fuels are the root cause of higher insurance bills, energy bills, groceries, and insurance premiums, too many legislators refused to act. Even the devastating Los Angeles wildfires at the beginning of the year did not translate into political will, and climate accountability policies stalled, including our sponsored bills.

We also faced major fights over the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which is a law that requires environmental and public health review of new construction and creates incentives to choose safer and healthier options. In addition, state and local building code updates which encourage more sustainable, efficient, and safer buildings, were on the chopping block. In the final days leading up to the state budget passing in June, legislators rushed through exemptions for a wide range of “advanced manufacturing” projects, which includes things from open-pit mines to data centers, stripping away safeguards for communities and protections for endangered species habitats. Also included was a 5 year pause on any updates to building code, which puts us behind. Our push to pass clean-up legislation this year did not end up happening, but we’ve already built momentum with legislative allies and coalition partners to fix this in early 2026.

What We Achieved

Despite those major losses, we ended the session with some meaningful wins. Thanks to relentless advocacy and accountability, EnviroVoters shifted the conversation and secured progress in places we weren’t sure were possible even just a couple of weeks ago.

Big Wins on the Governor’s Desk

• • SB 254 (Becker) – Electricity Affordability (Passed!)
  • AB 825 (Petrie-Norris) – Energy Grid Regionalization with Western States (Passed!)

Other Supported Bills on the Governor’s Desk

• • AB 39 (Zbur) – Local Electrification Planning Act
  • AB 263 (Rogers) – Protecting Ecosystems & Communities who Rely on the Scott and Shasta Rivers
  • AB 288 (McKinnor) – Safeguarding Worker’s Right to Organize
  • AB 454 (Kalra) – California Migratory Bird Protection Act
  • AB 740 (Harabedian) – Electricity Affordability through Virtual Power Plants
  • AB 823 (Boerner) – Banning Microbeads and Plastic Glitter in Personal Care Products
  • AB 900 (Papan) – Land Stewardship Planning to Achieve the 30×30 Conservation Goal
  • AB 1167 (Berman) – Banning Utilities from Using Ratepayer Money for Lobbying
  • AB 1207 (Irwin) – Extending the Cap and Invest Program
  • SB 24 (McNerney) – Banning Utilities from Using Ratepayer Money for Lobbying
  • AB 1319 (Schultz) – Trump Proofing the Endangered Species Act
  • SB 42 (Umberg) –Ending the Ban on Public Financing of Elections
  • SB 541 (Becker) – Prioritizing Cost-Effectiveness and Clean Energy Consumption
  • SB 682 (Allen) – Banning the Unnecessary Use of Forever Chemicals (PFAS)

Major Losses

• • SB 237 (Grayson) – Big Oil Giveaways (Passed – Opposed by EnviroVoters)
  • SB 222 (Wiener) – Insurance Affordability and Climate Recovery Act (Sponsored by EnviroVoters, failed committee)
  • SB 684 / AB 1243 (Menjivar & Addis) – Polluters Pay (Sponsored by EnviroVoters, failed committee)
  • SB 34 (Richardson) – Undermining Southern CA Port Emissions Rule (Passed – Opposed by EnviroVoters)
  • SB 131 Budget Trailer Bill Clean up– No clean-up legislation for CEQA exemptions (Failed to get clean-up legislation)
  • AB 914 (Garcia) – Statewide Indirect Source Rule (Supported by EnviroVoters, did not pass, on pause until 2026)
  • SB 601 (Allen) – Right to Clean Water Act  (Supported by EnviroVoters, did not pass, on pause until 2026)
  • SB 615 (Allen) – EV Battery Recycling  (Supported by EnviroVoters, did not pass, on pause until 2026)
  • AB 794 (Gabriel) – Keeping Forever Chemicals (PFAS) Out of Drinking Water  (Supported by EnviroVoters, did not pass, on pause until 2026)

Looking Ahead

In 2026, we need the Legislature to prioritize:

• • Holding Big Oil accountable for the insurance affordability crisis
  • Making polluters pay to fund climate resilience, adaptation, affordability, and real solutions for workers and communities
  • Passing SB 131 clean-up legislation to protect endangered species habitat, protected lands, and reinstate community protections
  • Passing a statewide indirect source rule bill so that the state can pass significant emissions reduction policy that cleans up toxic air pollution
  • Double down on zero-emission cars, trucks, and public transportation to reduce demand for oil and gas

We know California can and must be the leader it has always been. We will continue pushing for polluters to pay their fair share, for affordability solutions rooted in climate accountability, and for a future where people—not corporations—come first.

I want to thank our amazing team at EnviroVoters for the relentless work we’ve done this year, and our members for tirelessly signing petitions and contacting legislators to push forward on climate progress. It’s such a difficult moment for so many reasons, but your dedication is what keeps this movement alive.

We appreciate you so much!