California
Can this California bill help get neighborhoods off gas?
SB 1221 would change that, at least for the 30 pilot projects it would authorize utilities to undertake. Instead of unanimous consent among all customers in a zone, it would require a supermajority — 67 percent — to agree, Velez said. “Then the utility could move forward.”
To be clear, any project must prove that it’s cost-effective for all participating customers, Velez said. But the effort to redefine “obligation to serve” requirements to allow alternatives besides gas delivery has struck a nerve among gas utilities and workers.
A previous version of SB 1221 initially included language that would have allowed gas utilities to “cease providing service if adequate substitute energy service is reasonably available” to support customers, for instance. But Southern California Gas, the state’s biggest all-gas utility, and labor unions representing utility workers opposed that provision, and it was stripped from the current version of the bill.
California isn’t the only state grappling with this issue. In New York, the NY HEAT Act, a bill that would replace gas utilities’ “obligation to serve” gas to households with an energy-neutral obligation to provide heating, cooling, cooking, and hot-water services — a step opposed by gas utilities and labor groups — failed for the third time in as many years to pass in the final hours of the state legislative session last week. In Illinois, unions are pushing state lawmakers to slow down on policies aimed at phasing out gas pipeline expansions.
Jose Torres, California director at the Building Decarbonization Coalition, emphasized that any pilot project authorized by SB 1221 must prove that it’s cost effective for both the participating customers and a utility’s customers at large.
“How do you allow utilities and communities to make fuel-neutral decisions that benefit the majority of Californians? That’s the spirit of this bill — to move us forward in that conversation and take on those complicated issues,” Torres said.
Threading the needle of climate, customer choice, and cost-effectiveness
At the same time, pressure is building on policymakers, regulators, and utilities to find an alternative to continuing to invest in the country’s gas delivery network. A 2021 report from consultancy Brattle Group stated that existing plans to revamp pipelines could saddle U.S. gas utilities with $150 billion to $180 billion in“unrecovered” investment over the coming decade.
California spends nearly $14 billion per year on buying and using fossil gas and building and maintaining a gas delivery network that connects to nearly four-fifths of all homes, according to a 2020 analysis presented to the California Energy Commission by consulting firm Energy and Environmental Economics. A decarbonization strategy that relies on electrifying California’s buildings to get them off gas could cost between $5 billion and $20 billion per year less by 2050 than an alternative approach of using biogas, hydrogen, or synthetic gas to replace fossil gas, the analysis found.
Every year that gas utilities keep replacing pipelines represents a year of potential electrification savings lost, said Mike Bloomberg, managing partner at Groundwork Data. The nonprofit consultancy has issued a set of reports with the Building Decarbonization Coalition on the challenge of decarbonizing gas utilities in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
“The gas transition is not going to happen overnight,” Bloomberg said. But neither will it proceed rapidly enough to avoid excessive costs for gas utility customers or the worst impacts of climate change if utilities and regulators don’t find a way to deal with the disconnect between how gas infrastructure is paid off today — spread out across all customers and over decades — and the costs of electrification, which are now borne almost entirely by individual customers.
SB 1221 would task the CPUC with coming up with the details of how the state’s gas utilities will carry out the 30 zonal electrification pilot projects, the NRDC’s Velez said. One potential problem with the current legislative language is that it would not allow gas utilities to collect the costs of installing new electrical appliances or doing other necessary work in customers’ homes and buildings from their customer base at large over the same decades-long timeframe as they’re allowed to do with gas pipeline investments, which Velez worries could discourage utilities from participating.
At the same time, SB 1221 does require every utility in the state to develop maps of their planned longer-term pipeline replacement needs, along with equity data to help state agencies and municipal and local leaders find pilot projects in lower-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods, Velez said. That’s important, because it can take years of planning ahead for cities, community groups, and neighborhoods to prepare for making the switch to all-electric heating and appliances at a pace that matches a utility’s pipeline replacement schedule.
That planning ahead is essential, said Neha Bazaj, a director at Gridworks, a nonprofit consultancy that advises regulators and communities on how to carry out complicated energy transition projects. Last year, Gridworks began working with municipal and community groups involved in a California Energy Commission grant-funded project examining the potential for zonal electrification in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Albany.
One of the key findings, Bazaj said, is that California gas utilities’ current three-year planning horizon for gas pipeline replacements is “still not a lot of time to get buy-in” from individual customers and community representatives that need to be involved. That’s a problem, because lack of community engagement and agreement can make or break these projects.
“Obviously the obligation to serve is a challenge to implementing these projects at scale,” she said. “It is likely unrealistic to anticipate 100 percent buy-in from everyone.” Even so, “the goal should be to have as much buy-in from people as possible.”
California
CDFW News | California Fish and Game Commission Takes Emergency Action to Prevent White Shark Take and Reduce Potential Interactions Between Hooked Sharks and Swimmers
Prosecutors Honored for Their Work to Protect Wildlife; Southern Resident Killer Whale Named CESA Candidate
Anticipating a larger presence of white sharks in Southern California as a result of warmer El Niño ocean conditions, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) adopted emergency regulations at its June 17-18, 2026 meeting to further protect the large ocean predator and reduce the potential for dangerous interactions with ocean users. These regulations will prohibit the use of certain fishing gear from beaches and nearshore that are used to hook large sharks and could create hazards for nearby beachgoers.
Forecasted warmer waters shift the preferred range for juvenile white sharks northward from Mexico and lead them to stay in California nearshore areas later in the year. The emergency regulations protect not only white sharks but also people recreating in the ocean, decreasing the risk of dangerous human encounters with sharks that are hooked with wire leaders from piers and beaches.
Specific gear types used to target large sharks, including hooks greater than 1.5 inches in maximum inside measurement and wire or metallic lines and leaders, will be prohibited when recreational fishing from shore or within 1,000 yards of shore from Pigeon Point (San Mateo County) south to the U.S.-Mexico border. Shore fishing includes beaches, banks, piers, jetties, breakwaters, docks and other man-made structures connected to the shore. Unless extended, the emergency regulations will expire 180 days after being filed with the secretary of state. The Commission may pursue up to two 90-day extensions of the emergency action and, ultimately, may propose continuing the restrictions through a regular rulemaking if the regulations prove to be effective.
Prosecutor of the Year
Commissioners recognized two deputy district attorneys who have demonstrated their dedication to protecting California’s natural resources and have effectively collaborated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to prosecute wildlife crimes. San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Ken Jorgensen and San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Michael McCann were presented with the Prosecutor of the Year Award for 2025.
Jorgenson’s work resulted in a landmark $165,000 settlement and injunctions in a case involving rare plant habitat destruction, and in another case a $12,500 fine and five years of probation for often under-prosecuted commercial fishing violations.
McCann assisted in the prosecution and investigation surrounding a global wildlife trafficking ring connected to illegal drug and firearm trade. The investigation disrupted a sophisticated trafficking network and resulted in multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, with more anticipated.
Southern Resident Killer Whale
The Commission named the southern resident killer whale (orca) a candidate species for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). This population of orcas inhabits ocean waters from British Columbia to California and is estimated to now number as few as 75.
Orcas face threats such as limited availability of prey; Chinook salmon are a primary food source and have experienced population decline across the entire West Coast range of orcas. The species’ abundance has also been impacted by past practices of capture for live display.
CDFW will have one year to complete a review on the status of orcas, of the best available science, before the Commission can make a final decision on CESA listing. Orca is currently listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and is considered depleted under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Western Spadefoot
Continued from the Commission’s April meeting, a decision to consider CESA candidacy for western spadefoot frog was postponed to the August meeting to give environmental advocates and the solar industry additional time to collaborate on proposing exceptions to CESA protections that would be allowed under Fish and Game Code Section 2084.
Meeting Participation and Next Meeting
Commission President Eric Sklar, Vice President Darius Anderson and Commissioners Samantha Murray and Erica Zavaleta were in attendance for both days of the June Commission meeting. Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin was in attendance for the first day. The meeting was held in Sacramento.
The complete agenda for the meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Aug. 12-13, 2026, at the California Natural Resources Agency building in Sacramento. Participants are encouraged to attend in person, with options available for Zoom or phone; for more information visit the Commission website.
The Commission authorized public notice of upcoming potential regulation changes related to:
Harpoons and Flying Gaffs Allowance: A discussion hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12-13 and an adoption hearing Oct. 14-15 on amendments to regulations related to allowing use of harpoons and flying gaffs in the recreational tuna fishery.
###
Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Alicia de la Garza, CDFW Communications, (916) 754-7237
California
Bug infestation found at California Department of Education headquarters, employees sent home
Bugs have once again been found inside the California Department of Education headquarters in downtown Sacramento, prompting employees to leave the building and raising concerns among workers about returning to the office.
Employees were instructed to go home after bugs were detected in the building, according to state workers and union representatives.
They say it’s not the first time. Union representatives and employees confirmed to CBS News Sacramento that this is the second bug-related incident at the headquarters in the past two years.
“If they’re in one place, it’s very easy for them to be throughout the entire building,” said Anica Walls, president of SEIU Local 100.
The discovery has renewed concerns about workplace safety, particularly as state employees prepare for expanded return-to-office requirements.
“Let’s do what’s necessary and make sure that our employees stay safe and that when they are in the building, they’re not contracting or taking home anything that they don’t need to be,” Walls said.
The California Department of Education confirmed the building experienced a bed bug incident in 2024. However, officials said they are still awaiting pest control reports to determine whether the insects recently discovered are bed bugs or another species.
State workers say they want a permanent solution rather than temporary fixes.
“It’s smart to fix the problem the correct way rather than trying to just mitigate the issue and shut down certain floors,” Walls said.
While most state agencies are scheduled to move to a four-day-a-week, in-office schedule beginning next week, California Department of Education employees will continue their current hybrid schedule of two in-office days per week through the end of the year.
In a statement, the department said it is working with the Department of General Services and pest control specialists to inspect the entire building.
“As stated in the message to our employees, we are actively coordinating follow-up inspections and remediation efforts and will provide updates as soon as additional information becomes available,” the department said.
Union representatives said the department was responsive during the previous infestation and expressed hope for a quicker resolution this time.
“Last time, they were really receptive to the conversations with employees, which was good. We’re hoping for another good outcome, hopefully just a little more expedient this time,” Walls said.
CBS News Sacramento also spoke with a local pest control company, which said that if the insects are confirmed to be bed bugs, treatment could take several months.
The process typically involves repeated inspections and treatments every one to two weeks, including high-heat treatments reaching approximately 160 degrees and extensive cleaning to prevent the infestation from returning.
California
First look: Space Shuttle Endeavour in ready-to-launch position at California Science Center
LOS ANGELES – This fall, space fans will get to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour like never before in its new permanent home at the California Science Center in the Exposition Park area.
What we know:
The new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center officially opens on November 13.
Also, an introductory film includes footage from Endeavour’s final launch before being retired in 2011.
“We felt from the beginning this is the most impressive way to see the space shuttle and it gives people views that almost no one ever got a chance to see,” said Jeff Rudolph, President & CEO of the California Science Center.
What they’re saying:
Since 2012, Los Angeles has been home to the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It has been on display horizontally at the California Science Center.
But the vision was always to have it on display upright.
“It’s really exciting and everyone who sees it is in awe and that’s really what we were trying to do was create that real sense of emotional high and inspire people to learn more,” said Rudolph.
This is the only display of its kind and it can’t be duplicated. The orange tank attached to the shuttle is the last mission-ready one in existence.
“I think what we’ve done is present something that is going to be a truly life-changing and transformative experience for education,” said Kenneth Phillips, Curator for Aerospace Sciences at the California Science Center.
Visitors will also be able to see inside the space craft that carried astronauts to space 25 times, including Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go to space and now-Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
When the exhibit opens to the public in November, visitors will be able to ride up an elevator alongside the space shuttle and view it from the top.
“That’s the view that nobody but the crew saw. That was a very special vantage point. Nobody got to do that,” said Phillips.
What’s next:
The California Science Center expects the exhibit to be popular. Tickets will go on sale well before the opening.
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