Raging wildfire with silhouette of two firefighters in the foreground.

California lawmakers stall push to charge oil firms for climate destruction

California legislators have paused bills aimed at holding fossil fuel companies financially accountable for climate damages, citing political headwinds, economic concerns, and fear of industry backlash.

Aaron Cantú reports for Capital & Main.

In short:

Three proposed climate superfund bills in California, including one spurred by destructive Los Angeles wildfires, have been postponed or rejected amid concerns over job loss and fuel prices.
The oil industry and trade unions mounted strong opposition, while threats from President Trump to dismantle state emissions policies added pressure on lawmakers.
Supporters of the legislation cite mounting evidence that global warming, driven by major fossil fuel companies, has inflicted enormous economic losses and health impacts, with researchers estimating up to $14 trillion in damage from heat alone.

Key quote:

“The public is exponentially paying for climate damage, and we have to make a change.”

— California Assemblymember Dawn Addis

Why this matters:

California sits on the front lines of climate change, with worsening wildfires, droughts, and heat waves putting lives, homes, and the economy at risk. Scientists have grown more confident in models tying individual fossil fuel companies’ emissions to specific climate disasters and economic harm, bolstering calls for them to pay a share of the damages. But California’s legislature, once seen as a leader on climate action, is wavering. In an election year shaped by inflation fears and renewed fossil fuel lobbying, lawmakers are choosing political caution over bold environmental accountability. Meanwhile, the costs of inaction are stacking up. In just one wildfire episode, the Los Angeles region may have lost a quarter trillion dollars in combined property, economic and health-related damage.

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California mining company turns to solar heat but can’t quit coal just yet

In California’s Mojave Desert, a mining plant is turning to solar thermal energy to replace one of its coal-fired generators, but a second unit may run for years due to the intense heat and 24-hour power it needs.

Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times.

In short:

Searles Valley Minerals, a mining company in Trona, Calif., is replacing one of its two coal plants with a solar thermal system but says the other may need to stay online for the foreseeable future due to operational demands.
The company will use a concentrating solar power system from start-up GlassPoint, which uses mirrors to generate high heat, a solution that works well in hot, sunny areas but requires a large land footprint and remains rare in the U.S.
Despite California’s push to phase out coal and President Trump’s efforts to revive it, economic and geographic constraints continue to complicate full industrial transitions away from fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“We just think coal is going to be a problem. We’re going to have a hard time sourcing it. We need to be ready to pivot.”

— Dennis Cruise, president of Searles Valley Minerals

Why this matters:

Industrial heat — the kind used in mining, chemical production, and heavy manufacturing — accounts for about half of global energy use, yet it’s rarely mentioned in public climate debates. Unlike home heating or car travel, generating this level of heat without fossil fuels is still tough. Most renewable energy technologies don’t deliver the extreme, continuous heat these facilities need. That leaves industries like the one in Trona stuck with coal, even as it becomes harder to source and politically unpopular. As the U.S. attempts to decarbonize, industrial energy needs present one of the biggest hurdles.

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