Days after 2025 began, two fires scorched<\/a> through Los Angeles neighborhoods, the most destructive in California\u2019s history. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires<\/a> also renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning <\/a>in a changing climate. And their harms rippled outward, leaving thousands of low-income workers and immigrants without jobs.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n But California found pushing its climate agenda forward<\/a> to be an uphill battle<\/a> this year: Ambitious climate goals<\/a> faced\u00a0 a hostile federal government economic pressures.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anticipating opposition from President Donald Trump, state leaders chose to abandon <\/a>important clean-air rules before he even took office, including plans to phase out diesel trucks <\/a>and transition to cleaner trains. Nearing mid-year, Trump and his allies in Congress blocked the state\u2019s clean-car mandate, <\/a>a blow to emissions reduction plans.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, as part of budget negotiations, Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to reauthorize California\u2019s landmark cap-and-trade program,<\/a> launching a debate that would resolve in the final hours of the legislative session.\u00a0<\/p>\n Blaming climate and environmental regulation, Phillips 66 and Valero followed through on plans to shutter oil refineries, raising concerns <\/a>about gas prices and the future of the state\u2019s oil industry. In Wilmington, Phillips 66 is now closed. A high-profile explosion at Chevron\u2019s El Segundo refinery nearby underscored<\/a> persistent safety and environmental risks tied to remaining facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n By the end of the legislative session, these issues converged, as legislators passed a six-bill deal <\/a>that included a plan to boost oil drilling, relief for ratepayers who fund wildfire mitigation, and an extension of the now rebranded \u201ccap-and-invest\u201d program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As lawmakers passed sweeping reforms to California\u2019s landmark environmental review law, critics warned exemptions may make it easier for potentially high-polluting advanced manufacturing <\/a>facilities to take root in already vulnerable areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Longstanding conflicts over water continued to simmer this year. The governor continued pressing to fast-track a $20 billion tunnel<\/a> around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to send more water south \u2014 to the outrage of Delta lawmakers<\/a>. And dry conditions led to dire projections for the Colorado River,<\/a> a vital water supply for Southern California. They ramped up the tensions \u2014 and the urgency<\/a> \u2014 as negotiators from states that rely on the river tried, and failed, to reach a deal<\/a> portioning out water supplies.<\/p>\n Just the right amount of news<\/p>\n Just the right amount of news<\/p>\n Get California\u2019s most essential headlines without feeling overwhelmed.<\/p>\n Get California\u2019s most essential headlines without feeling overwhelmed.<\/p>\n 2026 Outlook<\/p>\n Affordability, the cost of climate adaptation, and pollution harms, in the skies and in the waste stream, continue to be key issues for California. As Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s balancing act continues, the state will navigate tensions with environmental justice advocates unhappy with compromises. Emerging risks include the cost \u2013 in energy and water \u2013 of data centers, and the environmental consequences of the battery economy.<\/p>\n .wp-block-group__inner-container > :not(h2){margin: 16px 40px !important;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-group__inner-container{display: flex;gap: 12px;align-items: center;}.cm-cta.long-ask figure{max-width: 40px;flex-shrink: 0;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group p{font-size: 18px;font-weight: 700;line-height: 120%;letter-spacing: -0.36px;width: 100%;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-buttons{flex-shrink: 0;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-button__link{padding-left: 40px;padding-right: 40px;}@container long-ask (min-width: 601px){.cm-cta.long-ask *{font-size: 16px;}}@container long-ask (max-width: 600px){.cm-cta.long-ask h2,.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group p{text-align: center;}.cm-cta.long-ask h2{background: linear-gradient(90deg,#FFE094 0%,#FFB500 100%);padding: 12px 20px;font-size: 20px;letter-spacing: -0.4px;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-group__inner-container{flex-direction: column;}.cm-cta.long-ask > .wp-block-group__inner-container > :not(h2){margin: 16px 20px !important;}}]]><\/p>\n Nonpartisan, independent California news for all<\/p>\n We\u2019re CalMatters, your nonprofit and nonpartisan news guide.<\/p>\n Our journalists are here to empower you and our mission continues to be essential.<\/p>\n We are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.<\/p>\n We are focused on California issues. From the environment to homelessness, economy and more, we publish the unfettered truth to keep you informed.<\/p>\n We hold people in power accountable. We probe and reveal the actions and inactions of powerful people and institutions, and the consequences that follow.<\/p>\n But we can\u2019t keep doing this without support from readers like you.<\/p>\n Please give what you can today. Every gift helps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In summary In 2025, devastating California wildfires in LA became the state\u2019s most destructive. Climate goals faced federal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113634,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1842,6574,7,9,8,443,535],"class_list":["post-113633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-air-pollution","tag-air-resources-board","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-climate-change","tag-wildfires"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1767102548_914_Asset-4.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Asset-2ii-2.png\")
<\/p>\n