CEC Chair David Hochschild joins California Attorney General Rob Bonta, New York state government officials, and nonprofit leaders to discuss state leadership on wind energy, jobs, and economic security (Credit: Lauren Beischer, IG: @laurenbeischerphoto).
California Energy Commission (CEC) Chair David Hochschild kicked off the week as a speaker for the California Climate Leadership Forum, California’s Climate Playbook Panel and on Tuesday, provided remarks at the Global Offshore Wind Alliance Panel.
The Chair also participated in several events hosted by the Electric Innovation Initiative, including a roundtable of governors, state legislators, and mayors to discuss electrification of vehicle fleets and buildings; and an award ceremony highlighting electrification advancements across the United States.
CDFA highlights California’s agricultural economy
While attending New York Climate Week, Secretary Karen Ross, of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Catalonia, Spain, establishing a strengthened framework for collaboration between the two regions as they face similar agricultural challenges driven by climate change.
Secretary Ross also participated in a panel hosted by the Climate Registry, highlighting California’s commitment to innovation and AgTech as critical tools for meeting the state’s climate targets. In addition, she joined discussions hosted by Food Tank and the Ag Policy Forum, where she underscored the growing challenges facing farmers and reaffirmed CDFA’s priority of fostering a climate-smart, resilient, and regenerative food system. Secretary Ross also attended a lunch celebrating the Farm-to-School program’s monumental achievements and the lasting impact it will have on farmers and families for generations to come thanks to the recently secured ongoing funding.
California’s keeping the climate conversation going
During Climate Week NYC, the California Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) held a virtual event, “International Heat Solutions: Through a California Lens,” which highlighted California’s bold investments to reduce heat risks and brought together international leaders to share solutions, inspire collaboration, and accelerate action on extreme heat.
California’s global climate network
California has long been a key player on the international stage — from taking joint action on climate change to identifying new pathways and partnerships for sustained economic growth. During the Newsom administration alone, California has formed over 70 international partnerships that lay critical groundwork for our continued economic success, while prioritizing workers and businesses that benefit from these new opportunities.
Golden State and global partnerships
Finland (2026): This year at Climate Week NYC, California and Finland signed a partnership to create a framework for collaboration on clean technology and sustainability, aerospace and defense innovation, health and life sciences, emerging technologies, quantum computing, cybersecurity, research, and sustainable forest bioeconomy. The partnership calls for the exchange of policy ideas and best practices, support for research collaborations, promotion of business engagement, and stronger relationships among California and Finnish local and regional jurisdictions.
Germany (2026): California and Germany pledged to strengthen climate cooperation, emphasizing that climate change and environmental degradation threaten global security and economic stability. The two leaders pledged deeper cooperation on green/renewable technologies that cut pollution while creating jobs and economic growth.
United Kingdom (2026): California and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development together. The memorandum of understanding builds on an already strong history of cooperation, and focuses on areas for collaboration including clean energy technologies, climate resilience, decarbonizing transportation, and protecting the natural environment.
Chile (2025): California and Chile signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange information, develop best practices, and cooperate on methane emissions reduction. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, and the partnership between California and Chile opens up new opportunities for both partners to cooperate on methane reduction in waste, agriculture, and energy sectors.
Colombia (2025): California and Colombia signed a partnership to advance joint efforts on forest conservation, methane reduction, climate resilience, and clean energy development. The memorandum of understanding deepens coordination on protecting the Amazon, strengthening biodiversity, and expanding nature-based climate solutions that support sustainable and equitable economic growth.
Nigeria (2025): California signed a memorandum of understanding with Nigeria on sustainable urban transportation, green ports, low-carbon transportation fuels, climate adaptation, methane detection and abatement policies, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality, and academic exchange and university partnerships. The partnership will build upon our shared commitment to sustainable growth, accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation, and expand opportunities for the next generation.
Brazil (2025): California signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian federal government to scale up cooperation on climate, clean energy, cutting pollution, and job-creating climate opportunities. This new partnership, announced in September 2025, will advance market-based carbon pricing programs, expand clean transportation, including zero-emission vehicles and low-carbon fuels, and strengthen air quality management through enhanced monitoring and regulatory controls. The partnership also focuses on conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030, including nature-based solutions and biodiversity protection. In 2025, California also advanced a partnership with the State of Pará to strengthen cooperation on wildfire prevention and response — enhancing forest monitoring, identifying areas most at risk, and sharing research and expertise to improve firefighting and emergency management.
Kenya (2025): California signed a partnership focused on cutting pollution and supporting trade. The partnership advances medium- and long-term low-carbon development, policy research, development, and innovation in sustainable land use and urban planning that reduces long commutes and urban sprawl, while promoting integrated land use and transport systems.
Noord-Holland (2024): California and Noord-Holland signed a Letter of Intent advancing next-generation air mobility — from drones to zero-emission aircraft. Joint innovation missions are producing pilot projects that inform California’s Advanced Air Mobility Implementation Plan and readiness for major global events.
Australia (2023): California signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia that helped inform the country’s first-ever vehicle emissions standards through input from the California Air Resources Board. The California Public Utilities Commission and California ISO have also advised Australia on electricity market reform to better align incentives for renewable energy.
British Columbia (2023): California and British Columbia signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual wildfire assistance that is delivering results. British Columbia sent incident management experts to support California’s Palisades Fire in 2025, while CAL FIRE deployed personnel during British Columbia’s 2025 fire season. These exchanges established a lasting framework for cross-border wildfire support.
China (2023): California signed five memoranda of understanding with China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu, and the municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai to advance cooperation in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and developing clean energy.
Denmark (2021): California and Denmark signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on groundwater mapping, leak detection, and water efficiency, which has modernized California’s data systems and informed key state programs, like the Airborne Electromagnetic Survey. Danish technologies and expertise have helped strengthen drought and water-supply resilience statewide.
Mexico (Baja California & Sonora): California signed memoranda of understanding with the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora to advance zero-emission freight corridors, clean ports, and battery manufacturing — strengthening North American supply chains and workforce readiness. Joint forums have already produced new research collaborations and training programs advancing clean-tech.
California’s clean energy leadership
Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, California has added more than 37,000 megawatts of utility-scale clean and renewable energy to serve the California grid — and battery storage has ramped up from fewer than 700 MW to more than 21,000 MW, helping make the grid more reliable and pushing the state further along its clean energy transition.
Batteries play a key role in California’s goal of getting all of its electricity from clean sources by 2045. The most recent numbers, from the end of 2024, show real progress: 67% of retail electricity sales in the state already come from clean energy. Last year, clean energy met 100% of the state’s electricity needs for at least part of the day on 279 separate days. So far in 2026, that’s happened on more than nine out of 10 days during the first half of the year.
Clean energy is also good for the economy. California leads the nation in total clean energy jobs, with 552,300 workers employed across clean energy technologies, nearly twice as many as the second-ranked state, Texas, according to a 2025 report from E2. California’s clean energy workforce grew by nearly 7,300 workers in 2024, outpacing job growth in the rest of the state’s economy by more than three times.