Although the United States didn't have an official federal presence at a November United Nations summit in Belém, Brazil, California Gov. Gavin Newsom attended on behalf of his state.
In fact, as a state governor, Newsom was the highest-ranking American representative to attend the United Nations' Conference of the Parties (COP30).
On Dec. 20, the Guardian profiled Newsom's five days in Brazil, during which he vocally decried the American federal government's aggressive rescission of a vast range of clean energy policies, subsidies, and initiatives.
As Newsom frequently asserts, California is now the world's fourth-largest economy, and his remarks throughout the conference made a compelling case for states' power to facilitate the adoption and deployment of clean energy, regardless of national policy shifts.
During the event, Newsom announced that California's economy was powered by clean energy for an astonishing "nine out of 10 days" in 2025.
"Outside of China, there's only one other jurisdiction in the world — California — that has as much battery storage implemented," he added. In addition to utility-scale battery backups, home solar paired with sufficient storage keeps the lights on during widespread power outages.
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According to The Guardian, California's stunning clean energy evolution did not happen spontaneously; the state has invested "heavily in solar, wind, and battery storage" to meet its "ambitious targets."
Installing solar panels is the ultimate home energy hack, in part because battery storage makes homes more resilient. They're becoming increasingly sought after as electric bills continue to soar, because solar panels can bring monthly costs down to $0 or even less.
TCD's Solar Explorer connects the clean energy-curious with vetted local techs, curates competitive bids, and can save new customers up to $10,000 on new installations.
California offers significant subsidies for solar power, which is undoubtedly a factor in the state's impressive growth in clean energy in 2025. Solar panels can involve upfront costs, but Solar Explorer also offers $0 down subscription options, like Palmetto's LightReach.
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Very 😍 Programs like Palmetto's LightReach allow customers to lock in lower rates, but Solar Explorer has options for nearly every home and budget.
As the Guardian observed, renewables like solar are "booming worldwide," and the International Energy Agency projected more new projects in the coming five years than in the previous four decades.
In the U.S., California isn't just leading the way; it's providing a scalable, replicable state-level model to bring affordable clean energy to American homes.
According to the outlet, California's energy commission described the switch as the "biggest transformation of its power grid in a century," adding that the state was close to eliminating the use of coal entirely.
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