California is advancing its clean energy transition while addressing challenges such as heat waves, wildfires, and increased electricity demand due to transportation electrification and the growth of artificial intelligence. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has been working with international partners to find practical solutions for decarbonization, grid reliability, and affordability.
In 2025, the CPUC hosted delegations from several countries. Officials from Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water discussed investments in renewable generation and storage capacity. A delegation from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment visited to share strategies on vehicle electrification and emission reduction in transportation. The CPUC also collaborated with Denmark’s Danish Energy Agency to address issues like offshore wind development, building decarbonization, demand flexibility, and how data centers can support affordable decarbonization. Additionally, a roundtable with Indian representatives focused on battery storage strategies.
These international exchanges highlighted that many regions are facing similar pressures—balancing decarbonization with reliability and affordability under climate stress.
Drew Hodel, Senior Advisor on Intergovernmental Affairs at the CPUC, commented on these engagements: “A major focus for the CPUC last year was ratepayer affordability. And what stood out in our conversations with global partners was how similar their challenges are to ours, from climate-driven grid stress to rising costs.”
Beyond bilateral meetings, the CPUC participated in the International Regulatory Futures Forum in San Francisco alongside regulators from Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Discussions centered on investing in climate resilience and optimizing electricity systems for cost efficiency.
Later in 2025, the CPUC joined Governor Newsom at COP30—the United Nations’ annual global climate conference—to share California’s regulatory experience as one of the world’s largest economies.
The CPUC shared key achievements: since 2000 California has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 21 percent while growing its economy by 81 percent; electric sector emissions have dropped over 40 percent thanks to nearly 17 gigawatts of battery storage and consecutive years of record renewable energy buildout; California’s grid operated on 100 percent clean power for an average of nearly six hours per day in 2025—a sevenfold increase since 2022; if considered a country, California would rank fourth globally in electric vehicle sales behind China, the U.S., and Germany.
Through ongoing engagement with international counterparts and sharing best practices worldwide, California aims both to strengthen its own energy system and contribute proven solutions to global efforts against climate change.
