Living Under Smoky Skies—Understanding the Challenges Posed by Wildfire Smoke in California

Nov 14, 2022 - This trend has also been documented in the larger western region. For example, one 2021 estimate found that wildfires account for up to half of small particulate matter in parts of the Western United States, compared to less than 20 percent a decade ago.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4644

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Resources and Environmental Protection

Oct 16, 2023 - The 2023‑24 budget package provides a total of $19.2 billion from various fund sources—the General Fund, bond funds, a number of special funds, and federal funds—for programs administered by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and Environmental Protection Agency. This is a net decrease of $15.5 billion (45 percent) compared to 2022‑23 estimated levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4807

Improving Outcomes for California Conservation Corpsmembers

Feb 9, 2018 - For each professional training program, the department could measure the number of corpsmembers who ( 1)  s uccessfully complete the training and earn the relevant certification, ( 2)  f ind post ‑service employment in the areas of their CCC training, and ( 3)  e arn post ‑service income.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3742

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues

Apr 5, 2022 - In recent years, smoke from wildfires has grown substantially and has been a major contributor to air pollution in the western United States —making up roughly half of small particulate matter in some regions, compared to less than 20 percent a decade ago.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4575

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Residential Electricity Rates in California

Jan 7, 2025 - For example, in August 2020, California and other western states experienced a heat wave for several consecutive days, which triggered the California Independent System Operator to implement rotating power outages that affected hundreds of thousands of electricity customers across the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4950

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Resources and Environmental Protection

Oct 5, 2020 - The budget allocates $5.3  million (Cost of Implementation Account) to pay Western Climate Initiative, Inc. (WCI, Inc.) for a new information technology system used to administer cap-and-trade auctions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4275

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Electricity Generation

Jan 6, 2020 - However, the overall generation mix and total emissions throughout the western United States does not change. We discuss the potential for resource shuffling in more detail below. No Rigorous Analysis of Overall Effects of State Policies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4131

The 2016-17 Budget: The State's Drought Response

Feb 5, 2016 - The federal government authorized emergency funding to help states respond to the drought across the western United States in both 2014 and 2015, of which roughly $500  million was allocated within California.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3343

The 2019-20 Budget: Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

Feb 14, 2019 - Some of the key questions for the Legislature to explore in the coming months and years could include: State vs. Local Role. Which activities are appropriate for the state to undertake, and which should be local responsibilities?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3933