Reducing the Destructiveness of Wildfires: Promoting Defensible Space in California

Sep 30, 2021 - Defensible Space Plays Important Role in Reducing Home Ignitability. Researchers generally agree that it is important for homeowners to maintain an area free of excess or dead vegetation around their homes, known as defensible space.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4457

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Cap-and-Trade Reauthorization

May 7, 2025 - Revenues From Allowances Can Play Key Role in Helping Preserve Affordability. The value of allowances —both those that are given away for free and those that are sold to generate GGRF revenue —can play an important role in mitigating the program ’s impacts on affordability.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042

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

Jan 7, 2025 - Electricity Cannot Be Easily Stored. Another key difference between electricity and most other commodities is that —unlike water or food, for example —electricity cannot be readily and cheaply stored.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4950

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Zero-Emission Vehicle Incentive

Feb 24, 2026 - While ZEV ‑specific programs can play a role in augmenting the state ’s broader programs —such as by making ZEVs more accessible to low ‑income households and helping to encourage the market to produce a greater number and variety of vehicles —they are less critical than they otherwise would be without the “backstop ” of those broader GHG ‑reducing programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5140

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - Given the high stakes for fish and water users, the Legislature can play a critical role in monitoring plan implementation. Because the VAs are designed to adapt as new information becomes available —and the board retains authority to terminate the VAs for some or all water users if they are not working as intended —performance will require ongoing evaluation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

Overview of New Updates to the Cap-and-Invest Program

Dec 9, 2025 - The Legislature can play an important role overseeing and guiding these efforts. For  instance, the newly envisioned Climate Bureau ’s usefulness is likely to be enhanced if its activities are directed to high ‑priority topics and if it is created such that it can build a reputation as a credible source of timely analyses.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5097

The 2024-25 Budget: Salton Sea Management Program

Feb 26, 2024 - Many Agencies Have a Role to Play at the Salton Sea. Numerous agencies at all levels of government are involved in responding to conditions at the Salton Sea. The principal agencies and their major roles are described in   Figure  1 .
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4859

Overview of California's Ports

Aug 23, 2022 - In response, the Department of General Services (DGS) identified six surplus state properties in proximity to highly congested ports which can store up to 20,000 containers. The state plans to lend these properties to support port operations for one year, with an option to renew for another year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4618

Assessing Early Implementation of Urban Water Use Efficiency Requirements

Jan 4, 2024 - Rising  temperatures due to climate change also mean that less of the state ’s water will be stored in snowpack (which historically has been available as additional water supply in dry summer and fall months).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4823

The 2022-23 Budget: Clean Energy Package

Feb 22, 2022 - The  proposed budget includes a total of $380  million General Fund ($140  million in 2022 ‑23  and $240  million in 2023 ‑24) for demonstrations and early stage deployment of long ‑duration storage technologies —defined as technologies that can store energy for eight hours or more —that are on the verge of commercialization.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4554