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Presented by Clean Air California: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White and Sakura Cannestra | Presented by Clean Air California | THE BUZZ: These are not the kind of records you want to break. California has now made it through the worst day of a September heat wave — one that shattered heat records across the state, including Sacramento’s nearly-century-old temperature high of 114 degrees. But we didn’t make it out completely unscathed. According to California’s Independent System Operator, peak load demand hit more than 52,000 megawatts, surpassing the previous record of 50,270 megawatts set in 2006. But the silver lining on this cloud was a big one — the ISO didn’t have to call for rolling blackouts from providers. Throughout the day, as temperatures climbed , statewide usage ticked up higher and higher. By 4 p.m., power giant Pacific Gas & Electric had sent out advance notice to 525,000 customers to prepare for outages. The Department of Public Health advised most schools in the state to cancel outdoor and unconditioned indoor activities. Then Cal ISO issued a level 3 warning, stopping just short of calling on operators to institute rolling blackouts. Not everyone was spared, however — PG&E reported several outages throughout the state starting in the late afternoon. Gov. Gavin Newsom chose not to go before live cameras or take questions from the press. Instead, he issued a pre-recorded statement early in the day, urging Californians to conserve energy. By 8 p.m., ISO had ended its level 3 alert, saying consumer conservation played a “big part in protecting electric grid reliability.” The emergency only served to put an exclamation point on lawmakers’ recent moves to shore up the energy supply in the wake of worsening climate change. Despite bold efforts in the past decade to transition the state’s reliance from fossil fuels to renewable resources, it was clear yesterday that gas-powered electricity is still a critical part of the grid, and even then, it is not always enough to keep the lights on. Coincidentally, yesterday was also the deadline for PG&E to apply for federal assistance to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant — which supporters argue will be crucial to maintaining the state’s energy supply during extreme events like this one. The heat wave has also highlighted the limited nature of the state’s renewable energy sources. At its peak point, renewable energy accounted for more than a quarter of the state’s supply. But as the sun went down and demand increased, that number quickly dropped off, with natural gas accounting for more than half of the supply, according to the state’s independent system operator. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about climate change, it’s that these types of events will only become more common. As we’ve reported these past several weeks, lawmakers are taking steps to speed up the state’s procurement of green energy sources, but that could take several years. BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. The worst may be behind us, but the extreme heat event continues today. State officials say it could take until Friday for a break in scorching temps. Expect 110 degree temps in many parts of California today. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Everyone has to do their part, to help step up for just the next few days. Individuals, the state, industries, business, all doing their part to help reduce strain on the grid.” Newsom early yesterday in a pre-recorded message. TWEET OF THE DAY
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Today's Tweet of the Day | Twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | | | | A message from Clean Air California: California has the worst air quality in the country, with serious consequences for our health. As climate change increases the number of catastrophic wildfires, the threat is even worse, polluting our air with cancer-causing substances and particulate pollution that aggravate existing health problems and increase the risk of asthma, heart attacks and strokes. Prop 30 attacks the top sources of air pollution — wildfires and vehicle emissions, ensuring Californians have clean air to breathe. | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | BALANCING? — “A hyperpolarized, deeply fragile 2022 election: Democrats’ energy over Roe blunts GOP advantage,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Melanie Mason: “While conventional wisdom often churns during the campaign season, the state of play is particularly enigmatic in this unsettled political moment.” — “San Francisco Braces for Epic Commercial Real Estate Crash,” by the San Francisco Standard’s Kevin Truong and Noah Baustin: “The root of this—of course—is the pandemic and the way that it has completely transformed work patterns in the city, hollowing out a downtown core that once accounted for most of San Francisco’s GDP, 70% of its sales tax revenue and 40% of the city’s jobs. And there’s an uneasy feeling among a coalition of business groups that city leaders are sleepwalking into an economic calamity with far-reaching consequences.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — “A hyperpolarized, deeply fragile 2022 election: Democrats’ energy over Roe blunts GOP advantage,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Melanie Mason: “While conventional wisdom often churns during the campaign season, the state of play is particularly enigmatic in this unsettled political moment.” BUILDING DOWN — “San Francisco Braces for Epic Commercial Real Estate Crash,” by the San Francisco Standard’s Kevin Truong and Noah Baustin: “The root of this—of course—is the pandemic and the way that it has completely transformed work patterns in the city, hollowing out a downtown core that once accounted for most of San Francisco’s GDP, 70% of its sales tax revenue and 40% of the city’s jobs. And there’s an uneasy feeling among a coalition of business groups that city leaders are sleepwalking into an economic calamity with far-reaching consequences.” | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “‘Here we go again’: Amid HIV/AIDS connection, fear of racial disparities for MPX grows,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Marissa Evans: “And there’s fear that even amid public health officials’ efforts, the outreach is still not where it needs to be to raise awareness and encourage vaccinations.” ODDS ARE UP — “The Rise of Mobile Gambling Is Leaving People Ruined and Unable to Quit,” by Vice’s Maxwell Strachan: “ It didn’t take long before Jason was hearing about gambling “all day every day,” he said. When he started to go through personal issues at home in 2020, he found himself at the casino trying to burn off some steam.” — “San Francisco is considering an ambitious new approach to tackle deadly drug crisis. Here are the details ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mallory Moench: “One part of that plan would direct police officers to prioritize arresting drug dealers and confiscating illegal drugs from users in areas where people are seeking help with addiction, such as outside a detox facility.” — “ A state program that provides children’s hearing aids may be expanded to include more families,” by CalMatters’ Elizabeth Aguilera: “A beleaguered state program that provides hearing aids to children may soon include families with partial insurance coverage and youth up to 21 years old after the Legislature included the expansion in the budget bills. About 2,000 more children would be helped.” HOURS AND OURS — “ Jobs are plentiful in the Central Valley, but big pay increases are hard to get,” by the Sacramento Bee’s David Lightman: “A big reason for the gap in the Central Valley is that jobs in the service and hospitality industry are growing quickly, in many cases more quickly than higher-paying jobs in technology and professional services.” — “15-day watering ban begins today for parts of L.A. County,” by the Los Angeles times’ Summer Lin: “The agency made temporary repairs and continued using the pipeline at a reduced capacity but scheduled permanent repairs to be made from Tuesday to Sept. 20, during which the pipeline will be offline.”
| | | | A message from Clean Air California:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | NANCY STEPS IN — “Congress mulls data privacy bill that would void California's tougher protections,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jennifer Haberkorn: “ Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) delivered a potential death knell for the American Data Privacy and Protection Act late last week when she said it should not be allowed to override California’s law.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | CHIP ON THE SHOULDER — “The U.S. is bringing chip-making home. Is California ready?” by the Mercury News’ Lisa M. Krieger: “Yet none of the planned ‘megafabs’ will be built here in the birthplace of the integrated circuit, or chip, where in 1959 legendary entrepreneur Robert Noyce strung transistors together on sheets of silicon in a two-story warehouse built of tilt-up concrete slabs in Mountain View.”
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “Sacramento hits 116 degrees for first time in history, breaking 97-year-old heat record,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Rosalio Ahumada. — “Why Californians are obsessed with the little-known surf town of Tofino on Vancouver Island,” by SFGate’s Ashley Harrell. ROYALTY IN THE BAY — “ S.F. just got its first royal visit in 17 years. Here’s what Queen Máxima of the Netherlands did in the Castro,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mallory Moench. — “ Downtown San Jose and Oakland are struggling, but not like San Francisco, as workers say ‘nope’ to the office,” by the Mercury News’ Ethan Baron. — “‘Fat Leonard’ escapes weeks before sentencing in Navy bribery scandal ,” by the Washington Post’s María Luisa Paúl. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Jason Oxman of the Information Technology Industry Council … Emerson Collective’s Robin Reck … Johan Propst of Rep. Brad Sherman’s (D-Calif.) office … Meta’s David Grant … Bryan Watkins
| | | | A message from Clean Air California: California is on the front lines of climate change, witnessing blistering heat waves, prolonged droughts and catastrophic wildfires. Three of the worst wildfire years on record in California occurred in the last four years. Climate scientists project the problem will get considerably worse.
Wildfires don’t just present a threat to homes, lives and our economy — they ruin air quality throughout the state for months at a time. This poses a serious hazard to the health of more than 38 million Californians, especially children, pregnant women and seniors.
That’s why environmental groups, state firefighters, public health groups, consumer advocates and climate experts are supporting Prop 30 — the Clean Air Act. Prop 30 reduces the top two sources of climate and air pollution, vehicle emissions and wildfires, so Californians have clean, healthy air to breathe. Learn more at www.Yeson30.org. | | | CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this -only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
