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Our recent conversation with Sammy Roth, author of the Climate-Colored Goggles Substack and former Los Angeles Times climate columnist, explored what the midterm elections mean for climate action in the United States. We discussed the Democratic victories that created new trifectas in six states, and why those wins could open the door to stronger clean energy policy at the state level. Sammy also gave a nuanced take on permitting reform and walked us through new California laws on plug-in solar, home electrification, and solar on drought-stressed farmland. Together, these show how state-level wins and steady advocacy keep the clean energy transition moving.
Watch a recording of the conversation (1 hour) or read a quick recap.
Recording
Quick recap
The meeting was a discussion with Sammy Roth, former Los Angeles Times climate columnist, hosted by Sam Matey-Coste of Climate Action Now. The topic was recent climate policy developments and what the midterm elections mean for U.S. climate action. Participants explored the Democratic wins that produced new trifectas in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, along with the debate over permitting reform and its trade-offs with environmental protections. They also covered recent California legislation: the plug-in solar law (SB 868); AB 2313, which offers incentives to electrify homes when gas lines need replacing; and AB 1156, which makes it easier to convert drought-stressed Central Valley farmland to solar production. The conversation concluded with a look at how to balance climate goals with local community concerns about land use, particularly when agricultural land is converted for renewable energy.
Disclaimer: This is an auto-generated meeting summary from Zoom, offering a high-level overview of the discussion. Please note that it may not capture all details with perfect accuracy.
Summary
The Midterms Opened New Doors for Climate Action
Sammy described an election that broke in climate’s favor at nearly every level of government. Democrats won new trifectas in six states, putting them in position to pass clean energy policy without gridlock. In Texas, Democrats won several state offices, including a seat on the Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry. Sammy noted that the winner, John Rosenthal, did not run as an anti-fossil fuel candidate, which made the win all the more telling.
The Economics Are on Clean Energy’s Side
Sam and Sammy saw real potential for renewed momentum on climate. Their reasoning is that the economics of renewables are becoming harder and harder for the fossil fuel industry to fight politically. When clean energy is the cheaper and faster option, opposition becomes tougher to sustain. That shift gives advocates and lawmakers more room to push ambitious policy, even in places that have long resisted it.
Permitting Reform Is a Trade-Off Worth Understanding
The most nuanced part of the conversation was about permitting reform. Sam said he supports it as good for renewable energy over the medium to long term. Sammy acknowledged the urgent need to make clean energy faster to build, but also took seriously the concerns of environmental groups that oppose the current bill because it could weaken key environmental laws. The climate community is genuinely divided, and both sides are trying to protect something worth protecting.
Faster Rules Need a Government That Can Deliver
Changing the rules is only part of the job. Sam and Sammy stressed that staffing and government capacity matter just as much, because reforms go nowhere without the people to carry them out. They also weighed the strategy behind negotiating with Republicans in the current Congress, comparing a deal now against waiting for what could be a larger Democratic majority in 2029.
California Shows What State Leadership Can Do
California offered a concrete picture of progress. Sammy walked through several new laws: the plug-in solar law (SB 868); AB 2313, which encourages home electrification when gas lines need replacing; and AB 1156, which eases the conversion of drought-stressed Central Valley farmland to solar. The conversation also touched on virtual power plants. Each of these laws clears a specific obstacle that had been slowing the clean energy transition.
Lasting Change Means Bringing Communities Along
The conversation closed on a harder question: how to build clean energy in ways communities welcome. Converting farmland to solar, and the broader debate over large-scale versus rooftop solar, show that the energy transition happens in real places with real people. The lesson is that progress comes from winning elections, passing practical policy, and taking local concerns seriously, all at once. That combination is where lasting climate hope comes from.