Public Policy

At California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), our drive for climate justice policy flows not from partisan politics, but from the sacred calling at the heart of our many faiths: the mandate to love our neighbors, care for Creation, and stand with the most vulnerable among us. Grounded in the moral traditions of our diverse faith communities, we believe that climate change is the defining spiritual and ethical crisis of our time, one that disproportionately burdens low-income communities and communities of color who did the least to cause it. We push for bold, equitable policy because we are commanded to be stewards of Earth and to pursue justice as an act of reverence for the Divine who calls us to protect the sacred gift of Life.

2026 Advocacy

We are currently working on a list of policies for our 2026 advocacy days! Stay tuned.

2025 Advocacy

Our Virtual Advocacy Day was a big success. Thank you for raising your faith voices for climate justice. We are stronger together!

As a choir of Earth advocates, we sang praises to these climate justice bills in meetings with our representatives. Here are some updates:

AB-740 (Asm. Harabedian) – Virtual Power Plants – VETOED by Governor

AB 942 (Calderon) – Originally written to break Solar Contracts but was fully gutted and re-written (this was a big win!). Did not pass committee on rules.

SB-254 (Sen. Becker) – Electricity: wildfire mitigation: rate assistance: Policy-Oriented and Wildfire Electric Reimbursement (POWER) Program – Approved by Governor, Sept. 19, 2025

• Ratepayer savings: Becker stated the bill would save Californians $20 billion over the next decade by curbing utility profits and ensuring the most cost-effective methods for grid investments and wildfire prevention are used.
• Utility accountability: The senator emphasized that SB 254 will hold utility companies accountable for reducing wildfire risk, instead of simply passing those costs on to customers. One key provision of the bill forces utilities to use public financing for a portion of their infrastructure hardening, eliminating the profit they would normally earn on these investments.
• Transparency and oversight: The legislation increases transparency into utility profits and strengthens the California Public Utilities Commission’s ability to monitor and enforce utility energization timelines for new customers.
• Clean energy acceleration: Streamlines permitting for clean energy projects, speeding up their development and bringing more reliable, affordable energy to the grid. 
  
  AB-1207 (Asm. Irwin) – Climate change: market-based compliance mechanism: extension – Approved by Governor – Sept. 19, 2025

• Provides stability for auctions which raise about $4 billion a year for state’s greenhouse gas reduction programs
• Supports long-term climate targets: By reauthorizing the program through 2045, AB 1207 provides the primary regulatory mechanism for California to achieve its statutory target of net-zero emissions by that year.
• Adjustments to allowance allocation: The bill directs a transition of free allowances from gas corporations to electric utilities by 2030, which aims to support electrification and lower electricity bills
• Enhances oversight and transparency: AB 1207 directs CARB to consider new offset protocols, such as for nature-based solutions, and strengthens legislative oversight. These measures are designed to improve the program’s overall environmental integrity
  
  SB-57 (Sen. Padilla) Electrical corporations: data centers: report. – Has been turned into a study bill – Sept. 23, 2025
• Turned into a study bill to focus on how data centers are affecting ratepayers
• Directs the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to conduct a study to examine the impact data center development and expanded grid demands will have on California ratepayers as tech companies work to meet the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI). 
• Study will also look at how ratepayers can be protected from data centers’ costs while not increasing fossil fuels

UPDATE: The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act has become 2 year bill. We will continue to learn more as the year comes to a close – the bill will be back in 2026!

2024 Advocacy

Our virtual lobby day is scheduled for August 14th. We will begin setting up meetings with your representatives.

In person lobby day recap: 

Our June 4th lobby day in Sacramento was a huge success. We brought faith advocates from across California to Sacramento to speak climate truth to power. Our priority legislation included bills to increase affordability of electric cars,  to ban plastic bags, to divest public pension funds from fossil fuels, to  amend the state Constitution to declare that the people have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment; and to invest $10 billion in climate protection and resilience, with over 40% going directly to disadvantaged communities.

2023 Advocacy