California experienced a record-setting heat wave in early September that brought the state’s electricity grid very close to failure and forced tough choices on customers trying to stay cool while complying with alerts to save energy.

Against that backdrop, the state legislature moved to pass a suite of climate and energy bills, a record $54 billion in new climate spending, and a plan to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant — all just days after the state finalized one of the most ambitious rules to stop the sale of new gas-powered cars.

What does this big policy push say about the state of California’s energy mix? And how is the world’s 5th largest economy planning to cope with the intensifying impacts of climate change?

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper and Shane Skelton are joined by Sammy Roth, staff writer at the LA Times and author of the weekly Boiling Point newsletter, to discuss how the clean energy transition is playing out in California and the lessons it can teach the rest of the country.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Feeling the Heat, California Amps Up Climate Action