California households served by PG&E, SDG&E and Southern California Edison get automatic Climate Credits on August and September electric bills, averaging about $75. The 2026 total is $886 million, funded by major polluters' required allowance purchases under Cap-and-Invest.
This is the first time eligible residential electric customers of the three utilities have received the credit in August and September. Newsom's office says the Cap-and-Invest program has generated $37 billion for climate initiatives, including zero-pollution transportation in underserved communities, conservation, wildfire prevention and affordable housing near job centers. It says those investments have supported more than 143,000 jobs and cut carbon pollution by millions of tons.
Newsom's office also said he had signed legislation to lock in the maximum benefit for Californians through Cap-and-Invest. The article cites climate advocates' alarm over California officials' consideration of a $4 billion giveaway to major polluters; a lawsuit argues the California Air Resources Board allowed 118 million new allowances without required environmental review; and regulators warned PG&E customers could face bills $840 higher a year by 2030.
