California’s Energy Transition from Oil State to Fossil Free: Introduction, Part One

The introductory article in an ongoing series on the history and politics of California energy and climate policy.

California’s attempt to transition from a state dependent on oil to one that is “fossil free” will matter not only to California but to the future of U.S. and global energy and climate policy. To understand the economic, political, and technological impact of such a transition requires an understanding of the place of oil in California’s history. This f…