The money governments and firms have already pumped into renewables and energy-efficiency programmes mean that progress will continue. But even if Mr Trump reneges on America’s environmental promises, others will try to stop the worst of them.

California’s latest auction of greenhouse gas permits saw improved demand, likely due to increased confidence in the state’s emissions market. “It seems like a bit of a stabilization,” said Chris Busch, director of research at the consulting firm Energy Innovation. “Hopefully, that will reverberate positively in Sacramento.”

Since you’re clearly rethinking some of your extreme campaign promises, the right response for me is principled engagement. So let’s start now: Please revisit your claim that climate change is a hoax.

An initiative wending its way through the New York State Public Service Commission could have a big impact on the relationship between energy managers and their buildings on one side and utilities on the other. Last week, a mandated report entitled “Energy Efficiency Metrics and Targets Options Report,” which was written by the Clean Energy Advisory Council, was released. The report draws heavily on work by Energy Innovation, a think tank based in San Francisco.

As California plots its carbon course to 2030, alternatives to its existing cap-and-trade program are getting some consideration. “The oil industry is in the funny position now of needing to work hard to get stronger authority for cap and trade to continue in its current form,” said Chris Busch, director of research at the consulting firm Energy Innovation. “That’s what the Brown administration would like, too.”

Hal Harvey has been a champion for low-carbon solutions, and a rare optimistic voice about our ability to tackle climate change. We asked Harvey where he gets his optimism, what the United States and China can learn from each other when it comes to reducing energy use and emissions, and what he’s learned from being a juror for the Paulson Prize since 2013.

Sonia Aggarwal, Director of Strategy at Energy Innovation who leads the firm’s work on transformation of the energy sector and energy policy solutions, recently shared some of her thoughts on performance-based utility regulation with Midwest Energy News.

California will now be the nation’s example for reducing climate change after Governor Jerry Brown signed sweeping legislation yesterday. AirTalk spoke with Sacramento Bee reporter David Siders, environmental policy analyst Chris Busch, and local business advocate Louis Baglietto about what the California’s new climate change law means and what you need to know about it.

California will become a petri dish for international efforts to slow global warming under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday, forcing one of the world’s largest economies to squeeze into a dramatically smaller carbon footprint. The legislation, SB 32, requires the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

British utility regulators are in the midst of a major change as they seek to spur £32 billion of upgrades to the country’s aging distribution networks by decade’s end. To achieve its goals, the government’s utility regulator, Ofgem, has put the responsibility squarely on the utilities, which need to develop robust business plans informed by engagement with their customers.