Energy Archives - Rural County Representatives Of California

open book on table with trees, solar panels, and windmills sprouting from grass on open pages, hot air balloons hovering above the word BioEnergy

December 22, 2025

Energy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship | Wildfire

CalMatters - Small-scale bioenergy is critical for wildfire prevention, climate resilience, and emissions reduction

In response to pending efforts to close the BioMAT program, Yuba County Supervisor and RCRC Board Delegate Gary Bradford emphasizes in this commentary to CalMatters why small-scale bioenergy is a critical tool and calls for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to extend and strengthen the BioMAT program in coordination with wildfire prevention and waste management efforts.

geothermal facility with white smoke disseminating from a few smoke stacks in a green field.

October 8, 2025

Energy

Politico - Geothermal gets head of steam

In a Politico Article, RCRC Senior Policy Advocate John Kennedy demonstrated why RCRC lobbied Governor Newsom to veto AB 531, even though RCRC supports geothermal energy. Kennedy stated that the group, which represents the state’s 40 rural counties, opposed the bill because its members are increasingly concerned by state policy that distance counties of local decision-making authority—a trend RCRC felts the streamlining bill continued.

September 5, 2025

Energy

Politico - Lights out in rural California

In this POLITICO article, John Kennedy, Senior Policy Advocate for the Rural County Representatives of California, warns that without a clear statewide strategy, PSPS could become the “new normal.” He urged the CPUC and utilities—especially...

May 2, 2025

Agriculture | Energy

E&E News - Calif. solar-on-farms bill clears hurdle after lawmaker strikes deal with rural counties

California state lawmakers have advanced a bill aimed at easing the conversion of agricultural land into solar farms, after Assemblymember Buffy Wicks amended AB 1156 to address the concerns of rural counties and farming communities....