Energy and Environment

Alex is determined to fight the existential threat of climate change. Having grown up in a low-income, heavily polluted neighborhood, he is dedicated to ensuring that every family has access to clean air and clean water. He served for six years as Chair of the California State Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications, where he led the development of California’s ambitious renewable energy and climate policies that now serve as a model for the rest of the country. Alex’s environmental leadership has continued in the U.S. Senate. In addition to cosponsoring the Green New Deal, Alex introduced sweeping legislation to electrify our nation’s school buses and protect over one million acres of public lands in California, increasing access to nature and preserving California’s natural treasures for generations to come.

Alex understands the threat that increasingly frequent and catastrophic natural disasters and extreme weather events pose to California and the Western United States. That’s why he fought to secure millions of dollars in federal funding for flood control infrastructure to protect communities from catastrophic floods and rising sea levels. His bill the POWER ON Act was signed into law by President Biden to prevent utility outages caused by natural disasters like wildfires and other extreme weather events. And while California continues to face the threat of devastating wildfires, Alex led the successful passage of the FIRE Act, to modernize the way FEMA prepares for and responds to wildfires.

Recent News

Senators: “When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm” WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) demanded answers from the Federal Emergency Management...
California was set to receive $384 million from National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program over 5 years WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), joined...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation to promote research on how grazing can support wildfire mitigation, fuels reduction, and post-fire recovery. Several states have implemented...
Senators: “When disaster strikes, Americans should have confidence the government will safeguard their data, regardless of the Administration at the helm” WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) demanded answers from the Federal Emergency Management...
California was set to receive $384 million from National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program over 5 years WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), joined...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation to promote research on how grazing can support wildfire mitigation, fuels reduction, and post-fire recovery. Several states have implemented...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, delivered opening remarks during a hearing on the proposed budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2025. Padilla outlined the misguided budget proposal from Republicans to...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and 13 other Democratic Senators in urging senior Trump Administration officials to reverse the hiring and onboarding freeze of federal seasonal firefighters that threatens the safety of...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and 10 other Western Democratic Senators to sound the alarm over threats to the removal of hazardous fuels...
Modeled after National Weather Service and NOAA Water Center, would coordinate fire response amongst various federal, state, and academic institutions WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Southern California rebuilds from devastating fires, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), John Hickenlooper...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced bipartisan legislation that will reduce flood risks and bolster emergency preparedness by improving atmospheric river forecasting to more precisely predict the timing and location of these storms....
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Southern California recovers from devastating fires, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts. The package includes the Wildfire Emergency Act, to support forest restoration,...
Administration ordered two dams in Tulare County open without adequate notification to local officials, threatening Central Valley communities WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth...