CESA News

CESA Members Convene in Sacramento for 2026 Lobby Day

Written by CESA | May 15, 2026 10:09:21 PM

Recently, CESA hosted its 2026 Lobby Day in Sacramento, bringing together industry leaders and policymakers for important conversations regarding current legislative and policy issues and the longer-term future of energy storage in California.

CESA Executive Director Scott Murtishaw, Policy Director Karolina Maslanka, lobbyists Gareth Elliott and Graciela Castillo-Krings, and Safety & Permitting consultant Cara Martison were joined by representatives from several CESA member companies, including Calpine, Tesla, AES, Terra-Gen, and Hydrostor, to meet with legislators and key state officials on issues impacting California’s clean energy transition.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in productive conversations with legislators, legislative staff, and agency leaders, including meetings with Christine Hironaka, Senior Energy Advisor to Gov. Newsom; Le-Quyen Nguyen, Deputy Secretary for Energy; and CPUC Commissioner Karen Douglas (pictured above) among many others.

Lobby Day continues to be an important opportunity for CESA members to educate policymakers, strengthen relationships, and advocate for policies that support a reliable, affordable, and safe energy storage future for California.

Key topics discussed included:

  • Property tax assessment reform for energy storage projects
  • Science-based battery energy storage system safety policies
  • Permitting and interconnection reform to reduce project delays
  • Funding and support for distributed energy resources and virtual power plants
  • Aligning long-term planning, procurement, and market incentives to support California’s clean energy goals

Thank you to all of the members and partners who participated and helped make this year’s Lobby Day a success.