It’s well known that reducing methane emissions is an effective near-term climate change mitigation tool. And the quickly evolving use of satellite technology is transforming our ability to manage and control those emissions. However, many policymakers don’t yet have a good understanding of how satellites work, what data comes from them, or what the opportunities and limits of those data are.

Support for public ownership of electric utilities is growing in California, where investor-owned utilities are under intense scrutiny for causing deadly wildfires and charging some of the nation’s highest electricity rates. Adding to these challenges, utilities must make significant clean energy investments to achieve the state’s goal of a net zero carbon economy by 2045, while providing affordable and reliable electricity. Proponents of public power argue that the investor-owned utility model conflicts with these social priorities.