Silicon Valley Goes Green: The Origin of California's Climate Regime.

This article examines the emergence of California's pioneering climate policies in the early 2000s, focusing on the critical role played by Silicon Valley in forming a pro-climate business coalition. Despite structural challenges and strong fossil fuel industry opposition, California passed landmark laws such as AB 32 (the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) by leveraging Silicon Valley's economic power and its newly organized cleantech sector, led by the Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). E2 mobilized technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists around the vision of a "green" economy driven by innovation and investment in clean technologies, enabling state officials to frame climate policy as an economic growth strategy. The article employs a Gramscian political sociology framework to explain how Silicon Valley's interests were politically constructed and how this elite-led coalition established a durable hegemonic bloc supporting market-based climate action. This case contrasts with federal-level failures and alternative approaches like the Green New Deal, highlighting the importance of credible economic growth plans supported by influential capital fractions for comprehensive climate policy.