It seems EC is teasing future problems with the American West Coast, while I doubt we'll see a Pacific Republic it's not entirely off the cards (still remembering the statement "the map of North America will be drastically different). However currently I'm leaning towards California becoming the American Quebec (minus the ethno-linguistic dimension) at worst and at best becoming the American Alberta/Saskatchewan in terms of alienation
I mean it looks different already! Could I possibly have more alterations in me?? However, its not just California ticked off, Oregon and the putative Washington state are also not pleased with Washington. They have a (not entirely unfair, but not totally fair) view that they were left out to dry by the fighting in the East. No men or weapons were sent their way and they had to wage the war with the resources they had at hand, which proved to be unequal to the task! There's going to be a gulf of political and economic distances to cross to bridge that, not to mention a continent! The International Railroad has barely started laying track as of 1866!