Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has embraced “dirty” energy for California as he looks to stave off blackouts threatening the state’s strained energy grid.
While Newsom has pushed for a transition to renewable energy in California, the realities there have forced him to increasingly rely on nonrenewable energy sources to meet the state’s energy demands. Fighting off heavy criticism from environmental activists, the California governor has countered by pointing out the practical necessity of using some nonrenewables while stressing his efforts to transition to renewable energy.
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“Gov. Newsom is committed to keeping the lights on while maintaining affordability for all Californians,” Newsom’s deputy press secretary, Daniel Villasenor, told the Washington Examiner.
“At the same time, the governor has advanced the nation’s most aggressive transition away from fossil fuels and has taken action to make it easier to build the clean energy projects our state needs,” he added.
The state’s energy grid has struggled for years amid extreme temperatures. A heat wave in 2020 resulted in two days of rolling blackouts across the state, and last summer, Newsom had to make pleas to the public to conserve energy during particularly hot periods.
Such crises have forced Newsom to change his position on shutting down several energy sites he had been previously critical of.
For example, he campaigned for governor partially on a platform of shutting down Aliso Canyon, a sprawling gas storage facility that drew controversy in 2015 when it became the subject of the largest methane leak in U.S. history, Politico reported.
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Following the energy crisis of the past few years, California’s Public Utilities Commission, appointed by Newsom, will vote Thursday on whether to expand Aliso Canyon by two-thirds.
Newsom’s administration has also extended the life of three natural gas plants in Southern California, as well as the state’s sole nuclear power plant.
