Written by T. Logan Dayne
Amid an unprecedented heatwave, blackouts are hitting California as the state cannot keep up with the power demand. In the middle of a drought as well, the hydroelectric dams that supply much of California’s power have been unable to produce as much with less and less water to power them. California is already highly reliant on other states for power, with nearly 33% of its power being imported from other states, an increase of 8% from 2010, making the state the highest importer of energy in the nation.
All of this has led to Newsom giving a statement to Californians urging them to save power which has elicited a slew of criticism. It is no secret that Newsom has been hostile toward fossil fuel-based energy, preferring so-called “green energy initiatives,” which has led to him banning the sale of gas-powered cars by the year 2035 in California, along with the banning of gas generators. The irony of the state pushing its citizens to buy electric cars and then telling them they can’t charge them was not lost on many, and he was mocked and criticized relentlessly online. California Assembly candidate Lori Mills ripped Newsom stating that his “green policies are destroying the state AND the environment!”
The heatwave and failure of the California electric grid provide the strongest rebuttal against Newsom’s ideological march towards “green energy” as it does not provide sufficient power to meet demand. The power failure has even gone so far as to push Newsom to change his tune toward nuclear energy. New legislation was recently signed by the governor in a desperate effort to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open.
For San Diegans, this power situation doesn’t seem to have an end. San Diego residents already pay more for power than any city in the nation, and the price is expected to rise to even outpace inflation continuing into 2030. SDG&E prices are expected to rise 70% more than the inflation rate, according to the CA Public Utility Commission. Soon, there may not be any saving money on gas by switching to electric as citizens are urged to ration when they charge their vehicles, and the cost of charging those vehicles skyrockets.
Photo Cred: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
