Patterson Argues Newsom’s Energy Polices Are Creating Problems
Sacramento, CA — With triple-digit temperatures projected over the next week, occasional Flex Alerts, calling for conservation, are likely.
We reported yesterday that Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order that he says will free up more energy supplies to help the state get through the current heat wave. It allows power plants to generate additional electricity and use backup generators to reduce the amount of energy they need from the grid during peak demand times.
Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson, who as part of redistricting is running to represent the Mother Lode region next year, argues that the state’s challenges are a result of poor leadership from the Governor, and his putting too much emphasis on renewable energy initiatives.
Patterson says, “We are very quickly coming to a place where we’re living like a third world country, where we can’t use our electricity when we need it, and if we do need it, we might very well crash the grid. If we do need to use it, it will be so expensive that we cannot afford it.”
Patterson continues, “There was once a California where our electricity grid was reliable, you could use the air conditioner, you could go to your washer or dryer and turn it on and do what you needed to do reliably and affordably. Those days are gone. We are facing the stark reality for the ruling party to be so adamant in their ideology about saving the planet that they are crashing the grid. This state needs to turn around, change its policy and recognize that electricity affordability and reliability is a fundamental right of the people of California.”
Patterson says he wants to see the state reverse its direction on energy policy over the coming years.