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Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s remarks today at the California Economic Summit in Bakersfield:
“Governor Newsom wants to throw taxpayer funds at another one of his out-of-touch dreams that he is desperately trying to make a reality. Californians have already seen how his record spending can’t fix his party’s decade of bad policy decisions—just look at the high-speed rail, homelessness, and rampant crime.
“If the Governor truly valued Kern County as the dominant energy region, his administration should stop aggressively undermining the county’s potential. Kern County is the premier energy hub of the state, producing thousands of consumer byproducts and everyday conveniences as a result of the oil industry’s talented men and women. But, Governor Newsom’s energy policy is deliberately designed to eliminate those high-paying jobs, despite Kern County showing that green energy and fossil fuels can thrive together.
“I hope the Governor realizes that a “just transition” is unnecessary when the ability to have both oil and renewables already exists. Kern produces 53% of the state’s renewable solar and wind energy and over 70% of the state’s oil and gas. Kern County’s leadership and entrepreneurial spirit is already charging forward, let’s hope the Governor gets out of the way.”