Newsom Pledges Support for Clean Energy Projects & Faster Permitting

BY MICHAEL J. FITZGERALD

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged May 25 to continue efforts to speed up permitting for clean energy projects across the state.

In an update on the state’s clean energy progress, Newsom said the state has been suffering from “weather whiplash,” making it all the more important to continue to move away from dependence on fossil fuels.

“The future happens first here,” Newsom said. “And when we set out markers for progress on clean energy, we exceed them.”

Newsom made his comments in front of Moxion Power in Richmond, a 250-employee firm that specializes in temporary electric power solutions relying on battery power, not fossil fuels. Moxion officials said they believe within the next few years the company will grow to more than 1,000 employees, many of them Richmond residents.

During the presentations, Moxion CEO Paul Huelslamp noted that among the attendees were five of the women who worked at the Richmond shipyards during World War II — original “Rosies,” so named for the iconic Rosie the Riveter.

The Moxion company is located adjacent to the Rosie the Riveter Historical National Park.

Most the comments at the event from participants emphasized the state’s well-documented and rapid progress to meet clean energy goals as well as Newsom’s close involvement.

UPS...

Continued from page 1 member pay and healthcare costs.

UPS as a company is predicted to be damaged more financially. “If it comes to a strike, I predict it will be short because (UPS) will be sweating,” said Paff.

While some businesses can continue to provide service during a strike, UPS would be unable to meet customer needs.

“Even the pilots and jet mechanics are committed not to work,” said Paff. UPS also cannot outsource its work. The auto industry, for example, can build cars abroad and ship them overseas; UPS can’t deliver packages to your door if it doesn’t have truck drivers in the U.S.

The 1997 strike resulted in higher pay and the addition of 10,000 full-time jobs. And it’s predicted a big win for UPS employees could change the U.S. business landscape, influencing other companies to unionize, like Amazon.

“Organizing Amazon is important because they serve as an example for other businesses,” said Paff.

McDonald echoed Paff’s sentiment: “We would like to see Amazon and FedEx unionize and show them what that means.” •

“Our governor never stops thinking about and working to drive harder to get to clean energy,” said Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission.

“For energy systems, planning is key,” she said. “The system must to be ready at any time to serve California’s entire energy load at its peak.” Reynolds noted how much electrifying is going on as the state moves away from dependency on fossil fuels.

“We are electrifying massive ports: L.A. and Long Beach, the largest ports in the country,” she said. “We’re electrifying warehouses. We are putting in data centers. We are electrifying truck fleets, airports, stadiums and the activities of 40 million people.”

Even though the state is already years ahead of meeting its benchmarks, Newsom and other clean-energyrelated speakers emphasized it’s critical to build more clean energy capacity faster to meet climate goals.

“We’re moving from aspiration to application,” Newsom said. That includes speeding up the permit process,

Protest...

Continued from page 2 to go talk to the principal. I know some teachers that’s not playing about it. When we started I was thinking about other students, I never knew the teachers were going to step up and be strict about it. One of my favorite teachers, he has the poster up, and he like tells students with the quickness, don’t say that. And he’s not Black; he’s Latino. •

School...

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“The first goal is to increase opportunity, access and utilization of summer program options for our children and families,” said Blackburn-Jiron. “Secondly, we partner internally with school sites in different departments to provide families with full day summer learning options whenever possible.” • but without sacrificing environmental safeguards at the same time.

“We all want to move off fossil fuels,” he said. “We don’t have to be profligate to be progressive.”

Newsom also voiced support for the growth of electric-vehicle-to-grid, bidirectional capabilities. Senate Bill 233 moving through the state Legislature would require electric vehicles to include technology that would allow them to feed electricity back into the grid. If enacted, it would require the change go into effect in 2027.

“This is, quite literally, putting power back into the hands of people,” Newsom said. “Go home, plug in your car and get reimbursed.”

With about 6 million electric vehicles predicted in the state by 2030, officials said they would represent about 6 gigawatts of needed storage.

“These are storage facilities on wheels,” Newsom said. “And all the electric car companies are moving in this direction.” •