California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) must develop an actionable plan to ensure that the state has reliably affordable natural gas for future years ahead, according to a contingent of GOP congressional members.
The California Republican delegation urged Newsom to reverse his anti-energy policies, which they say are leading to rising natural gas prices that eventually will cause hikes in utility costs and gas prices, according to a March 7 letter they sent to the governor.
“Bad energy policies by the State of California have hindered natural gas availability, resulting in the price spike that Californians have experienced this winter,” wrote the nine lawmakers, who included U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Michelle Steel (R-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), and Jay Obernolte (R-CA).
“Oversight and a repeal of bad policy – not temporary one-time credits to win political points or empty letters sent to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. – will be what ultimately improves the situation and prevents it from happening again,” they wrote.
The members pointed out that there are three areas where natural gas utility could be improved across the state and the West: increase natural gas storage and transportation infrastructure, increase opportunities for onshore production on state and private lands, and modify price controls on input and stored assets, according to their letter.
The California GOP members sent the letter in response to one Newsom penned to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in which he asked for an investigation into recent price spiking in the state and whether “market manipulation, anticompetitive behavior, or other anomalous activities are driving these ongoing prices.”
“Spiking natural gas prices are the number one concern I heard from families across CA-23 during my recent town halls,” Rep. Obernolte said. “In some areas of my district, natural gas bills have risen to nearly three times what they were last year.”
California’s state government “must reverse the bad policies that are hindering natural gas availability in our state and work to increase production of natural gas in California to lower prices for these families who desperately need relief,” said Rep. Obernolte.
Rep. Valadao agreed, saying that “countless constituents” have expressed how their monthly energy bills have doubled or in some cases tripled over the last few months.
“Gov. Newsom’s energy policies continue to hinder our ability to produce energy in the state, resulting in increased costs for Central Valley families,” said Rep. Valadao. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in calling on the governor to reverse course on his misguided energy agenda. Increasing our supply of energy is the only long-term solution to lower the price of energy bills for Californians.”
In fact, according to Rep. Garcia, Newsom’s administration has forced out natural gas producers, resulting in 90 percent of the natural gas used in the state being produced elsewhere and brought in.
“This is unsustainable and the governor must take a look in the mirror and realize that he is responsible for the price hike that is hurting so many Californians this winter,” he said. “I’ve personally spoken with companies and providers like SoCalGas to learn more about the root cause of this energy price hike, but now the governor must fix our energy policies so that California families no longer suffer to pay their natural gas bills.”
And while Newsom blames the failures of policies on energy companies, Rep. Steel said her constituents consistently say that “all they want from the government is to stay out of their way. Anti-energy, progressive policies have made the cost of living skyrocket, with no plan to fix the root causes.”
“California’s natural gas price hikes are a direct result of Sacramento’s failed policies that have depleted our energy supply. This is why we have the highest energy costs in the nation,” agreed Rep. Kim. “Californians can see through Gov. Newsom’s blame game. Our state deserves responsible policies that make life affordable and easier.”