An environmental group is calling out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s climate leadership in a six-figure battleground state ad buy which claims his policies in California have “significantly undermined climate progress.”
While running for governor in 2018, Newsom said he would shut down the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in California – the location of the largest methane leak in U.S. history. “I’m fully committed to doing that,” Newsom told a reporter when asked if he would shut down the facility. “The question is how quickly can we do that, but my commitment is to make that happen. We need to be more aggressive than we have been.”
Newsom added that he was “unequivocally” committed to shutting it down, but environmental groups are calling out the governor after allowing the facility to remain open six years later.
Food & Water Action, the political and lobbying arm of Food & Water Watch advocating against climate change, announced on Monday a $100,000 ad buy against Newsom across four battleground states – Nevada, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Michigan.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference where he signed legislation related to oversight of oil and gas wells. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
The ad buy specifically targets Newsom’s leadership on the climate, specifically for not following through on his campaign promise regarding the Aliso Canyon facility.
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“Americans are looking for leadership to resist Trump’s assault on our climate. Someone who follows through and won’t back down,” the ad says. “Gov. Newsom promised to shut down Aliso Canyon, the site of the largest gas blowout in U.S. history. A public health disaster. But his public utilities commission is considering keeping it open indefinitely – just like the oil and gas industry wants. Climate leadership? We’re looking for it.”
However, in a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Daniel Villaseñor, spokesperson for Newsom, said that “the Governor’s energy policy is ambitious, not reckless.”
“We are committed to safely closing Aliso Canyon without harming working families with skyrocketing utility bills,” the spokesperson said. “No governor has done more to accelerate our transition to clean and renewable energy, but it would be irresponsible to close Aliso Canyon before demand for natural gas declines. That’s a recipe for precisely the same price spikes we’ve seen in the gasoline market.”
A woman holds a sign while attending a public hearing on a massive natural gas leak, on Jan. 16, 2016, in Granada Hills, near Porter Ranch, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Villaseñor added that Newsom “wants to see Aliso Canyon phased out, but not at the cost of enormous price increases for working families and our ability to keep the lights on.” The California Public Utilities Commission is planning to meet on Dec. 19 to discuss the future of the facility.
The environmental group claims that Newsom is trying to appear as a climate change champion, but that his record in California suggests otherwise.
“Governor Newsom wants to position himself as a national leader on climate and in opposing Trump, but he can’t be a credible national leader if his own house is not in order,” Mitch Jones, deputy director of Food & Water Action, said in a press release.
“While Newsom has taken some important steps on oil drilling, other policies have significantly undermined climate progress. These include undermining rooftop solar, embracing industry-backed plans like dirty biogas and carbon capture, and failing so far to keep his promise to close Aliso Canyon,” Jones added.
While there is still a push from environmental groups to shut down the facility, it remains California’s largest underground natural gas storage facility and its operation has helped the state avoid potential energy price increases, according to the Energy Information Administration.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a top surrogate for the Biden campaign. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium)
The ads were notably launched in battleground states amid months of speculation that Newsom could potentially launch a presidential bid in 2028.
Newsom was a top surrogate for President Biden during his re-election bid, and was floated as a leading candidate to replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket before the president dropped out of the race.
The governor’s second term in Sacramento will finish at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up.
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