What’s Stopping California’s Clean Energy Revolution?

Progressive voters want clean energy — yes, even in their own backyards. Why is California still struggling to transition to renewables?

Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash.

“What the Hell Happened to the California of the 50s and 60s?” wondered Ezra Klein for the New York Times last week. “Gavin Newsom wants to build. Not everyone is on board.”

In a lengthy sit-down with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Klein revealed some of the ire felt by the state’s top executive.

“By the time I talked to Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, he was clearly frustrated,” began Ezra Klein for the Times.

“‘This is ridiculous,” Klein quoted the complaints of Gov. Newsom. “These guys write reports and they protest. But we need to build. You can’t be serious about climate and the environment without reforming permitting and procurement in this state.”

“I watched as a mayor and then a lieutenant governor and now governor as years became decades on high-speed rail,” Newsom raged on. “People are losing trust and confidence in our ability to build big things. People look at me all the time and ask, ‘What the hell happened to the California of the 50s and 60s?”

“It hurts to get hammered by your friends,” allowed Ezra Klein. “And that’s what’s happening to Newsom. More than 100…