BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The three-day 2022 California Economic Summit is being held in Bakersfield this weekend, and on Friday, the second day of the summit, California Governor Gavin Newsom decided to pay a last-minute surprise visit.
He spoke to the summit, drawing attention and objections to his ideas about where Kern County stands in the transition to clean energy.
“I’m not naïve,” said Newsom. “Change is difficult, but we’re in the change business. California has long been in the future business.”
The California Economic Summit hosted the governor today to hear from Sacramento about Kern County’s impact on energy in the state.
“You’re doing it,” Newsom said of Kern. “This county, this community. You’re dominating. You’re a global leader in this transition already.”
Kern County is the number one producer of oil in the state of California, and 7th in the country overall. In addition, 60 percent of California’s renewable energy also comes from Kern County.
According to the governor, the county’s transition to clean energy is a key part of California’s economic growth.
“We see the economic growth of your transition already,” said Newsom. “It allows us to lay claim to the status, which you may have seen, as the fourth larges economy in the world.”
Newsom also pledged state financial support for Kern County’s continued transition to clean energy production.
“We put in the budget this year the opportunity for the county of Kern if they can prove the economic impacts of the transition in a deletorious way, meaning they’re having an impact on your ability to support your general fund and other services, the state will backfill that impact.”
While Newsom praised Kern County’s energy efforts, his presence spurred mixed reactions.
Bakersfield City Council Member for Ward 2 Andrae Gonzales was inspired and encouraged by the governor’s decision to take part in the summit.
“Well, I think more than anything, the fact is the governor came to Bakersfield today speaks volumes,” said Gonzales, adding, “I think it really provides a lot of leadership, and frankly that’s what we need right now to address both the global climate challenge that we face globally, and also the regional challenge and crisis we are facing with our key industries being threatened by Sacramento.”
California Assemblymember for the 34th District Vince Fong was not nearly as impressed by the governor’s visit.
“How long was the governor here? The governor was in Bakersfield for 20 minutes,” said Fong. “The governor swooping in and swooping out, it’s not a real discussion. He has to have that debate, that dialogue, with the people here in Kern County that make food every single day and that make energy every single day.”
