In an interview with CNBC, Californian Governor Gavin Newsom talked about how the state had added 4,000 megawatts of clean energy to its grid over the last two years, which is why it narrowly avoided rolling blackouts during the record electrical demand California is having this summer.
Newsom, of course, blamed the energy demand on hot weather, as people use more air-conditioning during the summer months:
"That only reinforces that we've got to not just keep up, we've got to jump ahead of Mother Nature, and move this transition forward more aggressively," Newsom said. "And we are committed to do that."
Then he proceeded to mock his political opponents, especially Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, because they "wished" blackouts had occurred.
"They want to kill our green energy transition. They want to double down on stupid and continue to drill and actually do more damage."
The media has been full of references to California's "record breaking temperatures." The Washington Post says that the West has never seen a heatwave like this.
No, I'm sorry.
The headline reads, "No September on record in the West has seen a heat wave like this."
The "September" part of the headline is important.
Just a quick jaunt through recent Californian temperature records shows that 1999 was a way worse year – at least in June, July, and August.
Historically, California is known for its record heat. The hottest day in history was recorded in 1913 in California's Death Valley, predating climate change hysteria by a century. Temperatures hit 139 degrees.
Then, in the summer of 2001, California saw 154 consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher, and one can imagine that extreme would cause some rolling blackouts – and it did.
The past couple of weeks of high-ish temperatures is pretty moderate in comparison.
So, why is there a record strain on the grid?
I think we all know the answer to that.
Over the last 20 years, California has gone from around 5,000 electric cars to having 1,214,516 electric cars.
And with California's new plan to end the sales of anything but electric cars over the next decade, replacing all 14.2 million vehicles in the state, you can bet that the grid will have trouble staying ahead of the rolling blackouts that are coming.
But don't worry. California has a plan for that too.
They're working with manufacturers to take the electricity back out of electric cars and add it to the grid whenever they need it.
Can you imagine waking up for work after your Tesla charged all night during a heatwave just to find that the city syphoned off your electricity?
But they'll compensate you at $2 per kWh.
What a mess that state has become.
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
