Dan Crenshaw praises California Dem who says 'lofty green energy goals' hurt working families
Crenshaw said Jim Cooper was 'lone Dem assemblyman in California speaking out for working-class families'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, had some words of praise for a California Democrat who warned the state's aggressive climate change policies could ultimately hurt working families and communities of color.
"Let me say it again, working-families should not bear the burden of California’s lofty green energy goals," Democratic Assemblyman Jim Cooper tweeted on Saturday. "These policies benefit mostly the wealthy and well-off and leave communities of color to foot the bill. It is wrong and it needs to change."
Cooper represents Elk Grove, which is located in central California, just to the South of Sacramento.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Crenshaw lauded Cooper on Wednesday as the "lone Democrat assemblyman in California speaking out for working-class families as yet another insane policy comes from the top: banning gas vehicles by 2035."
"Like most Dem climate bills, this policy makes rich liberals feel good while suffocating the working class," he continued.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a blog post for Cal Matters, Cooper blamed the state's shift from fossil fuels like natural gas to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power for the rolling blackouts that affected thousands this summer.
Although California has endured planned blackouts in recent years as a prevention measure against wildfires, it was the Golden State's first time it had blackouts related to supply in close to 20 years.
The push toward renewable energy, he said, is hurting the state's residents in the Central Valley and inland region, where a disproportionate number live in poverty.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"For Central Valley and inland region residents, the push toward renewable energy is adding to their struggle," Cooper wrote.
He added: "California policy leaders have displayed a lack of empathy for residents struggling in a state with one of the highest poverty levels in the nation. Blue-collar, middle-class families should not be punished by energy policies. Their requests for support should be heeded and responded too appropriately."
It's still unclear what exactly caused the blackouts and the power supply shortage.
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While some like Cooper pointed fingers at California's use of unreliable wind and solar power for the shortage, Edward Randolph, the California Public Utilities Commission’s deputy executive director for energy and climate policy, said that was not the case.
“Clean energy and reliability are not conflicting goals,” he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The assemblyman's comments came just a few days before California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that mandates all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. While progressives applauded Newsom's decision, Cooper said the move wouldn't benefit many average Californians.
“Today the GOV announced a plan to move to all EV’s by 2035,” he wrote. “I, too, believe we must cut emissions to combat climate change. That’s why I’ve run bills to increase rebates for low-income residents to buy EV’s. But we know @AirResources regs benefit the well-off, not my constituents.’’