Today Senator Valladares joined her Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to immediately disclose the government programs and unnecessary regulations that are causing energy costs to skyrocket for Californians.
Last year, Governor Newsom directed energy entities to disclose which government programs and regulations are causing inflated energy costs for California customers. The due date for these disclosures has come and gone but the governor has left Californians in the dark about what is causing soaring energy costs.
“Californians have been burdened by excessively high energy costs for far too long, and we deserve transparency about what’s driving these inflated prices,” said Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita). “It’s been 105 days and there is still no update on how we can reduce these cost. The continued lack of information and accountability raises legitimate concerns about the reasons behind our skyrocketing energy prices.”
The letter, signed by nine Republican senators, requests the full disclosure of all analysis and recommendations provided by the governor’s three main energy bureaucracies responsible for crafting and enforcing sometimes costly regulations on California energy producers and consumers. In accordance with Newsom’s October 30, 2024 executive order, those reports were submitted to the governor on January 1, but have not been released to the public nor have any cost-cutting recommendations been enacted.
“Families are paying more to keep their lights on, put food on the table, and do their laundry than ever before,” said Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) who serves as vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications and spearheaded multiple efforts to reign in bureaucrat-imposed hikes in gasoline and utility costs. “Californians can’t afford more policies made ‘for the greater good’ that end up making life even more expensive. I sure think the public deserves to hear what they’ve concocted now.”
Republican lawmakers are hopeful this request will add to the ongoing demands from media and the public to convince the governor to make these records public.
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