California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks on during a bill signing event related to redrawing the state’s congressional maps on Aug. 21, 2025. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
"The SAME man who’s been pushing for overpriced, unreliable, environmentally catastrophic offshore wind."
Gabriella Hoffman, director of the Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy and Conservation, told Fox News Digital that new offshore oil and gas projects "should be explored in California" and that the projects are "safe" and "have a minimal environmental footprint due to improved technology and increased safety measures."
"California is considered an oil island, despite having plentiful onshore and offshore recoverable oil reserves," Hoffman said. "Governor Newsom purports to hate oil and gas, yet 60% of California’s petroleum is imported from foreign nations including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Guyana. That's unsettling, but a natural consequence of forcing a 100% transition to renewables."
Newsom was the most prominent American official to attend the COP30 global climate conference in Belém, Brazil, this week — using the platform to criticize the absent Trump administration.
The White House mocked the trip, noting California’s continued rank among the highest in U.S. energy costs.
3 REASONS CALIFORNIA’S GREEN ENERGY CAMPAIGN IS DYING ON THE VINE
President Donald Trump walks from the Oval Office to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House en route to Florida, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Ultimately, Newsom’s climate policies, according to Hoffman, "invited energy scarcity in the Golden State."
"California has the second-highest electricity rates after Hawaii. Californians also pay the highest gas tax rate of any U.S. state," Hoffman said. "If two oil refineries close by 2026, California residents will soon pay $8 per gallon at the gas pump. That's unsustainable.
"California's energy crisis is entirely self-inflicted. New offshore oil and gas projects, along with new nuclear, geothermal, and natural gas, can reduce energy prices and make the Golden State energy independent once again."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Interior for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsom-vows-block-trumps-reported-energy-plan-california-experts-push-back