California, U.K. Launch $1 Billion Climate Partnership
The deal includes a commitment from the U.K.’s largest energy provider to invest in California’s clean energy infrastructure
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an expanded climate partnership with the U.K., deepening cooperation to tackle climate change and develop clean energy infrastructure.
The deal features a $1 billion commitment from Octopus Energy, the U.K.’s largest electricity supplier, to build and invest in clean energy technology across the state.
“California is the best place in America to invest in a clean economy because we set clear goals and we deliver,” Newsom said in a statement.
The deal is expected to help lower energy bills and create jobs in the clean energy sector, while securing foreign investment for both California and U.K. businesses, according to U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
President Donald Trump slammed the expanded partnership, calling the U.K.’s dealings with Newsom “inappropriate.”
“The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump said in an interview with POLITICO. “Gavin is a loser. Everything he’s touched turns to garbage. His state has gone to hell, and his environmental work is a disaster.”
The deal comes shortly after Newsom visited the U.K., meeting with Miliband and other U.K. leaders to discuss partnerships on climate change, business and trade. The governor also met with Octopus Energy’s CEO at its London headquarters.
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Before that, Newsom attended the Munich Security Conference, where he reiterated California’s commitment to deepening climate partnerships despite resistance from the Trump administration.
“As Donald Trump abandons America’s long-standing allies, California remains at the forefront, leading, partnering, and proving what climate leadership looks like,” Newsom said.
Gov. Newsom’s efforts to combat climate change stand in stark contrast to the Trump administration’s approach, which has moved to roll back environmental regulations under a president who has dismissed global warming as a “giant scam.”
On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency, led by Trump-appointed administrator Lee Zeldin, repealed the scientific determination that gives the government the authority to combat climate change.
The 2009 determination, known as the endangerment finding, states that carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases threaten human health. By repealing the finding, the EPA has significantly curtailed the government’s ability to regulate emissions from pollutants such as cars, power plants and factories.
While the agency’s decision is almost certain to face legal challenges that could reach the Supreme Court, it remains unclear whether the Court’s current conservative majority would uphold a ruling originally issued under a more liberal bench.