GILLIAN: CHRISTINA COLEMAN, STAY
SAFE, LELAND.
LELAND: MR. MAYOR, WE APPRECIATE
YOU FOR BEING WAS.
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH NO PART OF
CALIFORNIA IS SAFE FROM THIS AND
CRITICS OF THE POLICIES OUT
THERE WILL SAY IT’S ALL
PREVENTIBLE WITH CONTROLLED
BURNS AND LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
POLICIES, IS THAT A FAIR
CRITICISM?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY WE ENGAGE IN
CONTROL BURN IN FOREST AREAS,
TODAY IN FACT, LAST YEAR THE
HORRIBLE FIRE OVER PARADISE,
FOREST MANAGEMENT DID ENGAGE IN
CONTROL BURNTS BUT 19 TIMES MORE
FORESTS IS CONTROLLED BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN CALIFORNIA
THAN BY STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT SO IF THERE’S GOING
TO BE CONTROLLED BURN ACTIVITY
AND BETTER MANAGEMENT IT REALLY
NEEDS TO START WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
LELAND: UNDERSTANDABLE THAT ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT’S MAKING THIS
SO MUCH HARDER AND MAKING IT SO
MUCH WORSE IS THE HEAT WAVE
THAT’S TAKING OVER SO MUCH OF
CALIFORNIA.
THAT’S ALSO THE HEAT WAVE ALSO
LEADING TO BLACKOUTS THROUGHOUT
CALIFORNIA AND THERE’S A LOT OF
DISCUSSION THAT THE REASON OF
THOSE BLACKOUTS IS BECAUSE OF
THE PUSH FOR GREEN ENERGY IN
CALIFORNIA, MEANS THERE’S SIMPLY
NOT ENOUGH BACKUP POWER OF COAL
AND NATURAL GAS TO FEED THE
GRID.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN
BLACKOUTS DURING THE STATE.
HERE IS WHAT ONE RESIDENT HAD TO
SAY ABOUT THE BLACKOUTS, TAKE A
LISTEN.
>> WE TRY TO SLEEP IN THE
BACKYARD AND, OF COURSE, WE HAD
OUR LITTLE THUNDERSTORM ON
SATURDAY NIGHT WHICH DIDN’T HELP
ANYTHING AT ALL, SO IT WAS JUST
SWEAT AND GRIM.
LELAND: CALIFORNIA WANTS TO BE
100% RENEWABLE, SOME DON’T HAVE
RELIABLE POWER, TIME TO RETHINK
ALL OF THAT?
>> WELL, THE BLACKOUTS THAT WE
HAD IN SAN JOSÉ, IN MY CITY,
MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION
RESIDENTS SUFFERED FROM THIS
BLACKOUT IN A CITY OF A MILLION,
NONE OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH
SUPPLY OF ENERGY AND
INTERROGATING BLACKOUTS, ALL OF
THEM HAD TO DO WITH INADEQUATE
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT PG&E IS
FAILING TO REPLACE.
THAT’S A CORPORATE DECISION THAT
NEEDS TO BE MADE TO INVEST IN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENSURE
THERE’S RELIABILITY.
IN MY CITY WE HAVE A MUCH HIGHER
RATE OF USE OF RENEWABLE THAN IN
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BECAUSE WE
HAVE COMMUNITY CHOICE ENERGY
PROGRAM AND, IN FACT, WE HAVE
NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH
SUPPLY.
LELAND: PG&E IS NOT BEEN HAVING
A GOOD COUPLE OF YEARS, HAVE
THEY, SIR?
>> NO, SIR.
LELAND: LAST QUESTION FOR YOU,
YOU TALK ABOUT RENEWABLE AND
SUPPLY ISN’T THE ISSUE BUT
INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE ISSUE,
THERE SEEMS TO BE LARGER ISSUE
IN CALIFORNIA THAT’S LEADING THE
WAY IN GREEN ENERGY, BUT YOU’RE
HAVING BLACKOUTS, YOU DON’T
THINK THAT THE REGULATIONS HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT?
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT
REGULATORS COULD BE DOING A MUCH
BETTER JOB AND WE NEED TO BE
DOING MORE INVESTING IN ENERGY
STORAGE IN PARTICULAR TO ENSURE
THAT WE HAVE RELIABLE ENERGY AND
OBVIOUSLY MORE RESILIENT ENERGY
SOURCES.
LELAND: THE STORAGE RIGHT NOW IS
EXPENSIVE.
IT WOULD BE CHEAPER IF YOU FIRE
UP COAL PLANT, ISN’T IT?
>> IT COMES IN FORM OF CLIMATE
CHANGE AND YOU SEE HIM PACT WITH
DRYING OF VEGETATION AND CITIES
LIKE MIAMI THEY SEE IMPACT WITH
RISING WATER LEVELS IN THE
STREETS OF THEIR CITY.
THIS IS A VERY COSTLY PATH IF WE
WANT TO CONTINUE GO DOWN THE
PATH OF OIL AND GAS.
LELAND: FORMER GOVERNOR THERE
SOMETIMES KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON
AND ALSO FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
IS OCCASIONALLY IN OPPOSITION OF
EACH OTHER.
MAYOR, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME
AND GLAD YOU TOOK SOME OF IT AS
YOU’RE FIGHTING THE FIRES OUT
THEREMENT GOD SPEED TO YOU AND
THE FIREFIGHTERS OUT THERE.
>> THANK YOU AND WE ARE GRATEFUL
FOR THE THOUSANDS OF