John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Representative Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) is speaking out about possible cuts to clean energy programs and funding. He represents the Central Coast.
He says reductions could mean the loss of local jobs and a negative impact on the economy.
Carbajal gathered leaders from local labor unions, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and others to share how recent federal actions could affect local jobs.
He is targeting President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Carbajal believes the bill “will gut clean energy investments, raise energy costs for consumers, and wipe out thousands of jobs. This reckless legislation guts clean energy investments, raises energy costs, and wipes out high-quality jobs.”
“They call it one big, beautiful bill. But we all know that it’s one big, ugly bill and an assault on the American people,” he said.
The Trump administration has not been favorable to many wind turbine and solar panel projects in the U.S. Executive orders this year limit new solar and wind projects across the country.
The administration is promoting energy production from other sources, including oil, natural gas, and coal. This issue was part of Trump’s campaign platform.
President Trump wrote this week:
“Any State that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS. THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!”
Carbajal said, “Just last month, the Trump administration revoked approval of millions of acres of ocean that was set aside for offshore wind development.”
California has looked to these projects for new energy and jobs.
Jeremy Goldberg, Central Coast Labor Council director, said, “As we continue to work towards state electrification and clean energy goals, we need scalable green energy sources like wind, solar, and hydrogen.”
There has also been an effort to expand vocational training to help workers transition from one job skill to another in the green energy sector.
Em Johnson with the Community Environmental Council said, “This administration’s rollbacks, from clean car standards to renewable energy incentives, are destabilizing one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy.”
Joshua Medrano of the Tri-County Building and Construction Trades Council of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties said, “Hands off our jobs. Bottom line! We have always been on the forefront of technology, clean energy, and renewable resources, and labor has always been at the forefront of providing a skilled and trained labor force.”
Former State Assemblyman and past County Supervisor Das Williams is now working on clean energy projects as Senior Advisor of Policy and Legislative Affairs for Central Coast Community Energy. He said, “Fewer projects in the pipeline with more energy demand means higher prices for everybody. It’s going to hurt the economy.”
Williams added that energy bills will rise under the plan and urged the public to fight back by supporting energy projects while they can. He noted that rebates and discounts on electric vehicles will soon run out, with the deadline at the end of September.
Carbajal returns to Washington in just over a week.
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