California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a blunt message for those pushing to bring coal power plants back online: “We’re as dumb as we want to be.”
In an interview released Tuesday on PBS’s “Settle In” podcast, the Democratic governor tied the renewed interest in fossil fuels to what he called a failure to connect the dots between climate change and economic pain, according to a clip posted by Breitbart.
‘Climate Risk Is Financial Risk’
Newsom framed the issue in stark financial terms, insisting that “climate risk is financial risk.” As utility companies weigh liability, the governor suggested the costs of inaction are already showing up in unexpected places.
“Look, why are beef prices so high? Drought issues,” Newsom said, pointing to the link between climate-driven drought and rising consumer costs. “No one’s connecting the damn dots, it’s extraordinary to me. It’s actually jaw-dropping that no one’s connecting these damn dots.”
His comments come as some regions and policymakers have floated reopening coal plants to shore up energy supplies, a move Newsom dismissed as shortsighted.
U.N. Data and Clean Energy Leadership
Referencing newly released United Nations figures, Newsom doubled down on his critique. “We’re as dumb as we want to be,” he said. “We know what climate change is, greenhouse gases from burning coal, people are reopening coal plants? Importing oil fuel? Dumb as we want to be.”
Newsom contrasted those efforts with California’s own energy approach, asserting that the state “dominates in clean energy.” The governor has long positioned California as a leader in renewable power, though the state has also relied on natural gas plants during extreme weather events.
The interview was conducted ahead of the release and was first reported by Breitbart, which followed Newsom’s remarks with a link to the podcast episode.
The governor’s comments stop short of naming specific politicians or companies that have proposed reopening coal plants, but they add to his recurring theme that fighting climate change is an economic imperative, not just an environmental one.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/08/newsom-reopening-coal-plants-is-as-dumb-as-we-want-to-be/