SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a new plan to reduce reliance on the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility in Southern California.

Aliso Canyon must be closed for good, but without harming working families with skyrocketing utility bills. Reducing reliance on the facility has gone slower than I would like, but the Public Utilities Commission - a constitutionally independent agency - has set out a reasonable path that protects residents near the facility and doesn’t throw the natural gas market into chaos.

It would be reckless and irresponsible to burden working families with enormous price increases, all with no guarantee of being able to keep the lights on. By setting new triggers based on natural gas demand, as the Commission did today, California is clear-eyed about what needs to happen before closing Aliso Canyon. 

To the communities surrounding Aliso Canyon, I hear you. Your safety is paramount. That’s why the state has worked extensively with our local and federal partners to ensure the facility is safe with new protocols and rigorous testing. 

Our state is moving away from fossil fuels and toward clean and renewable energy. We’ve done more than any administration in history. But there’s more work to do, including closing Aliso Canyon once and for all. Together, we can get it done. - Governor Gavin Newsom