SACRAMENTO, California — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said Wednesday that he concurs with a key part of President Donald Trump’s national AI policy plan: making sure there is enough energy to power the demands of the technology, vital for Silicon Valley.
“One thing the Trump administration has highlighted that I agree with is the emphasis on global competitiveness and the importance of energy supply,” the moderate Democrat said at POLITICO’s inaugural California policy summit.
“Frankly, California has been, in my view, not friendly enough to growth and investment in recent decades, and that’s something we’re trying to change in San Jose.”
Mahan is no stranger to bucking California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and other establishment figures in the state. Most recently, he created daylight between the governor’s dismissal of Bed, Bath & Beyond leaving the state due to perceived overregulation, echoing a critique of California’s business climate that is more often lodged by Republicans.
