Thank you to Nick Welsh for keeping us apprised of the twists and turns in the Sable Offshore Corp. saga, including their latest threat to haul oil on barges.
However, his reference to the “specter of high gas prices” is a misleading idea, a scare tactic used by the proponents of drilling in our state.
Sable and their supporters tell us that as refineries close, the supply of gasoline will not meet demand, causing costs to rise.
The fact is that demand for petroleum products in California continues to decline, due to increased sales of electric cars and greater efficiency in gas cars. Refineries are closing due to declining demand for gasoline, not a lack of oil.
It appears that Governor Newsom has bought into this false narrative, as evidenced by the legislation he introduced and signed into law to increase close to 2,000 new wells in Kern County.
Drilling in California does not lower the cost at the pump. Our conventional, easy-to-access oil is played out, so getting the oil out of the ground requires processes that are more polluting and more expensive than conventional methods.
If the governor is concerned about the price of gasoline, he should push for electrification and other policies that reduce demand. Instead of blaming those of us who work toward a future of increased wind and solar, he should look to the oil industry’s opposition to policies supporting transition to EVs. Their concerted opposition and lobbying might cause high gas prices by propping up demand that could be lower without their push to fatten their wallets.
I applaud Newsom standing up to Trump on many issues — but will he cave on the “Drill Baby Drill” issue of offshore oil?
