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On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom directed his administration to take steps to phase out oil and gas drilling in one of the country’s top oil-producing states by 2045, as well as to prohibit new fracking permits within three years.
Environmental activists and progressive politicians have put pressure on Newsom, claiming that oil and gas extraction is incompatible with California’s goals of reducing fossil fuel use and combating climate change.
In a statement, Newsom said, “I’ve made it clear that I don’t see fracking playing a role in that future.” “California, too, must move beyond oil,” says the author.
Since the 1980s, California’s oil production has been steadily declining, owing in part to strict environmental regulations. However, according to government data, Texas is the seventh-largest crude oil producer in the United States, the second-largest oil consumer, and home to a tenth of the country’s refining capacity.
California has some of the most aggressive climate change policies in the country, with a goal of banning gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
The oil and gas industry, as well as some politicians, criticised the governor’s announcement, claiming that it would harm drilling-dependent jobs and communities.
“We will fight this harmful and unlawful mandate,” said the Western States Petroleum Association in a statement.
Newsom has directed the Geologic Energy Management Division, the state’s oil and gas regulator, to start a process that will end the issuance of hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024. According to the California Department of Conservation, fracking accounts for only 2% of oil extraction.
In addition, the governor stated that the California Air Resources Board, which is responsible for drafting the state’s climate change policies, will consider how to phase out oil and gas extraction by 2045.
