TOPICS:
Gavin Newsom’s Apology Tour
Sep 02, 2025 / Written by: Gary Isbell
A Twist of Fate in California’s Oil Debate
After years of posturing as a progressive climate advocate and enemy of Big Oil, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom now faces an awkward pivot away from climate hysteria. He is trying to lure oil companies back to his eco-fanatical state.
What triggered his change of heart was when two major oil refineries in California announced their closures. Suddenly, the state faced an energy security crisis as fossil fuel shortages loomed on the horizon.
Gov. Newsom has a long history of attacking the oil industry. For example, he once alleged that “For more than 50 years, Big Oil has been lying to us – covering up the fact that they’ve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet. It has been decades of damage and deception. Wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells. California taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill. California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable."1
Under his leadership, California has filed a lawsuit against Big Oil. The state accuses major fossil fuel companies—including ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 and the American Petroleum Institute—of misleading the public about their involvement in an unproven climate crisis while making huge profits.
California aims to hold these corporations accountable by requiring them to fund climate adaptation projects through an abatement fund. The lawsuit was expanded in 2024 to include disgorgement of profits that the companies allegedly earned illegally.
Gov. Newsom’s passionate rhetoric against Big Oil’s exploitive profits is now left aside. He has come full circle by asking the same companies to initiate in-state oil drilling and refining. He frames the issue differently by saying that the new investments will assure a smooth transition to sustainability.
For decades, California has been on a crusade against fossil fuels, championing a future powered by clean energy. The state’s relationship with oil companies grew especially bitter over the last two years, with Gov. Gavin Newsom leading legislative crackdowns on what he called “price gouging at the pump.”
But in a twist of irony, the state’s green ambitions appear to be outpacing its reality. Two of its last fuel refineries are set to close ahead of schedule, dropping a ticking time bomb into the laps of state officials. With forecasts now pointing to a future where gasoline will reach a staggering $8 per gallon, a surprising change of heart is rippling through the state Capitol. Led by the very same governor who once accused oil companies of abusing consumers, California now seems poised to embrace its black gold once again.
In addition to this, discussions are now underway to ease permitting processes for drilling in Kern County. Other measures that have been neglected for a long time are starting to be considered again in hopes of bringing oil companies back.
Liberals are furious with his betrayal. However, the situation is dire in California. The closures of Phillips 66 and Valero refineries mean a loss of a fifth of the state’s gasoline refining capacity. Moreover, California’s fragile fuel system is isolated from the rest of the country, and therefore cannot compensate for reduced supply. As a result, gas prices are spiking, causing political fallout that Democrats, especially Gov. Newsom, are rushing to head off before the next election cycle.
The governor’s moment of epiphany has nothing to do with climate change and everything to do with holding on to power. Liberals often support radical agendas until reality, such as high gas prices, forces them to show a bit of common sense.
His pivot raises important questions about the costs and tactics of decarbonization. In their zeal for sustainability, eco-friendly officials are chasing oil companies out of state without having a well-thought-out plan to replace petroleum products. This tension reveals the clash between a fanatical agenda and sensible governance.
For the oil industry, this moment presents a golden opportunity. Companies like Chevron, claiming California has become “uninvestable,” now have leverage to influence environmental policies in the state. Some see Newsom’s revised stance as validation that fossil fuel supply remains essential amid what was seen as a smooth transition to decarbonize by eliminating petroleum altogether.
This saga shows how woke policies clash with economic realities and market forces. If the world suddenly stopped using oil, modern civilization would quickly collapse. Transportation would grind to a halt, power grids would fail spectacularly, factories would fall silent, and agriculture would struggle to produce enough food to feed billions.
California is finding out the hard way that its woke war on oil is a battle it is sure to lose.
Footnote:
