Oil Industry

EVgo electric car charging station along Interstate 15 in California desert on the route to Las Vegas.

Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.

April 15, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Single oil derrick on dry prairie with faded blue sky in background.

Do Environmentalists Confuse Oil Production With Oil Demand?

Samantha Gross, the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, argues that the key to reducing emissions is to do the hard work of reducing oil demand rather than focusing on ending U.S. oil drilling.

October 22, 2023 - Brookings Institution

View of vast oil drilling field with black oil derricks near Bakersfield, California

The ‘Necessity of Oil and Gas Drilling’

The California Supreme Court on Aug. 3 unanimously overturned a successful 2016 Monterey County ballot measure that banned new oil and gas drilling. According to plaintiff Chevron USA, the justices recognized the ‘necessity of oil and gas drilling.’

August 7, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oil well pump jack sillhouetted against a colorful sunset sky in California's San Joaquin Valley

Holding Oil Companies Accountable for California's High Fuel Prices

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a first-in-the-nation bill that would penalize California's oil refineries for excessive profits. Will it lower the state's highest-in-the-nation fuel prices?

April 4, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

An oil well is pictured with buildings in the city of Los Angeles in the background.

In Historic Move, L.A. County to Phase Out Oil Wells

The long history of oil extraction in the nation's most populous county is entering its final chapter.

September 17, 2021 - Gizmodo

An oil line extends into Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska.

Judge Halts Controversial Alaska Drilling project

The 'Willow' project would pump 600 million gallons of oil and emit 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the next 30 years.

August 22, 2021 - Inside Climate News

Oil and Gas Extraction

Biden Administration's Energy Hypocrisy Exposed

World Oil, an energy publication, slightly annotated a Bloomberg News article to expose the hypocrisy of the Biden administration: curtailing oil production at home while pushing to increase it abroad.

July 15, 2021 - Bloomberg Quint

Climate Protest

Developer Drops Keystone XL Plans

It's the latest turn of the screw for a project that has depended on the occupant in the White House.

June 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Louisiana

State Legislation Would Make Louisiana a 'Fossil Fuel Sanctuary State'

A Louisiana state legislator who is also the owner of oil company has proposed several laws that would remove regulations for the oil industry, including one that would prevent the local and state regulation of oil and gas companies.

May 13, 2021 - The Guardian

Oil field and houses in Signal Hill, California

Your Not-So-Friendly Neighborhood Oil Well

Much of California's oil and gas extraction takes place in residential neighborhoods, posing significant health risks to entire communities.

April 29, 2021 - Yale Environment 360

Fracking

The End of New Hydraulic Fracking Permits in California Would Still be a Half Measure

As part of a series of dramatic environmental announcements in September, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised to work with legislators to end new hydraulic fracking permits in California.

October 1, 2020 - Palm Springs Desert Sun

Bears Ears National Monument

President's Record on Conservation Criticized

President Trump has weakened protections for 35 million acres of public land, despite repeating his intentions to surpass the model for conservation set by President Teddy Roosevelt.

May 27, 2020 - Center for American Progress

Fracking

Gov. Newsom's Phase-out of Oil Production Prompts Backlash in Kern County

Almost 80% of oil extraction in the nation's sixth largest oil-producing state occurs in Kern County. Supervisors see the California governor's climate plan to reduce oil production as a threat to the county's economic well-being.

December 17, 2019 - The Bakersfield Californian

Oil Rigs

Just What the Planet Needs: More Oil Production

A surge of oil from four countries—Norway, Guyana, Canada and Brazil—will more than compensate for slowing growth of U.S. oil production. The new sources might cause oil prices to dip to $50 a barrel and slow the transition to electric vehicles.

November 6, 2019 - The New York Times

corn field in polk county iowa

Summertime Ethanol Restriction Lifted to Help Corn Farmers—But at What Cost?

President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.

June 14, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Washington, D.C.

New Secretary Confirmed at the U.S. Department of the Interior

The politics of the Department of the Interior under the Trump administration aren't likely to change, but new Secretary David Bernhardt is distinguishable from his predecessor thanks to a long history of oil industry lobbying.

April 12, 2019 - Vox

Gas and Oil Company

Royal Dutch Shell: Big Oil with a Conscience?

Big Oil companies are not all alike. Royal Dutch Shell is the first one to part ways with a major oil industry trade group over differences on climate change. It's also linking executive pay to goals to reduce the company's carbon footprint.

April 5, 2019 - The Washington Post

Oil Rig

At World Oil Conference, No One Questioned Climate Change Science

During the CERAWeek conference held earlier in Houston, oil companies were not of one mind when it came to the future of their industry, with some saying transportation will be electrified while others maintained oil will continue to dominate.

March 22, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Car Production Line

Auto Industry Reluctant to Support Trump Plan to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards

The auto industry appears to be balking at supporting the Trump administration's plan to freeze vehicle emission standards at 2020 levels even though they initially asked Trump to loosen the rigorous Obama-era fuel efficiency rule that goes to 2026.

March 10, 2019 - The Washington Post

Gas Station 7-Eleven

Who's Advocating Rolling Back Fuel Economy Standards?

Conventional thinking is that the auto industry, wanting to sell more fuel-gulping SUVs, are pushing for weaker fuel economy standards, but Hiroko Tabuchi, climate reporter for The New York Times, exposes Big Oil's stealth campaign.

December 17, 2018 - The New York Times

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