{"id":390860,"date":"2025-07-26T18:28:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T16:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=390860"},"modified":"2025-07-26T18:28:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T16:28:29","slug":"california-dems-reportedly-scrambling-to-find-buyer-for-refinery-after-running-owner-out-of-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=390860","title":{"rendered":"California Dems Reportedly Scrambling To Find Buyer For Refinery After Running Owner Out Of Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE DAILY CALLER<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audrey Streb
<\/strong>DCNF Energy Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California Democrats are reportedly rushing to find a buyer for a refinery scheduled to shut down in 2026 as a potential gas crisis looms over the state, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is reportedly actively seeking buyers to stop the upcoming closure<\/a> of the Valero refinery in Benicia, California, according to three people familiar with the matter that spoke to Reuters<\/a>. Democrat officials are now reportedly scrambling to keep the refinery operating in California after enforcing stringent regulations that have helped prompt refineries to close across the state<\/a> for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCEC is engaging with market players to explore pathways for the continued operation of in-state refineries,\u201d the agency told Reuters. (RELATED: Gas Crisis Looms Over California As Dems Continue To Impose Crippling Regs)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEC did not specifically confirm that it is looking for a buyer to Reuters, but did say that it is working to ensure that the refinery stays open. Valero announced its Benicia, California, refinery closure in April, and Phillips 66 refinery is also scheduled<\/a> to shut down by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spokesperson for Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed the DCNF to Newsom\u2019s recent comments<\/a> about working with oil refiners and producers to help keep fuel supplies steady, as well as his April letter<\/a> to CEC urging them to \u201credouble\u201d efforts to cooperate with refiners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden State residents already pay some of the highest prices<\/a> at the pump across the U.S., though two major refineries scheduled for closure<\/a> and strict<\/a> regulations<\/a> may spike gas costs to as high as $8 per gallon as soon as next year, according to one study<\/a> from the University of Southern California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil refineries have been closing<\/a> in California for years, and the state hasn\u2019t seen a new major refinery built in decades, according<\/a> to the CEC. Programs like California\u2019s \u201ccap-and-trade<\/a>\u201d program combined with strict low-carbon fuel standards are contributing to regulatory pressures that are driving refineries out of the state, industry experts have previously<\/a> told the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics like Republican California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones also note<\/a> that stringent regulations imposed by Democrats have pressured refineries to leave the state. The refinery closures, in tandem with more regulations going into effect, have led some California officials to worry<\/a> about a potential gas crisis in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEC and Valero did respond to the DCNF\u2019s requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

California Democrats are reportedly rushing to find a buyer for a refinery scheduled to shut down in 2026 as a potential gas crisis looms over the state, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":390863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"California Democrats rush to find a buyer for a refinery facing closure amid looming gas crisis and strict regulations on oil production.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"California Democrats Rush to Find Buyer for Closing Refinery","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691834769,691829980,691834768,691818155,691836804,691822535],"class_list":["post-390860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-california-democrats","tag-california-energy-commission-cec","tag-democratic-california-gov-gavin-newsom","tag-gas","tag-low-carbon-fuel-standards-2","tag-reuters","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQP69hZs0SsCgRk4zYi3xka7kIHsruWQTTxKP_nkPpnxNFJaoqLv-GmN0ARf9ONDtal4nhX0RQXmjztY9jzGUP4AITKsmoNw7Xo_Y_jJj76jwZLynwjk0kSq-wU7sdzSb5Z7Rh-j47HI7PrdNNwL1PdT4Xw7Nw-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1DGc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":415272,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=415272","url_meta":{"origin":390860,"position":0},"title":"Newsom’s war on fossil fuels is pushing California in a Disaster","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/29\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As California Democratic Gov. 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Gavin Newsom signed a set of energy bills Friday with the goal of lowering energy costs and stabilizing gas supply after years of allowing strict regulations to clamp down on the state\u2019s oil and gas industry.","rel":"","context":"In \"Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom\"","block_context":{"text":"Democratic California Gov. 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Newsom to make gas prices even higher!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"t is the latest instance in which the Governor has successfully taken on the historically powerful industry for putting profits over people. 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