{"id":427427,"date":"2026-02-22T17:41:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T16:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427427"},"modified":"2026-02-22T17:41:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T16:41:51","slug":"california-importing-foreign-fuel-after-running-refineries-out-of-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427427","title":{"rendered":"California Importing Foreign Fuel After Running Refineries Out of Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

\"Daily<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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

California imported a record amount of gasoline in November after major refinery closures tied to years of Golden State leaders imposing strict regulations, Bloomberg News reported Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 40% of imported gasoline to California hailed from the Bahamas, with Asian nations like Japan and India contributing additional volume, Bloomberg News noted<\/a>, citing data from Vortexa. California politicians have imposed<\/a> harsh regulations on the oil and gas industry for years, enacting America\u2019s highest tax<\/a> on gasoline and implementing a cap-and-trade program for emissions that some<\/a> policy<\/a> experts<\/a> have linked to rising energy costs in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state has the most expensive gas prices in the nation, at $4.58 a gallon \u2014 standing in contrast with the national average of $2.92 a gallon \u2014 according to the most recent AAA data<\/a>. Bloomberg News reported that added shipping expenses are further burdening California\u2019s already costly gas market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two major refineries are also closing shop in California, with Phillips 66 winding down<\/a> its California refinery, while Valero is set to shutter<\/a> its Benicia facility and record<\/a> a $1 billion write-down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cValero didn\u2019t walk away from California lightly. It paid more than a billion dollars to leave. When a major refinery operator chooses a billion-dollar write-down over continued operation, that\u2019s a clear indictment of California\u2019s regulatory environment,\u201d CEO of the American Energy Institute Jason Isaac told the Daily Caller News Foundation. \u201cShutting down a refinery that supplies nearly 9 percent of the state\u2019s gasoline while demand still exists is not a transition strategy, it\u2019s a self-inflicted supply shock. The predictable result is higher prices, greater volatility, and increased dependence on foreign fuel. Californians will feel the consequences every time they fill up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(RELATED: Gas Crisis Looms Over California As Dems Continue To Impose Crippling Regs)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloomberg News reported that the Bahamian trade route is now a crucial part of California\u2019s strained supply chain, with two tankers carrying gasoline arriving from the Bahamas in 2026 so far. In 2025, California imported more gasoline from the Bahamas than it had in the nine preceding years combined, according to Bloomberg News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gasoline imports fell from their January pinnacle, which came as Phillips 66 began winding down<\/a> operations, Bloomberg News reported. The publication also noted that a lack of interstate pipelines are contributing to California\u2019s affordability woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GasBuddy\u2019s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, told Bloomberg News that the refinery closures are set to spike gas costs by another 5 to 15 cents a gallon. De Haan also told Bloomberg News that California requires a specific grade of gasoline blendstock that some Asian nations are equipped to supply to the Golden State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impending refinery closures have led some state regulators to moderate their stance, according to Bloomberg News, and Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom noted that he is working with<\/a> the refineries regarding the potential gas crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile others point fingers to spread fear and divide us, California is doing the actual work\u2014collaborating with industry, using data and transparency to protect consumers, and building the all-of-the-above energy future America needs,\u201d Newsom said in January. \u201cWe\u2019re in ongoing discussions with Valero to evaluate options for continued operations at the Benicia refinery and I appreciate the company planning responsibly, including planning for imports of refined products to supply the market in the meantime.\u201d<\/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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

California imported a record amount of gasoline in November after major refinery closures tied to years of Golden State leaders imposing strict regulations, Bloomberg News reported Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":427430,"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":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","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":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691833377,691818068,691824074,691828434,691821055,691831091,691818069],"class_list":["post-427427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bloomberg-news","tag-california","tag-california-governor-gavin-newsom","tag-climate-economics","tag-climate-politics","tag-fuel-refining","tag-gas-prices","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-California.jpg?fit=1440%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1NbZ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":430876,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=430876","url_meta":{"origin":427427,"position":0},"title":"California\u2019s Looming Fuel Crisis: Refiners Are Trying to Warn the State","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/13\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"California is steadily dismantling the fuel infrastructure that keeps its economy running. At the same time, demand for that fuel remains enormous. That mismatch is now reaching a point where the companies actually producing the fuel are beginning to issue increasingly blunt warnings.","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/California1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/California1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/California1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/California1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/California1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":438090,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=438090","url_meta":{"origin":427427,"position":1},"title":"The California Refinery Crisis is a national security risk for America","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/08\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"California transportation fuel demands are among the highest in the nation and are now beginning to be imported from refineries in foreign countries. The State will be importing transportation fuels from foreign based refineries to run its 30 military airports and 9 international airports \u2013 a National Security risk for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201cEnergy Island\u201d\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201cEnergy Island\u201d","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy-island"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/00-The-California-Refinery-Crisis-is-a-national-security-risk-for-America.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/00-The-California-Refinery-Crisis-is-a-national-security-risk-for-America.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/00-The-California-Refinery-Crisis-is-a-national-security-risk-for-America.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/00-The-California-Refinery-Crisis-is-a-national-security-risk-for-America.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/00-The-California-Refinery-Crisis-is-a-national-security-risk-for-America.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":444222,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=444222","url_meta":{"origin":427427,"position":2},"title":"The California Refinery Crisis is a National Security Risk for America","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/14\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"California's refinery situation represents a significant vulnerability that extends beyond state-level economics to broader U.S. energy security and military readiness. 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From Watts Up With That? Governor Newsom directives increase California\u2019s dependency on foreign crude oil to support the State\u2019s international and military airports, and shipping terminals. Published November 7,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"41 Military Airports\"","block_context":{"text":"41 Military Airports","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=41-military-airports"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-302.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-302.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-302.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-302.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":262667,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=262667","url_meta":{"origin":427427,"position":5},"title":"California\u2019s emissions regulatory death spiral","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/18\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I just got back from a 2-hour lunch with one of the guys who serves on working groups and committees of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and he shared his frustrations working with these agencies.","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00HOOTY.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00HOOTY.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00HOOTY.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00HOOTY.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00HOOTY.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=427427"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427432,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427427\/revisions\/427432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/427430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=427427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=427427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=427427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}