Today, Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) issued the following statement in response to the latest oil moratorium announcement. Under the directive of Governor Newsom, the Department of Conservation announced several new actions which include a moratorium on new permits for steam-injected oil drilling in California. This extraction method is crucial for the oil industry in Kern County.
“California’s thirst for oil will not reduce a single barrel by this policy, but as a result we will import more foreign oil and export California's cash. We are a world leader in environmental policy and regulate the oil industry like no other state or country. Those strict regulations are in place to ensure the safety of all operations and that environmental responsibility is held to the highest standard.
“Today’s announcement simply means the Golden State will rely on more of our oil supply shipped in from foreign countries whose environmental policies and humanitarian treatment are far below California’s standards. The Democrats and the governor’s ideological policies will fail to protect our environment and not benefit our economy.
“Furthermore, the bulk of Kern County’s new oil production will be severely impacted by this policy, as well as future capital investment by the producers. If those producers cannot confidently invest in this area, then they will invest elsewhere. The reduction in capital investment will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the next twelve months,” said Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove.
The Fresno Bee recently published an op-Ed titled “A truly green energy policy would support oil production in California” which is jointly co-authored by Senator Grove and Taft Mayor Dave Noerr.