News Releases

California Oil Refiners’ Gasoline Profit Margin Hit 97 cents Per Gallon in April, Retail Refining Margin Is $1.02

June 24, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – As oil refiners make a case in Sacramento for a bailout, new data published by the California Energy Commission shows oil refiners...

CW To Big Three: NY Times Investigation Reveals East Coast Regional Grid Disaster And Shows Need To Shelve Western Regional Grid Plans In SB 540 

June 10, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA —  Consumer Watchdog wrote to Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders today pointing out a new New York Times investigation (opens in new tab) about the failure...

CA Regional Electricity Deregulation Ramrods Through CA Senate Despite Concerns About Trump, Oversight And Costs;  GOP Senator Calls It “Big Beautiful Bill” 

June 5, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – In a bipartisan ramrod, reminiscent of the vote over the first electricity deregulation bill in 1996, the California Senate approved legislation allowing for...

Refining Industry Profiteering and Misinformation Revealed At Oversight Hearing 

May 29, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – At a California Assembly oversight hearing, state regulators revealed new data showing that oil refiners feeding branded stations have made a killing from...

CA Oil Refiners Profit Margins Tick Up In February As They Exploit Refinery Outage To Make More Profits

May 13, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

New data posted by the California Energy Commission shows oil refiners making an average 80 cents per gallon in gross refining margins from the sale...

Failure To Disclose Ties To Saudi Arabia On Paper Advocating Loopholes For Refiners And Oil Producers Is A Violation of USC’s Conflict Of Interest Code, Watchdog Says

May 8, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog president Jamie Court wrote to the leaders of the University of Southern California today asking that it investigate USC...

Minimal New Oil Well Permits in Q1 2025, But Kern County and CO₂ Pipeline Bills Threaten Climate Progress, Say Advocacy Groups

May 8, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA — State oil and gas regulators approved just three new drilling permits in the first quarter of 2025 compared to zero approvals...

Senate Judiciary Committee Cites Risks From Trump’s FERC And Coal Plant Owners To CA Environmental Policies Under SB 540, Causing “Significant Harms To Its Energy Goals”

April 28, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA –  The California Senate Judiciary Committee analysis of SB 540 (Becker), which would change our electricity market from a California-only market to a...

Report Explains Why Powerful Electric Worker Lobbyist Scott Wetch Flipped On Plans To Turn CA Climate Laws Over To Trump; Self-Interest & AI Data Center Push Behind SB 540 Exposed

April 17, 2025  ·  Justin Kloczko

Los Angeles, CA—A new investigative report by Consumer Watchdog explains the sudden reversal by electric worker and corporate lobbyist Scott Wetch to support a controversial...

California’s Gasoline Price Gouging Law Working To Hold Down Oil Refiner Profits and Gas Prices Two Years After Passage, Adds Protections For Polluter Pays Laws

April 3, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – Two years after Governor Newsom signed the nation’s toughest oil refiner accountability law, Californians have reaped big benefits by containing oil refiners’...

Consumer Watchdog Calls On CA Senators To Pledge to Leave Public Office If Their Vote For Pathways Western Grid Leads Trump’s FERC To Invalidate Clean Energy Laws

March 11, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – Consumer Watchdog wrote to California State Senators today warning them that a pending proposal, SB 540 (Becker) to create a Western regional...

New 2024 CA Oil Drilling Permits Drop to 73 As Groups Reveal Oil Regulators Halved Bonding for State’s Now Biggest Onshore Oil Well Operator

February 5, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA—While approvals for new oil well drilling permits in California dwindled to 73 in 2024–from 2,664 in 2019 when Governor Newsom took office,...