News Releases

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,...

Oil Driller Sues to Invalidate Landmark Law Closing Down Dangerous LA Oil Field

November 27, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA — The operator of the Inglewood Oil Field has sued to invalidate a new law authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, AB 2716,...

Groups Petition CalRecyle To Stop Overpaying Haulers For Contaminated Material

November 26, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA — Consumer Watchdog and the Container Recycling Institute have petitioned the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to take regulatory action to...

Overwhelming Majority Of New Drilling Permit Approvals In 3rd Quarter 2024 Are For Extreme Extraction Techniques; Groups Call on Regulators To End Such Approvals

October 30, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA — While no California permits were approved in the third quarter to drill conventional oil and gas wells, 33 out of 34...

Time For Mayor Breed and CalRecycle To Pull The Plug On The Failed San Francisco Recycling BottleBank Pilot, Consumer Watchdog Says

October 17, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA—Consumer Watchdog today said that a San Francisco-based pilot program to return consumers their CRV bottle deposit refunds was a flop and urged...

New Minimum Gasoline Reserve Law Will Prevent CA Gasoline Prices Spikes And Should Be A Bellwether For Nation, Consumer Watchdog Says

October 14, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Consumer Watchdog hailed Governor Newsom’s signing of California’s new gasoline minimum inventory law in the fight against California gas spikes.

Consumer Watchdog Says CA Senate Passage of Minimum Inventories Bill Is A Victory For People’s Wallets Over Oil Refiners’ Excessive Profits

October 11, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA  —  Consumer Watchdog said the California Senate’s passage today of Assembly Billx2-1 is a victory for all California drivers who could save $1 billion or...