News Releases

Two Bills Holding Community Oil Drillers Accountable Advance To Appropriations Committee

April 23, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA—Assembly Bill 3155 (Friedman), which creates new financial liability for oil producers for harm from community oil drilling, cleared its second policy committee today...

New Oil Drilling Permit Approvals Fall To Zero For First Time Since Newsom Came To Office, Making History, Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance Say

April 19, 2024  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA—In a historic first, California oil regulators approved zero new drilling permits in the first quarter of 2024, effectively halting new drilling permit...

Bill Holding Drillers Legally Liable for Harms Advances, Backed by 64 Public Interest Groups And Activist Nalleli Cobo

April 16, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA— Activist and cancer survivor Nalleli Cobo gave testimony today in support of Assembly Bill 3155 (Friedman), which creates new financial liability for oil...

Two Barrels of Oil Per Day Is All Drillers Extract from Community Wells, Making Case For New Law For $10K Per Day Fine

April 8, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA — Oil companies drilling for oil within a half mile of community residents produce a tiny trickle of oil—2.1 barrels of oil per...

Bill Introduced to Charge Low-Producing Oil Wells in Community Setback Zones $10K Per Day 

March 19, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA— Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan (D-55, Los Angeles) introduced legislation today to charge $10,000 per day to oil wells producing less than 15...

20+ Groups Decry CA Oil Refiners’ Average $1 Per Gallon Profit Margin In 2023, Call On CEC To Implement Price Gouging Penalty By Summer To Avoid More Gouging

March 18, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA —  More than twenty public interest groups pointed to new state data showing that California oil refiners averaged more than $1 per gallon in...

New Consumer Alert Exposes Deceptive Oil Industry Attack On Governor Newsom

February 23, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog released a new Consumer Alert video exposing another deceptive oil industry tv ad attacking on Governor Newsom’s energy policies called “Make Matters Worse.” ...

Friedman Introduces Bill to Hold Oil Drillers Financially Liable for Harm Caused by Their Drilling 

February 21, 2024  ·  Kerri West

Sacramento, CA – While it has long been known that oil drilling can cause cancer, respiratory illnesses and birth defects, holding oil drillers liable for the...

Consumer Alert Video Exposes Phony, Chevron-Funded TV Ad That Falsely Claims CA Oil Drilling Is Needed To Lower Gas Prices, Targets Chevron’s 3 Barrel Per Day Oil Production

February 15, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog published a new Consumer Alert video today taking on a deceptive television ad by a group called Californians For Energy Independence,...

CRC Play To Buy Aera Is Way To Avoid Plugging Idle Wells, Extending Life Of Depleted Oil Fields Via Unproven Technology, Say Consumer Watchdog and FrackTracker Alliance

February 7, 2024  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA—Oil giant California Resources Corp’s purchase of Aera Energy for just half the price it fetched two years ago is a ploy for...

Chevron Self-Inflicts Wound In CA; Failed to Plug Low Producing Wells That Yield Only 3 Barrels Of Oil Per Day, Should Blame Itself Not State For ‘Impairments’ 

February 2, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA — Consumer Watchdog said that Chevron has itself to blame for its $1.8 billion in “higher US upstream impairment charges mainly in...

Energy Commission Delays Price Gouging Penalty Recommendation; Consumer Watchdog Calls for Governor Newsom To Force Penalty ASAP

January 31, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

 Sacramento, CA — Consumer Watchdog today condemned the delay in the implementation of a price gouging penalty as articulated by the California Energy Commission (CEC)...