by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
This latest hit comes after Chevron Oil Company announced move to Houston, and Phillips 66 will shut down Los Angeles refinery by October 2025
California Democrats’ war on the oil and gas industry is working, but not for the people.
In another blow to California’s oil and gas industry, and the state’s fuel; supply, Valero Energy Corporation announcedWednesday it will shut down its Benicia Refinery in April 2026.
This latest hit comes after Chevron Oil Company announced in August their corporate relocation to Houston Texas from the Bay Area, and Phillips 66 announced that its Los Angeles refinery will shut down by October 2025.
“Valero’s announcement that it will shut down its Benicia refinery in April 2026 is yet another blow to California’s already fragile fuel supply system,” the California Fuels & Convenience Alliance said. “The decision reflects the growing impact of California’s increasingly aggressive energy policies, which have made it more difficult for in-state refineries to continue operating. As a result, this closure will leave the state with just seven remaining in-state refineries capable of producing California’s uniquely formulated gasoline—a dangerously low number for a state of nearly 40 million residents.”
Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher weighed in on X: “Good morning CA: another gas refinery is closing and our prices will shoot up even more! Totally predictable and you can thank @GavinNewsom and the Democratic politicians for their flawed policies.”
