Energy

Big Oil Gives CA Energy Commission and Californians The Finger

Submitted by Jamie Court on Mon, 10/12/2015 - 11:15
Governor Brown appointed the California Energy Commission (CEC) Petroleum Market Advisory (PMAC) to look into potential market manipulation by oil refiners in the state.
 
That's going to be hard to do now that the trade association for oil refiners, the Western States Petroleum Association, is telling the CEC and PMAC it won't participate in any discussions about supply disruptions or gas price spikes. In other words, FU.
 

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New Evidence Of Exxon Cover-up Of Torrance Explosion

Submitted by Jamie Court on Wed, 09/23/2015 - 14:37

News hit the gasoline market in California today via the Los Angeles Times  that Exxon's Torrance refinery is not likely to get a waiver from air quality managment officials to restart anytime soon.

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Big Oil Slick Captures Capitol

Submitted by Jamie Court on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 06:51

The power of California’s oil refiners is always felt but rarely visible in Sacramento.  It was on full display at Wednesday’s press conference when the Governor, State Senate leader and Assembly Speaker acknowledged that California's effort to lead the world by cutting petroleum use in half was dead for the year due to oil company lobbying and advertising.

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What Turns Oil Industry Lobbyists' Heads?

Submitted by Carmen Balber on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 17:19

Climate change doesn't turn the heads of oil industry lobbyists, but killing the Global Warming Solutions Act does the trick. This is a picture of the elbow-room-only scrum outside the Assembly gate as lobbyists wait to see the outcome of the Assembly floor vote on SB 32 by Senator Fran Pavley. SB 32 would codify California's commitment to reducing emissions by 2050 to 80% of 1990 levels.

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PUC Head Confirmed, Not Confronted

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Thu, 08/20/2015 - 11:22

Examples mentioned, never followed up. Questions dangled, but never asked. And no one knows, still, where the money went. That's a short summary of Wednesay's relatively easy confirmation of Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission.

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Report: Golden State Gouge: The Summer of Record Refining Profits

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 08/05/2015 - 11:22

This report analyzes the growing profits of California's major refiners in the second quarter of 2015, which saw a record price spike. In reviewing data from the California Energy Commission, researchers found that oil refiners were able to triple refiner margins the second week of July to a record $1.61 a gallon, representing the amount of money refiners receive for each gallon sold at the pump. The historical margin over the last fifteen years is 48 cents

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