Anonymous
Oil platforms off Santa Barbara coast (file photo)
Source: Office of Sen. Jackson
As the state works to combat climate change and move toward a fossil fuel-free future, Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara)’s legislation to assess the eventual price tag of shutting down and cleaning up California’s oil and gas infrastructure.
Senate Bill 551 directs the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) to develop a process for assessing the costs of decommissioning all oil and gas infrastructure within its jurisdiction, and requires operators of an oil or gas facility to report its total liability for plugging and abandoning all wells and other facilities beginning in July 1, 2022 and at least every five years thereafter.
“I am very pleased Governor Newsom signed this bill into law, recognizing it as a key step in the planning process as we transition away from fossil fuels. If we do not know or fully plan for these costs, the public, in far too many instances, will be left unfairly holding the bag for this industry’s mess,” said Jackson.
Over the next several decades, California will face the significant challenge of infrastructure that remains from oil and gas production. While oil and gas operators are required to bear the ultimate financial responsibility for shutting down their wells, removing infrastructure, and remediating sites, in several cases they are refusing to do so, leaving California taxpayers paying the costs.
One example of California state funds used to decommission oil and gas wells can be found in the offshore production off the Santa Barbara coast.
The decommissioning of Platform Holly, initiated in 2017 as a result of the 2015 Refugio oil spill and subsequent bankruptcy of oil operator Venoco, is currently estimated to cost upwards of $180 million. Similarly, the state now bears responsibility for shutting down Rincon Island, an artificial offshore structure formerly owned by a now-defunct and bankrupt operator. Estimated costs to the state are more than $50 million.
This legislation is part of Jackson’s long-standing efforts to address the fiscal and environmental impacts of oil and gas production in California. Her prior legislation includes:
- Senate Bill 834, which became law on January 1, 2019, blocks the Trump Administration from expanding federal oil drilling off the California coast by ensuring that new pipelines and other infrastructure needed to support federal oil development cannot be built in California waters.
- Senate Bill 44, Coastal Well Cleanup and Remediation Act (2017): Requires the State Lands Commission to monitor and plug orphaned wells when the original oil company that operated the well no longer exists.
- Senate Bill 414, Rapid Oil Spill Response Act (2015): Authored in the aftermath of the Refugio Oil Spill to make oil spill response faster, more effective, and environmentally friendly.
- Senate Bill 295 (2015): Helps reduce the risk of oil spills from pipelines by requiring the State Fire Marshall to annually inspect all intrastate pipelines and pipeline operators.
Jackson represents the 19th Senate District, which includes all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County.
Bravo!
90% of our electricity is generated from oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power. Our society depends on generating electricity. Electricity is what keeps us barely civilized. Without electricity there is no heat, no water, no lights, no computers, no phones. Progressives think electricity is generated by fairy dust and unicorn farts. Where do you Progressives think we will get our electricity? Such fools.
Simple – phase out coal, oil, nuclear, and natural gas. You know, the toxic ones. Phase in renewables. Maybe you can figure out what those are. Reptiles seem to run on hot air in the venturi between their ears. Such fools.
ADAMVANT – solar, wind, hydro, geothermal….that’s where.
Iceland and Norway already generate all their electricity from renewables, and the United Kingdom is already at 50%. Just think what we could do if we looked to the future and weren’t sliding backwards instead, both for the world and for our economy, by investing in new technology.
ADAMVENT please provide a reference to your claim about progressives’ beliefs on the source of electricity. Clearly you must think hydrocarbons are going to flow out of the earth for hundreds more years ‘coz, y’know, JC is your saviour. Unicorns and fairy dust indeed.
It’s illuminating that you equate civilization with the material trappings of technology like phones and computers. True civilization is how we live together and treat our fellow beings.
Who downvotes the FACT that other countries use renewables more than us? Please, explain your disagreement with these facts? Love to hear it!
Hahahahaha, what!? 6 people don’t “like” renewable energy sources? Why? What are you so scared of?
Not True ADAMVANT . Where do your numbers come from? According to the Energy Information Office of the U.S. government, 63% of electricity is generated from fossil fuels. As of March 2019, the total energy consumption EIA statistics for 2018: 17% of energy came from renewables, 19 % nuclear and 63.5 % fossil fuels of coal, gas and oil. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 . More importantly, even with resistance from the present administration, non- fossil fuel use continues to decline, while renewables slowly gain ground.
“Iceland Has Highest Per- Capita C02 Emissions in EU and EFTA.” (European Free Trade Association) (Iceland Review, 2018). And “Norway is a large energy producer, and one of the world’s largest exporters of oil.” (Wikipedia)
10:16 PM – Yeah, right up there with giants like Luxembourg. Your figures are for the business sector, not households, and is large (in appearance) because of use of fossil fuel for maritime and air transport of goods. It’s small in aggregate because the population is small. But we were talking electricity generation in this thread. Both Norway and Iceland generate all of their energy from renewable sources.
All of their electrical energy, that is.
Good luck with renewable energy sources. Why don’t you set an example and start now.
SB Observer: Scathing post. Angry much? This conservative has her own business in the form of a Corporation and work 6+ days a week. Yeah. Bad bad. Looks like you are the only one that has time to to rant about how awful others are in an extended post.
Then they all resort to name calling because of their obvious hate and intolerance of others.
But the taxes are an attempt to rectify the huge hidden subsidies that prop up big oil, not only in overt subsidies, but in the form of letting them skate for all the environmental damage they do. We need to at least double those taxes to reflect the true cost to society.
Oh, you’re going to talk about issues from a logical and financial standpoint.
That’s good. When will you start?
Because I’m pretty sure that understanding how much it costs to run a business vs. how much revenue it generates for the State, and considering the long term financial impacts it creates through abandoned wells and air, ground and water pollution is a reasonable and logical way to consider options for the future.
So tell me how you disagree with that.
Yeah, actually, calling people “name callers” is name calling. You say zero about issues, you just show up to yell at people to get off your lawn.
Just keep mashing the button, someone will listen to you.
So you’re saying that the system as it currently stands can’t be improved? That’s a conservative for you.
Saw this and laughed because I could hear the river of spit hitting keyboards as all the slack jawed climate deniers started to salivate at the prospect of venting.
Pot. Meet kettle.
So you take Wednesdays off to troll the libs? And, by the way, a corporation–hahahahahah!!!! You can do that for what, a hundred bucks?
at 1:00pm – No need to wish us “good luck” with renewables, we’re already successfully using them. Over 20% of our energy now comes from renewable energy. We HAVE set the example and we ARE starting now. Do you not know how to use the internet? Here’s a couple articles: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/06/10/u-s-renewable-power-capacity-surpasses-coal-for-the-first-time/#1a192d4d655b ————- and ———————https://e360.yale.edu/digest/renewable-energy-capacity-now-exceeds-coal-in-the-u-s
It’s Tuesday. Don’t be so angry.
You almost sound logical on this post.
We have a rich diversity of thought and ideas in the comments here, and I really enjoy the discourse. I would encourage everyone to share ideas, be thought provoking, and most importantly be kind and tolerant of others. Yes, conservatives are in the minority in California, and especially in the SB area. However, there are far more of them around than you might think. You won’t see bumper stickers on their cars or signs in their yards, because they fear being attacked by intolerant authoritarian personality types. I read Altemeyer’s book. His personality test questions are all skewed to target conservatives. There is absolutely such a thing as “liberal” authoritarianism, and it is on full display in some of the comments in this thread. I would invite all my liberal friends to take a moment to contemplate what it is like to be “conservative” in SB. Imagine you are taking a college class and you are excited about an essay topic, but you can’t write what you really believe because your professor made you fear your grades would suffer if you did. Imagine you are at work and your bosses and co-workers make a bunch of smug and offensive remarks about how much they hate your preferred political candidate and her supporters. You are afraid to speak up and say what you believe because you know doing so could cost you your career. Imagine you are out with your friends, and they all arrogantly describe how uneducated everyone who agree with you about a hot topic in the news is. You are afraid to speak up and say what you believe for fear of being ostracized from your social circles and slapped with hurtful slurs. That it what life is like for many minorities in our community. Next time you express your political beliefs, please remember that some of your colleagues are closeted conservatives. By all means express yourself, but remember to be tolerant of those who see things differently. Open your heart, try to understand why they feel the way they do, and let them know that you will still love them even if they are conservative. Once you earn their trust, you will find that many people you love and respect are closeted conservatives. You will also be surprised to lean you have a lot more in common with conservatives than you think. We all live under the same sun and we all walk under the same moon. Perhaps you will even find merit in some so-called “conservative” ideas. Through love and tolerance we can strengthen our friendships, gain new perspectives, and build a stronger community. Love and tolerance is the answer!!!
Suddenly you give a darn about minorities? Welcome to some well-deserved angst. If you were to express opinions that run contrary to fact, you should expect a lowered grade and societal disapproval.
2:45 – HAHAHAHAHA. That’s hilarious! Poor conservatives…all those liberal “snowflakes,” “sissies,” “libtards,” “whiners,” “femi-nazis,” “commies,” “hippies,” etc etc etc, are being so mean. You’re right. Let’s stop the insults. HAHAHAHA.
Red Creek: 35.1% of our electricity is generated from natural gas, 27.4% from coal, 0.6% from petroleum, 0.3% from other gases, 19.3% from nuclear, and 7.0% from hydropower. A measly 1.6% is generated from solar and 6.6% from wind. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Without electricity our American society would not exist. Without electricity there would be no lights, no water, no heat. It’d be anarchy. We’d be barbarians. That’s apparently OK with you virtue-signaling Progressives who continue to believe in your fairy tale utopia. Who will be the leaders of your utopia? Probably President Santa Claus and Vice-President Easter Bunny.
Once again, it’s illuminating of your value system that you equate civilization with electrification; that is, technology. Civilization is our societal pact to live in groups, which you seem to think is extremely frail. It just shows what you think of your fellow citizens.
ADAMVANT – you are 100% wrong. First of all your figures are wrong (cite a reviewable source like we all did, not just a name). Second, no one is pursuing a “no electricity” future, we just want to move away from non-renewable sources of energy. Why are you so viciously against that?
Adamvant – from your own source (US Energy Information Administration): “EIA forecasts renewables will be fastest growing source of electricity generation” —- https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=38053# ————–how does it feel to be so wrong?
And, to further quote the EIA:
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“In 2018, 28% of global electricity was generated from renewable energy sources, most (96%) of which was produced from hydropower, wind, and solar technologies. In its International Energy Outlook 2019 (IEO2019), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that renewables will collectively increase to 49% of global electricity generation by 2050. Of the top three renewable sources, EIA expects solar’s share of generation to grow the fastest and hydroelectric’s share to grow the slowest.
EIA’s international outlook includes analysis of eight countries and eight multicountry regions. Different regional- and technology-specific factors influence the growth rates of renewable technologies throughout the world.
Resource availability, renewable policies, regional load growth, and declining technology costs drive EIA’s projected increase in global electricity generation from solar technologies. As more solar power systems have been installed, installation costs have experienced the steepest cost declines of all renewable technologies in recent years, and EIA expects that they will continue to decline as a result of learning-by-doing effects.”
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Full report available at:
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https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41533
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Here you go, A-1571177361: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3. You can’t move away from coal, nuclear, and natural gas. You can’t generate enough electricity to power our society. I don’t pay attention to silly people who think solar panels and windmills are the answer. Photovoltaic cells have been around since the 50s. Windmills have been around since 100 AD. If we could power our society with intermittent sun and wind then we would be by now. If you want to believe in some imaginary source of energy then go ahead. I laugh at you.
That is classic authoritarianism. “What I believe is fact, I am righteous, those who disagree deserve to suffer.” If what you believe is always a “fact” and what others believe is always “contrary to fact,” it may be time to stop and say “hey, are you sure we’re not the baddies?” The world is not always black and white.
Of course, that’s not what’s being said on the page you linked. It simply details current levels of sources for electrical energy production. It doesn’t go psycho and start ranting about how you can’t use renewables. In fact, the EIA web pages in toto advocate the increased use of renewables. When you’re flapping around grasping at web pages to make a point, you should at least read them.
For some people, facts are malleable to fit political opinion. For others, they describe objective reality.
CHIP OF SB – what “facts” have your panties all in a bunch?
You can look here:
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https://revenuedata.doi.gov/explore/CA/
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For Santa Barbara County, it’s pretty negligible.
Thank you @2:45. This brought me to tears. Happy ones.
Tsk, tsk. It’s all in your own head. You have a very active imagination.
I bet you ride your bike everywhere and do not contribute an ounce toward air pollution. When you give up your car, or any form of transportation then you can preach on.
Oh, please. My neighbors are conservatives and you never saw such a bunch of arrogant, entitled jerks. All they care about is their image, their money, not paying taxes and their “right” to trample all over everyone else’s rights. One quote that so aptly fits conservatives is: “It’s funny that people who treat you like s–t get offended when you finally do the same to them.” That fits my neighbors to a ‘T.’ You want me to feel sorry for people who can’t think of anything other than themselves? That’ll be a cold day you know where.
He’s baaaaaaaack. The “do you ride your bike everywhere dude.”
Thank you Hannah-Beth and Gavin (I hope I may call you “Gavin”)——are restoring my faith in humankind.
Your votes are no longer needed. Newsom will decide which laws he wants and then sign them in.
Both Norway and Iceland are blessed with geography and geology the enables abundant hydro and hydrothermal electrical production. With their relatively small populations they can produce enormous amounts of renewable energy for themselves. However, most countries cannot be like them, and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to them. If California had the equivalent of say 20 Shasta Dams then we could Possibly be like Norway. Large scale industrial countries (and states like CA) cannot operate on unpredictable renewables like solar and wind. Take a look at what’s happening in Germany with their “Energiewende” or complete transition to renewable energy. Electrical costs are soaring and the risk of grid failure is increasing. Heavy industry can’t function or compete well when those sources of renewable are the majority source. Let’s see how the slow German economic suicide runs its course and if California should follow their lead. From Der Spiegel: https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-failure-on-the-road-to-a-renewable-future-a-1266586.html
Why is this bill not “how to retrofit all roofs with solar”? Shouldn’t it be sourcing replacement energy? Not that solar would make a huge dent, but it’s there, available. What was that you say? Too expensive? You mean more expensive than a bunch of bean counters pandering to a nutty politician while pretending to count something they never intend to do? Oh. I did not know that.
Solar is awesome but energy companies are trying to limit what they pay for it. We pay $.15 Kw hr for electricity while the power companies want to pay only $.039 Kw hr for solar power. Some power companies are also starting a charge for using their power lines. As many people found out recently, solar does not keep the lights on during a blackout w/o an expensive and toxic battery. Far from green, solar panel are so toxic that only one toxic waste dump in Ca takes them. Solar panels cost more to throw out than they do to buy. They do last a long time unless you have a hail storm like they recently had in N. Ca. Entire solar panel displays were destroyed along with the roofs they were on !
Gas is $4.50/gallon, let big oil pay.
Ignorance is bliss for some people.. or the people indoctrinated in California schools and universities. The first question is prove the need to reduce/eliminate fossil fuels with facts rather than dogma. Naturally, the people supporting this ill thought out legislation don’t have the education to answer this question. They do have the indoctrination though :(.
Governor Nuisance is at it again.
Adam….Don’t forget cars now. The electricity comes from one of those spiffy little boxes in front of Home Depot.
It may just be me, but it seems like the Edhat rants in the comments section is beginning to lean further and further Right, bravo! About time we enlist the closet republicans to actually talk about the issues from a logical and financial standpoint. It got really old listening to the cheerleading of financially defunct propositions and acts that promote the handouts instead of moving the state forward. Now, as for the oil & gas industry. I question how the state plans to promote less oil & gas when their policy against the current power companies is to allow them to shut down millions of customers for 5-7 days, pushing everybody to go buy a generator. Seems like the wrong direction and they can’t even keep their movements cohesive.
Just a nuisance idiot. I think everyone pretty much ignores posts with no useful content like that.
Most climate science deniers are diehard conservatives. Conservatives are predisposed to be xenophobic, more religious, more repressive of women’s rights, with little concern for fairness or equity, and to hold a pessimistic view of human nature. They are much less open to new experiences of any type, and are much more prone to authoritarianism and to group think. This is the opposite of scientific thought. Staunch conservatives are the least capable of thinking critically and rationally about anything that comes into conflict with their ideology. Conservatives correctly recognize that if anthropogenic global warming is true, then governments need to play a leading role in dealing with the issues. Major governments of the world will have to collaborate to solve the problem. That is totally anathema to the “greed is good” free market capitalist belief system. Therefore, anthropogenic global warming cannot be true in their view, and is rationalized as a hoax, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary.
BLUEHORSESHOE- sadly, it appears you’re right (no pun intended). The comment section here has become increasingly overrun by right wing nuts, racists and conspiracy theorists. First Amendment for better or worse.
They’re afraid of “inconvenience.” That’s where you might have to sacrifice just a teeny bit of your time and then maybe start caring about to help reverse this downhill slide we’re on environmentally. If you’re selfish and self-centered and don’t give a s–t about quality of life now or later, then oh . . . the horror of being inconvenienced.
Unfortunately, the most hardcore “conservatives” among us sit on their computers/tablets/phones all day, listening to talk radio and filling their tiny minds with other people’s rage. They are unemployed / underemployed / semi-retired who have no life so-to-speak; no social life, no activities and not much in terms of intellectual curiosity to satisfy. So they appear to be more prolific because they have time to post here. Most sane, intelligent, educated and productive people are too busy living and working towards their future to bother parroting their favorite talk show Charlatan on the Internets. It really does appear that many Rumpsters are online all day long, with their copypasta close at hand parroting the same Limbaugh, Hannity talking points. At least the ones I know and see… Coincidence or just a reminder that the loudest voices do not represent the opinions of the whole?
Most of the price of gasoline is taxation, not “big” oil.
There’s a recall effort – check it out. Print out the page fromthe website, KFI John and Ken Show.
It’ll be interesting when gruesome Newsom gets rid of the oil producing wells – societal breakdown will become the new normal. And then we’ll all be at the mercy of the criminal element. All the libs will be hiding from their own shadows.
2:45–dude I see Trump stickers on cars regularly in SB and even more throughout the County, I see “Lock her up” stickers, “Don’t tread on me” stickers, “Gun control means using both hands” stickers, ad nauseam ad infinitum. There’s a particular flavor or conservative, i.e., you, that has become whiny and victim claiming. Oh, poor me, people may not AGREE with me. And snowflake libs need a safe space? Come on.
LCP112233 I see you are incapable of deciphering the difference between a Rumpster and an actual Conservative. Which only proves my point about fools being played… Its a lack of emotional awareness paired with a low IQ that makes people of the Hannity/Limbaugh/FoxNews cult so dangerous. And for the record: I am not a Democrat nor a liberal but an independent person with the ability to reason without an uneducated talk show host telling me how to think or who to hate… Try it sometime.
” fear being attacked by intolerant authoritarian personality types.” Isn’t that the definition of a conservative? Demos fall in love, Repubs fall in line? Are you afraid of being attacked by each other?
” fear being attacked” now that’s a great-again idea. Have you got some addresses?
Shutting down oil production in CA is not the answer. It just means we tanker in more foreign oil which increasingly the threatens our coastline with oil spill disaster. If you are really serious about stopping fossil fuel usage, you will have to work to close gas stations. There should be one close to you that you can picket until it closes.