BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — People who work in California’s oil industry, from the board room to the oil patch, hope that the war in Iran is ringing the alarm bell for policy makers in Sacramento. As gas prices soar, so do fears that the industry that powers the state may run out of fuel.
“It’s deeply troubled right now in California, it’s so adversarial. It’s like the state is trying to shut us down,” said Ross Allen, a media consultant with Chevron.
Bakersfield economist worried about ongoing Iran conflict
The war in Iran has been described as a wakeup call from members of the oil industry amid the closure of prominent refineries like the Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles and the Valero facility in the Bay Area.
In 2025, more than 60% of California’s oil usage came from foreign countries — a reliance many say needs to go.
“All these things increase costs and make the policy environment very difficult for us to do what we do,” said Allen. “California has a world-class energy industry but, unfortunately, the Sacramento folks and politicians want to make that less available and less efficient.”
Companies like Chevron have considered moving out of state to places like Texas for less state regulations. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton sent letters to the head of prominent oil companies urging them to stay in California — if he wins the governor’s race.
“I’ve written to the oil companies, the CEOs of the big energy companies in California, saying to them, just give me eight months. If I can win the governor’s race in November, it’ll be a whole new day for our energy industry,” said Hilton.
But not just the companies are feeling the impacts of this hit on the energy sector. Tyrone Taylor has worked for years in the oil field and recently became one of 90 people laid off.
“It really has gone downhill, man. And most are also workers. But we get a job for a couple of two years and then we’re all laid off and then we’re back in the streets again trying to find a job to go to,” Taylor says.
Allen said he fears if the big oil companies of California leave the state, more people will lose jobs. Taylor said the job market is already a battle.
“It’s definite Russian roulette, man. It’s hit and miss, hit and miss, hit and miss. And we’re racing, gambling, gambling our lives away in the oil field industry and it’s a hit-and-miss situation.”
While recent laws have hoped to expand the industry, the industry says it needs more support if they want to be more successful.
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