SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sable Offshore Corporation has resumed production off the coast of Santa Barbara for the first time since a major oil spill in 2015, following a federal emergency order that has triggered strong opposition from California leaders.
The directive was issued under the Defense Production Act, which allows the president to require private companies to prioritize production of goods considered critical for national defense or emergencies.
President Donald Trump said the move is intended to stabilize gasoline prices in California amid global supply concerns tied to the war involving Iran.
The order directed Sable Offshore Corp. to restart operations at facilities off the Santa Barbara coast.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the decision was aimed at addressing supply risks caused by what the administration described as “California policies that have left the region and U.S. military forces dependent on foreign oil.”
Wright further noted, “decades of radical state policies targeting reliable energy sources have driven a decline in domestic output while fuel demand remains among the highest in the nation.”
In a letter, Sable noted it is fully staffed and had begun operations the day after the order came down.
Sable notes it plans to sell product by April 1 — about 50,000 barrels of oil per day.
“Sable Offshore is putting California consumers first by increasing domestic supply of crude oil into the California market by approximately 17% and we look forward to continuing to execute as so ordered by the Defense Production Act executed on March 13, 2026,” said Jim Flores, Sable’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in the letter.
California Democrats quickly pushed back, citing the company’s history and environmental risks.
“Sable Company has been a tremendous scofflaw, ignoring California’s regulations that are designed to protect the environment,” said Democratic Assemblymember Gregg Hart, who represents the Santa Barbara area.
Hart added that offshore oil drilling is a “dime in the bucket” and won’t be responsible for lowering the price at the pumps.
Democratic Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal said the decision raises fears of repeating past environmental disasters.
“It’s like a bad nightmare that’s playing over and over again,” Lowenthal said. “We’ve been resolute in the state of California that this is not something we will tolerate.”
Republican lawmakers, however, say the order reflects growing concerns about California’s energy supply as refinery closures reduce in-state production.
Republican State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares said the situation highlights the state’s energy challenges.
“This is a real reflection of the energy crisis and supply crisis we are at in California,” she said, though she noted federal involvement is only a “band aid.” The Legislature and Governor must seek a long-term solution, the senator emphasized.
Republican Assemblymember Stan Ellis argued that California has become too dependent on imported fuel and needs more in-state production.
“We’re importing about 40% of our gasoline and diesel products,” Ellis said. “Shame on us.”
The debate also ties into California’s long-term climate strategy, including its plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045.
Republicans argue the timeline is too aggressive and that California should maintain more in-state oil production during the transition.
“In the meantime, we need to transition, which means in-state production,” Valladares said. “And in-state production means energy independence for California.”
Environmental advocates strongly oppose expanding drilling.
“We know that if we have more drilling, we’re going to have more spills,” said Dan Jacobson of the nonpartisan environmental advocacy group Environment California. “And spills lead to loss of tourism and local economic activity.”
The Santa Barbara facilities had been shut down since a 2015 pipeline rupture that spilled more than 140,000 gallons of crude oil along the coastline. Since then, Sable has repeatedly attempted to restart operations but faced legal and regulatory challenges.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have already threatened legal action in response to the federal order.
Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, who represents parts of Santa Barbara County, as well as of Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties, said “This administration has attempted to drill along our coastline despite decades of bipartisan opposition. This move will not address the volatile market being made more chaotic by the actions of this administration in Iran. This overreach can and will have serious implications throughout the state. Just like their actions have had an overnight impact on raising gasoline prices and increased security concerns for Californians.”
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas too weighed in:
“Donald Trump dragged the world into an energy crisis and is the driving force behind rising gas prices across the country. Now, Trump is trying to distract from his damage with a tired playbook: more dangerous offshore drilling. Let’s be clear — drilling off California’s coast won’t lower gas prices, and it won’t clean up the mess Trump created. Any attempt to betray California voters and reopen our waters to risky offshore drilling will face immediate, bipartisan resistance. Our coastline is not a bargaining chip for political cover. We will always defend our pristine coast, its ecosystems, tourism economy, workers and communities.”
The dispute also reflects the broader conflict over authority between state and federal governments. While offshore drilling platforms operate in federal waters, key infrastructure such as pipelines and onshore facilities remain under California’s jurisdiction.
“[We need to be] focused on safer domestic energy production here, both on the clean energy side and on the oil side, as opposed to dangerous offshore oil drilling,” said Democratic state Senator Ben Allen, who sits on the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
Meantime, President Trump just sued California over its electric vehicles mandate, which requires all new vehicles sold by 2035 to be zero emissions.
AG Bonta also sued the Trump Administration earlier this year when he attempted to restart offshore oil drilling via Sable.
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