Republicans try to tie Newsom’s war on oil industry to Harris

Republicans around the country are eager to tie California’s high gas prices not only to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) but also to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris .

Newsom announced a proposal earlier this month that directs the California Energy Commission to force oil refineries to store more gas to curb price spikes. His administration claims a minimum stock of fuel would prevent increases, something Republicans have strongly pushed back on.

Under the governor's plan, oil refiners would also need to show resupply plans and arrangements that are adequate to address the loss in production from refinery maintenance. Those who do not meet the mandate would be fined.

California Energy Commission officials said in 2023 that there were 63 days when state refineries held less than 15 days of gas supplies. Officials claimed that if Newsom's proposal had been in place, it would have saved more than $650 million in gas costs.

California Republicans, along with the oil industry, are not buying the math and said Newsom's plan will do little to move the needle.

Instead, they argued that the proposal would only add to supply-driven shortages because refineries have limited storage capacities. They added that forcing them to have a minimum amount of fuel on hand will drive prices up.

Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) said Newsom's mandate lacked a basic understanding of how energy supply works.

"It's obvious that Newsom is taking a page from VP Kamala Harris' playbook - pushing terrible policies that make no economic sense for political headlines," he added on X.

Fong also accused Newsom of "following Kamalanomics" and called out the governor for making empty promises to make himself look good in an election year.

“It is clear from his unworkable mandates that he cares more about political headlines than actually implementing policies that will provide Californians with reliable and affordable energy.” Fong said in a statement, adding that Newsom "would be intentionally disrupting needed energy production and raising costs with the mandate."

But it's not only Californians who would suffer.

Residents of nearby swing states Arizona and Nevada would likely see their gas prices go up, too, and experience limited availability in supply linked to the mandate.

Arizona Republicans sent Newsom a letter in which they claimed they would be paying for California's mistake.

"California’s new fuel reserve requirements and other recent legislative actions were passed without proper consideration of the broader economic impacts," the letter reads.

At least one-third of Arizona’s fuel and nearly 90% of Nevada's comes from California refineries, making both vulnerable to decisions made in Sacramento. Gas prices in Arizona and Nevada typically rise in tandem with those in California.

The oil industry is also pretty peeved with Newsom and in response, started running ads in Sacramento and in-state swing districts that take aim at his plan. Newsom's moves in California could also have a direct effect on Harris.

“Because of the state of the presidential race, because of the very visible presence Newsom had on the national stage, it’s inevitable California policies will be discussed at the national level,” Western States Petroleum Association spokesperson Kevin Slagle told Politico. “Our intent is to try to stop bad policy in California, but it would not be surprising if it became part of the national discussion.”

With Harris as the Democratic nominee, California policies on issues such as crime, homelessness, and energy are regularly the subject of Republican attacks.

“People are looking at California as really a warning, not as like a beacon of what you should do,” California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher said. “They’re saying this is a warning for what you shouldn’t do.”

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Even though Harris didn't have a hand in California's war with the oil industry, Gallagher said she should weigh in on it so voters can see her vision for the energy sector.

“Do you think that the energy policies adopted in California, which have led to some of the highest energy costs in the nation, are good policies or bad?" he asked. "Would you do restrictions on domestic oil wells like we’ve done here in California? Would you do that nationwide and hurt our own domestic energy production? I think these are all very good questions for Kamala Harris, like, this is your home state.”