Big Oil Spent $8.3 Million Lobbying California Officials In Second Quarter Of 2024
Big Oil continues to spend millions of dollars lobbying California officials to thwart climate bills and other environmental legislation opposed by the oil industry.
The oil industry spent around $8.3 million on lobbying in the second quarter in published disclosures for the second quarter of 2024. Aera Energy and California Resources Corporation, Chevron, and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) spent a combined $6.8 million alone.
Chevron topped the oil industry spending with $4,070,286 pumped into lobbying, followed by the Western States Petroleum Association with $1,782,919 and Aera Energy with $784,852.
The remaining top ten oil industry spenders were: Philipps 66 with $221,107; Marathon Petroleum with $202,215; California Resources Corporation with $190,398; Synergy Oil and Gas with $140,250; California Independent Petroleum Association with $118,065; Exxon Mobil with $110,605 and BP with $84,025.
“The $15.3 million spent in the first two quarters paces Big Oil to surpass its $26.2 million record set in 2017,” according to a statement from the Last Chance Alliance. “In 2023, the second-highest industry spending year on record after 2017, Big Oil spent around $25.4 million.”
The third quarter lobbying expenditures won’t be available on the California Secretary of State’s website until October 31: cal-access.sos.ca.gov/...
The Last Chance Alliance forecasted that for a two-year legislative session, the oil industry is “likely to spend more than it ever has on a biennial basis — $44 million in 2017-2018 — by the end of the year, already sitting at $42 million spent halfway into 2024.”
“Chevron, Aera, and CRC — collectively the top idle wells holders statewide — all lobbied to stave off the legislative momentum amassing around AB 1866, a bill which would compel oil drillers to plug all idle wells statewide within a decade. Their lobbying group, WSPA, also lobbied against the bill — as did California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA), another oil industry lobbying group. The same groups lobbied against AB 3233, another still-moving bill that would facilitate local government regulation of oil and gas,” the coalition stated.
Other than CIPA, they said all of the top ten spenders also lobbied against SB 1497, a now-dead bill that would have required fossil fuel polluters to pay their fair share in damages for their role in causing climate change-fueled disasters. Further, Chevron, WSPA, Phillips 66, and CRC all successfully lobbied to kill SB 252, legislation that called on state public pension funds to divest from fossil fuels.
“Our frontline communities have long been harmed by Big Oil and their practices. As the industry is gasping its last breath, we are now being subjected to a relentless battle by the same oil companies to dodge accountability,” said Kobi Naseck, Coalition Director of VISIÓN California. Our resolve remains unbroken. We will continue to demand that oil companies are held accountable, not just for the pollution of our environment, but for the health and safety of our communities, both now and for future generations.”
"Chevron and ExxonMobil also lobbied against SB 253 and SB 261, laws passed in 2023 that in the coming years would compel climate impact disclosures for the state’s largest corporations, according to the alliance. "The implementation of those laws, however, could be put on pause by the state if proposed trailer bill amendments introduced by Governor Gavin Newsom pass."
Chevron’s legal counsel, Gibson Dunn, also brought a lawsuit against both laws on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and California Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, the coalition added. Chevron’s disclosure form notes that it contributed $50,000 to the CalChamber for the year.
The much smaller Synergy Oil & Gas ranked among the oil majors as a top spender, clocking in at number seven with $140,250 spent, but that didn’t stop them from securing oil drilling permits.
“This comes as Synergy racked up 17 oil drilling permits within the 3,200-foot setbacks zone on the same day the oil industry pulled its referendum challenging the state’s 3,200-foot setbacks law from the ballot, negating a November vote,” the group wrote. “Synergy’s disclosure documents show that it lobbied the Governor’s Office, the Legislature, and the California Natural Resources Agency on issues pertaining to the Seal Beach location housing the oil well sites.
”Big Oil has relied on big lobby spending to dominate California politics for too long. Californians have become wise to their antics and demand the industry pays for the harm it’s brought to our communities and the environment, concluded Nicole Ghio, Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. “California decision makers must not be blinded by slick oil and gas lobbying from corporations like Synergy that are pushing drilling permits in the buffer zone between wells and communities. Our officials must put our health and climate ahead of Big Oil profits.”
WSPA and Big Oil wield their power in 8 major ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) serving on and putting shills on regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups; (5) working in collaboration with media; (6) creating alliances with labor unions; (7) contributing to non profit organizations; and (8) sponsoring awards ceremonies, including those for legislators and journalists.
WSPA and Big Oil have for years worked closely with media outlets and more recently have sponsored awards for legislators and journalists. For example, the Western States Petroleum Association was one of the “lede sponsors” of the Sacramento Press Club’s Annual Journalism Awards for the past two years: sacpressclub.org/...
