Governor Signs SB 767 in a Win for CIPA’s Proactive Energy Policy

For once, California got ahead of a problem before it became a crisis.

Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed SB 767 (Richardson), a CIPA-supported measure designed to help prevent low-flow pipeline shutdowns and keep oil moving safely and efficiently to the state’s refineries. The bill, jointly advanced by Senator Laura Richardson, the Pipe Trades, and CIPA, represents a rare display of foresight in Sacramento, crafting policy to avoid future disasters instead of waiting for them to happen.

SB 767 ensures that California’s refining sector, already among the most advanced and environmentally responsible in the world, maintains reliable access to crude oil. The measure helps operators monitor and manage low-flow conditions that can lead to corrosion, degradation, or pipeline failure. By addressing those risks now, the state is protecting the supply chain that delivers gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and more than 6,000 consumer products Californians use every day.

CIPA Vice President of Government Affairs Sean Wallentine praised the bill’s passage:

“SB 767 is what good policy looks like; a practical solution that anticipates challenges and strengthens California’s energy infrastructure before a problem becomes a crisis. It’s smart, it’s safe, and it’s proactive.”

CIPA’s support letter to Senator Richardson laid out the stakes clearly:

• Energy security and affordability: California consumes 1.8 million barrels of oil a day yet imports more than 80% of it. A stable in-state pipeline network reduces dependence on costly foreign oil and helps hold down prices at the pump.

• Environmental leadership: Pipelines remain the safest, lowest emission means of transporting crude oil, fully compliant with California’s rigorous environmental and safety standards.

• Jobs and local economies: Reliable refinery operations sustain thousands of skilled trades and engineering jobs, supporting families and communities across the state.
  

SB 767 also reaffirms what industry and labor have long known: California’s energy system works best when producers, workers, and policymakers collaborate to maintain reliability and safety.

While too many lawmakers continue chasing an unrealistic “post-oil” agenda, SB 767 proves that smart preparation beats crisis management every time. California should be writing more policies like this one, policies that protect infrastructure, safeguard jobs, and keep the state’s refineries operating under the best environmental standards in the world.

In short, this is what happens when Sacramento stops waiting for things to break.

By the Numbers:

• 1.8 million barrels/day: California’s daily oil consumption

• 80%: Share imported from foreign sources

• 6,000+: Consumer products made from petroleum

• Thousands: Skilled trade and engineering jobs supported by refineries

• Zero: Excuses for waiting until pipelines fail before acting