Reminding The Legislature of Who’s Paying for California’s Climate Laws

California’s climate agenda may seem ambitious on paper, but the actual cost is much higher than advertised. The question isn’t if we’ll pay for these laws, but who is already paying. And the answer is simple: every Californian, every small business, and every visitor in our state is paying the cost.

As Politico reported this past week, “California Democrats have retrenched on environmental reviews for construction projects, a cap on oil industry profits, and clean fuel mandates." … “California was the vocal climate leader during the first Trump administration,” said Chris Chavez, deputy policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air. “It’s questionable whether or not that leadership is still there.”

On the environmental front, CIPA CEO Rock Zierman and CIPA VP of Government Affairs Sean Wallentine are reminding lawmakers and reporters that there’s a direct line between California’s go-it-alone climate policies and the economic pressure being placed on our communities. These policies aren’t free. They come at the cost of 55,000 middle-class jobs in the oil and gas industry. These are jobs that can’t be outsourced and often serve as a lifeline for workers without college degrees.

The costs show up at the pump, where California drivers pay some of the highest gas prices in the country. They also show up in the form of higher grocery bills, steeper shipping costs, and increasing prices for everyday goods because petroleum isn’t just fuel. It’s used to produce more than 6,000 essential items, including tires, asphalt, and even parts for electric vehicles.

As “Environmental activists complain California Democrats have ‘backed down’ on climate change,” Zierman and Wallentine bring up California’s environmental double standard. While California restricts its own oil production, it imports oil from countries that don’t follow any of our climate or labor laws. Some of that oil comes from operations contributing to deforestation in the Amazon or displacing indigenous communities abroad. These foreign producers are exempt from our emissions rules, carbon taxes, and environmental oversight.

California’s current climate policy isn’t just a tax on energy producers; it’s a hidden tax on everyone.