Key facts
- California Assembly Bill 1448 would prohibit using existing oil and gas infrastructure for federal offshore leases issued after January 1, 2026.
- The bill aims to prevent the transport of oil from new federal territories to shore via pipeline.
- Governor Gavin Newsom has signaled opposition to federal offshore oil drilling.
- The State Building and Construction Trades Council opposes the bill, citing potential impacts on refinery operations.
California lawmakers are advancing a bill that would effectively block new federal offshore oil leases by prohibiting the use of existing state-controlled infrastructure for such projects. Assembly Bill 1448, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, aims to counter President Trump's "Drill, baby, drill" energy policy, which seeks to expand oil and gas extraction off the California coast.
The proposed legislation would prevent new federal leases issued after January 1, 2026, from utilizing existing oil and gas infrastructure located within California's coastal territory. This measure is designed to make it practically impossible to transport oil from newly leased federal waters to shore via pipeline, as state law already restricts new infrastructure in state waters that could support federal drilling.
A coalition of environmental groups supports the bill, arguing it will protect the California coast from future federal efforts to expand fossil fuel extraction. The Trump administration had previously proposed opening federal waters off California to leasing for the first time in four decades, though this plan has not yet been implemented.
However, the State Building and Construction Trades Council opposes AB 1448. The council contends that the bill could hinder refinery operations by cutting off a potential local crude oil source, especially as two California refineries have recently closed. They argue such policies make it "increasingly difficult and prohibitively expensive to operate refineries in-state."
Governor Newsom, who has until September 30 to act on the bill, has previously expressed strong opposition to Trump's offshore oil agenda. Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis has publicly endorsed AB 1448.