Jim Flores isn’t asking for much. Just that California’s governor do some basic arithmetic before shutting down an energy source that could actually help the people he’s supposed to serve. The Sable Offshore Corporation CEO went on The Ingraham Angle this week with a simple message for Gavin Newsom: restore offshore drilling operations, lower gas prices for Californians, stop making everything harder than it needs to be.
You know what’s fascinating? Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked the Defense Production Act to get oil flowing again from the Santa Ynez Unit off Santa Barbara’s coast. That’s not a casual move. That’s the federal government saying California’s energy policy has become a national security concern. Think about that for a second. We’re talking about protecting American energy independence, reducing our reliance on foreign crude, and somehow the governor of our most populous state is fighting it.
Flores put it plainly. This restored drilling operation represents the best thing that could happen for California consumers right now. Lower prices at the pump. More domestic production. Less money flowing to countries that don’t share our values or interests. It’s not complicated math, but apparently it’s too complicated for Sacramento.
California already has the highest gas prices in the nation. Families are getting crushed every time they fill up their tanks. Small businesses are watching their delivery costs eat into already thin margins. But Newsom would rather virtue signal about environmental purity than acknowledge the real world consequences of his policies. That’s not leadership. That’s performative politics at the expense of working people.
The irony burns hotter than a California wildfire. The state that lectures America about climate policy can’t keep its own lights on during heat waves. Rolling blackouts have become routine. Energy costs keep climbing. And when someone offers a solution that would provide reliable, affordable energy from resources we already have, the response is a lawsuit. California sued the Trump administration over this pipeline restart, calling it unlawful. Never mind that the Defense Production Act gives the federal government clear authority here.
Here’s what really matters. Offshore drilling off California’s coast isn’t some radical new experiment. These platforms have operated safely for decades. The technology has improved dramatically. Environmental protections are stronger than ever. But facts don’t seem to penetrate the ideological bubble that surrounds California’s political class.
Flores and his company are trying to do something productive. They’re trying to extract American energy, create jobs, lower costs, and strengthen our national security. That used to be considered patriotic. Now it’s treated like a crime against progressive orthodoxy.
Meanwhile, California keeps importing oil from countries with far worse environmental records and far worse human rights records. That makes sense to exactly nobody outside the Sacramento echo chamber. You want to reduce carbon emissions? Great. Start by acknowledging that American energy production is cleaner than the alternatives we’re funding overseas.
The disconnect between California’s energy fantasies and energy realities keeps growing. Newsom can posture all he wants about stopping offshore drilling. He can file lawsuits and issue executive orders and give speeches about saving the planet. But none of that changes the fact that Californians need affordable energy right now. Not in some theoretical green future. Today.
Flores is right to call out the math problem. Because this isn’t really about environmental protection. It’s about political calculation. And right now, California’s governor has decided that keeping his progressive base happy matters more than keeping gas affordable for everyone else.
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