Aiming to fend off polluter accountability and anti-price gouging measures, the oil industry has now spent $56.8 million in the 2023-2024 legislative session so far

Sacramento, California — California’s 2024 third-quarter disclosures reveal that Big Oil spent an unprecedented $16.1 million on lobbying and influence activities from July through September, bringing total spending for 2024 to $31.4 million. This spending easily surpasses the previous annual record of $26.2 million set in 2017, with a full quarter of payments yet to be disclosed. With a full quarter left—this year’s oil industry spending has reached new heights. Over the seven quarters of the current legislative session of 2023-2024, Big Oil has already invested $56.8 million in lobbying efforts, far exceeding the previous record of $44 million set during the 2017-2018 session. 

The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), Chevron, and Aera Energy—now merged into California Resources Corporation—collectively spent $14.5 million. 

The top five Big Oil influence spenders can be seen below.

“The fossil fuel industry is panicking. It’s spending tens of millions to counter the power of the Californians who are standing up against its deadly pollution, as well as the politicians who are taking notice of the climate, health, and safety impacts of fossil fuels. But regardless of the industry’s desperate attempts to manipulate our political system with its dirty dollars, a clean energy future is on its way, thanks to the collective power of communities across California, said Allie Rosenbluth, U.S. Program Manager at Oil Change United States. “Fossil fuel money in politics is bad for us, bad for the planet, bad for frontline communities, and bad for democracy. To ensure a liveable future, we need a healthy democracy where our elected officials are free from the destructive fossil fuel industry’s dirty money. Nearly 700 California politicians have already pledged not to take fossil fuel money – it’s time for the rest to follow. ” 

Most of the oil industry’s spending went not toward direct lobbying but rather to broader “influence” activities, which state law also requires them to disclose. Out of the $16.1 million spent in the third quarter, only $1.8 million was allocated to direct lobbying. For instance, WSPA spent $10.1 million on influence activities, but just $203,374 of that went to disclosed lobbying.

Within these influence activities, the oil industry directed $1.25 million to the front group Californians for Energy Independence, with $1 million from Chevron and $250,000 from Aera. Another industry-backed group, Californians for Affordable & Reliable Energy (CARE), reported $4 million in spending for the quarter.

Throughout the quarter, the oil industry concentrated heavily on blocking the Make Polluters Pay legislative package, targeting bills like AB 1866 (idle wells reform), AB 2716 (marginal wells reform), and AB 3233 (reaffirming localities authority to regulate or ban oil drilling)—all of which were ultimately signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. Big Oil also pushed back against legislative and regulatory measures aimed at increasing transparency and curbing price gouging in the refining sector, including efforts related to the ongoing implementation of SBX 1-2 and the debate and passage of ABX 2-1. Californians for Energy Independence disclosed spending to oppose AB 2716 and AB 3233, while CARE reported using its funds to oppose ABX 2-1.

Several industry players—including the California Independent Petroleum Association, WSPA, Chevron, Shell Oil, Occidental Petroleum, and BP—also lobbied on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a controversial regulatory program that often benefits production of dirty and carbon-intensive fuels, despite its name. Environmental justice advocates are urging the California Air Resources Board to reject LCFS’s renewal, which is scheduled for a vote on November 8.

“It is no surprise to see that Big Oil is spending unprecedented amounts of money on lobbying this quarter.” said Isabel Penman, Northern California Organizer for Food & Water Watch. “Governor Newsom must work to counteract the influence of Big Oil and push his agencies to make smart decisions that move us away from fossil fuels and center the health of the communities living in the wake of climate change and rampant pollution. This includes CARB rejecting the amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that will incentivize major polluters to keep polluting, and the CPUC voting to shut down the dangerous Aliso Canyon gas storage facility – the site of the biggest methane and polytoxic blowout in U.S. history – by 2027.”

Using a tactic that helps obscure their direct involvement in electioneering, oil majors have funneled much of their campaign finance spending through a Super PAC with a deceptively broad name: the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class Including Energy Companies Who Produce Gas, Oil, Jobs and Pay Taxes. This Super PAC has already spent $7.9 million, funded by $12 million from top contributors like Chevron ($4 million), Valero ($2.5 million), Phillips 66 ($2 million), Marathon ($2 million), and California Resources Corporation ($1.5 million).

“For Big Oil, polluting our air, water and planet are not enough, they’re polluting our democracy with record-shattering amounts of lobbying money, too. Shame on them,” said Meghan Sahli-Wells, California Director of Elected Officials to Protect America and former Mayor of Culver City. “Furthermore, as a coalition of elected officials fighting climate change, we urge all candidates and current electeds to refuse dirty fossil fuel dollars. We win by creating safe and healthy communities, not by accepting contributions from corporations that put Californians in harm’s way.”

Additional details on oil industry lobbying spending, campaign contributions, and recipients of the campaign dollars are all available upon request. Please email Blake@sunstonestrategies.org for more information. 

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METHODOLOGY

The numbers for this press release came from taking the original oil and gas industry list compiled by CalAccess and then removing any companies placed on the list which are part of the biomass or carbon removal industries. The California Carbon Solutions Coalition remains on the list because it is heavily funded by the oil and gas industry. The California Fuels and Convenience Alliance is also on the list because they serve as a seller of petroleum-derived gasoline, are lobbying against implementation of a price gouging penalty for oil refiners, and share a lobbying firm with Chevron. Oxy Low Carbon Solutions, too, has been placed on the list because it is a subsidiary of oil giant Occidental Petroleum and is lobbying the California Air Resources Board to allow Direct Air Capture financial credits generated under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard to be used for offsetting emissions for their oil drilling in West Texas’ Permian Basin.