Rising Approvals Of Oil Drilling Permits Underscore Governor Newsom's Expansion Of Oil Drilling Instead Of Shifting Away From Fossil Fuels As Promised, Says Consumer Watchdog

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil well permit approvals continued to grow in the third quarter of 2026 to a total of 433 for the first nine months, a sharp rise of 277% in approved drilling permits from 2023 through 2025 when drilling permit approvals totaled only 115, Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance reported today. Permits rose another 22.7% between the first half of the year and the first nine months.

"This is exactly where California wasn't supposed to go, based on Governor Newsom's own words," said Consumer Advocate Liza Tucker. "In 2021, Newsom said, 'It's time—time to move beyond fossil fuels,' and said of fossil fuels and the oil spills they cause, '…it's time once and for all to disabuse ourselves that this has to be part of our future. This is part of our past.' He called for a ban on fracking that went into effect in 2024. But by September 2025, he did a 360, signing legislation expanding oil drilling. It's shocking to see where we are now."

"Governor Newsom is actively participating in the deconstruction of his own climate, health, and economic policies," said Kyle Ferrar, Western Program Director at FracTracker Alliance. "The Governor's support of CEQA exemptions for new drilling under SB 237 and allowing the California Energy Commission to delay the refinery profit cap on gas at the pump is conceding on the elimination of both environmental and consumer protections while the industry dismantles key environmental protections like the state fracking ban."

Just days ago, in response to oil industry lawsuits, a Kern County trial court tentatively ruled that California's statewide ban ordered by Newsom and put into effect in 2024 is invalid. If finalized, that means state regulators would have to reconsider fracking permits denied more than five years ago. "Will Newsom fall down on this job too or will his administration immediately challenge that ruling?" asked Tucker. "All of this threatens to tarnish Newsom's climate legacy forever."

State data analyzed by FracTracker shows that approvals for new well drilling permits jumped from two in the same quarter last year to 80 in the third quarter of 2026. Permits to rework or redrill existing wells were down just slightly. The plugging of wells fell 5.2% this quarter over the third quarter of 2025. (See Table 1.)

Table 1.

FracTracker Summary of 2026 3rd Q CalGEM Oil and Gas Well Permits Vs Same Quarter 2025. Data downloaded from the California Department of Geological Energy Management (CalGEM).

Newsom himself repeatedly said that California must phase out fracking and oil drilling. In 2021, Newsom said, "Together, we must move beyond oil and usher in a cleaner and greener future that safeguards our communities, environment and the economy." That same year he pronounced: "The climate crisis is real, and we continue to see the signs every day. As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation sector and create a healthier future for our children, I've made it clear that I don't see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil." And, again, that year: "When you look at the science, we can't be extracting oil after 2045."

In 2023, Newsom said, "Big Oil knows that California is moving beyond fossil fuels, so on their way out these corporations are doing everything they can to squeeze out profits as they pollute our communities." And the following year, he said, "Let's not mince words: The climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. Period…"It's the burning of gas, it's the burning of coal, it's the burning of oil."

After assuming office, Newsom took action. In 2019, he imposed a temporary moratorium on issuing fracking permits, pending independent scientific review, after which permitting resumed. In 2021, he directed the California Geologic Energy Management Division to end new fracking permits by January 2024 and asked air regulators to also examine how California could phase out all oil extraction by 2045. In 2022, he signed SB 1137 which prohibited new drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools and other sensitive locations.

Then, Newsom did an about-face. After two refiners announced plans to close operations in the Bay and LA area in the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025, regulators at the California Energy Commission shelved a proposal to follow through with creating a penalty on refiners for price gouging that he had called for himself and signed into legislation in 2023. As a result Californian gas prices are nearly two dollars higher than US gas prices and refining margins are among the highest they have ever been. 

In 2025, Newsom signed SB 237, a sweeping package of climate and energy policies that also facilitated a major expansion of oil drilling in California's Kern County. The legislation allows the county to approve up to 2,000 new oil wells annually, potentially reaching 20,000 permits over a decade. The legislation limits environmental review by making Kern County's existing environmental impact report—a subject of litigation by environmental groups for years—sufficient for CEQA compliance and nullifying the need for additional review of specific projects.

Newsom stated at the signing ceremony on September 19, 2025, that the astonishing turnaround in state policy was a "practical" turn to rein in surging gas prices and energy costs. "We have to effectively transition," he said. "This is not an ideological endeavor. We're in the practical application business." He was more straightforward about the deal a month earlier at a press conference. "We are all the beneficiaries of oil and gas," he said. "No one's naive about that. So it's always been about finding a just transition, a pragmatism in terms of that process."

More than 120 environmental groups protested Newsom's "drill baby drill" legislative package, saying it would simply continue to harm public health without meaningfully addressing refinery closures or pump prices. "They were right," said Tucker. "The $26 million that big oil spent lobbying California officials in the first nine months of 2025 clearly helped shape the policy debate and influence the outcome."

"If Newsom fails to wake up, he is going to lose all momentum he has created," said Ferrar. "California needs to become a leader in defining what a Just Transition means, rather than regressing back to industry captured politics. If the administration needs to prioritize refining capacity, they must develop a new model for refinery management that prioritizes environmental protections while also achieving reductions in cost of living and fuel prices for Californians. I am not sure if Newsom is up to the task."

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog