Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) announced that Senate Bill 237 has been amended to certify the Kern County Environmental Impact Report (EIR) concerning oil and gas production. The measure aims to address a decline in state oil production, which has resulted in California importing nearly 80% of its oil supply to meet demand.
If passed, SB 237 would allow Kern County to approve up to 2,000 new well drilling permits annually. In contrast, only 84 new well permits were approved statewide last year, with even fewer approved so far this year. Senator Grove acknowledged the support of Governor Newsom, California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda, colleagues in the legislature, and retired Kern County Planning Commissioner Lorelei Oviatt for their roles in advancing the bill.
Lorelei Oviatt commented on the legislation: “The Kern County zoning ordinance and SSREIR is enhanced environmental protection that supports streamlined permitting, the best use of CEQA,” said Lorelei Oviatt, AICP Retired Kern County Planning Director. “CEQA, used properly, should be a bridge to a better project not a cliff ending in a dead end. SB237 represents the needed leadership in energy and common sense approach to CEQA that Senator Grove consistently brings to benefit Kern County and all of California.”
She added that “SB 237 does not shortcut CEQA but supports moving forward for Kern County to provide the energy California needs.”
Senator Grove highlighted environmental considerations: “Kern County has produced the most restrictive, environmentally friendly, and legally sound Environmental Impact Report in existence, a blueprint for California’s energy production,” said Senator Grove. If California is serious about securing a stable, affordable, domestic energy supply, not only for us, but for Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico as well, it must start in Kern County, where every new well achieves net-zero carbon increase. I want to thank retired Commissioner Lorelei Oviatt who is an incredibly talented expert in her field and has worked tirelessly on this issue.”
Grove criticized current state policy by stating that prioritizing green agendas over reliable energy sources has contributed to some of the highest energy prices nationwide. She cited job losses from declining local oil production and increased reliance on foreign oil from countries with different standards.
“Californians cannot afford $10-a-gallon gas,” said Senator Grove. “It’s time to unleash Kern County producers to meet our state’s energy needs with affordable, locally produced oil for Californians by Californians.”
According to data cited by supporters of SB 237, California imports approximately 880,000 barrels of oil daily for consumer use. With prices at $65 per barrel, consumers could spend around $21 billion each year on imported oil instead of sourcing it domestically. Declining local output threatens infrastructure stability; two refineries are expected to close within a year—reducing gasoline production capacity by about 20%. Pipeline networks designed for crude transport from Kern County are also at risk due to insufficient supply.
If these pipelines shut down completely, remaining refineries would depend entirely on tanker ships bringing crude oil into ports—a system that current port infrastructure may struggle to accommodate given volume demands for gasoline production for roughly 30 million vehicles statewide. Proponents argue that producing more oil within California could mitigate these risks while supporting jobs and economic activity locally.
SB 237 seeks to position Kern County as central in efforts to bolster domestic oil supply under existing environmental regulations.
