Following the federal commitment to reduce US emissions by 50 percent by 2030, California has expanded upon its climate commitments with the new goal of phasing out all oil extraction in the state by 2045. Additionally, it has demanded that the Department of Conservation halt all fracking permits in 2024.
Although fracking only accounts for about 17 percent of California’s total oil and gas production, multiple studies have linked the practice to serious health and environmental threats.
In making the announcement, Governor Newsom tweeted, “Today, we’re announcing that we will phase out all oil extraction—as part of a world-leading effort to achieve carbon neutrality—and ban fracking by 2024.”
California is one of the top oil-producing states in the country, so a pledge to stop extraction is a significant climate commitment. This, combined with the state’s ban of gas-powered vehicle sales in 2035 will hopefully speed up the effort to decarbonize the state’s transportation sector.
We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as the state implements tangible changes to reduce extraction.
