California will be a national security risk for the entire country!

With no crude oil pipelines over the Sierra Mountains, California is an energy island separated from the crude oil supply and the infrastructure of oil refineries from the other 49 States. Thus, all in-state California transportation fuel demands for ships, airports, cars, and trucks have staggering numbers FROM in-state refineries:

Beyond chemistry, hydrocarbons underpin physical mobility.

• Diesel powers heavy logistics: trucks, mining equipment, construction machinery, rail, and agricultural systems.
• Aviation depends almost entirely on jet fuel.
• Merchant ships for global trade rely on bunker fuel.
• Military mobility, tanks, aircraft, naval fleets, and supply chains remain inseparable from liquid hydrocarbons due to their unmatched energy density, storability, and reliability.

Collectively, the closure of the Phillips refinery in Southern California and the Valero refinery in Northern California provided about 17% of the state’s crude oil processing capacity to provide transportation fuels demanded in California. Thus, transportation fuel shortages are imminent in California, and it will import those fuels from new refineries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

• Fuel for the ships in three of the busiest Ports in America, located in California.
  • Port of Los Angeles had more than 1,800 vessel arrivals in 2024, which includes cruise and merchant ships.
  • Port of Long Beach handled over 9.6 million container units in 2024, indicating a very high volume of ship activity, plus cruise ships.
  • Port of Oakland, which also handles significant cargo volumes, contributes to the total number of cruise and merchant ships needing fuel.
• Jet fuel: With all its 145 airports, including 9 international airports and 41 military airports, the demand is 13 million gallons of aviation fuel daily. Several of those airports have direct pipelines to local refineries. In 2019, California consumed 16.7% of the national total of jet fuel, making it the largest consumer of jet fuel in America.
• Gasoline: For its 30 million vehicles, California is the second-largest consumer of motor gasoline among the 50 states, consuming 42 million gallons a day of gasoline, just behind Texas.
• Diesel: Diesel fuel is the second largest transportation fuel used in California, consuming 10 million gallons a day of diesel to support the state’s trucking of products from 3 of the busiest shipping ports in America.

For California’s energy island, all in-state transportation fuel demands within the State for diesel fuel, jet fuel, bunker fuel, gasoline, and the fuel demands of the military and space programs have been manufactured in-state.

The supply chain of fuels and products refined from raw crude oil will face severe imbalance, leading to higher costs and shortages for future generations. In the future, new refinery units that are planned or announced in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East will be providing the transportation fuel to California’s 9 international airports, 41 military airports, and 3 of the largest shipping ports!

YES, California will be a national security risk for the entire country!

Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are moving forward with new refineries to meet worldwide demands. New refinery units are planned or announced, mostly in poorer developing countries, to process crude oil into the products and fuels demanded by those living on this planet, to begin operations worldwide by 2030.

• Approximately 181 new oil refinery projects are planned or announced to commence operations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East between 2024 and 2030, with Africa leading with roughly 70–89 projects, followed by Asia and the Middle East. These regions are driving global capacity growth, with significant investments aimed at meeting rising demand, shifting away from aging, less efficient facilities in other parts of the world.
• Africa is set for the highest number of new projects (approx. 70–89). Asia follows, with a strong focus on expansion (e.g., in India and China). The Middle East is adding significant capacity (approx. 30–81 projects), with major projects in Iran and Iraq.

Without these new refinery additions around the world, the supply chain of fuels and products will face severe imbalances, leading to higher costs and shortages for future generations.

California policymakers seem to be unaware that Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are savoring the future with their many refineries coming online to meet the supply chain of products and transportation fuel DEMANDS of California.

The burning of bunker fuel by ships traversing thousands of miles back and forth from new refineries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East over the ocean is OK with California politicians, as all those emissions over the oceans are OUTSIDE the borders of California!

Please share this information with teachers, students, and friends to encourage Energy Literacy conversations at the family dinner table. 

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