Oil and Gas Companies Spend Record $17 Million Lobbying California in Early 2026
Oil and gas firms poured more than $17 million into California lobbying during the first half of 2026, targeting climate, safety and cost-recovery legislation.
Analyses by the Last Chance Alliance show oil and gas interests spent more than $17 million on California lobbying in the first half of 2026, setting a sector record with $10.3 million in the first quarter and $6.8 million in the second. The spending focused on blocking legislation that would add costs and liabilities for the industry, such as a bill requiring companies to fund rebuilding after climate-intensified disasters, as well as modest measures to clarify workplace-safety statutes and improve reporting on decommissioning projects.
Top contributors were the Western States Petroleum Association ($4.3 million), Chevron ($3.7 million) and Phillips 66 (just over $0.5 million), much of which flowed through consultants and groups like Californians for Energy Independence that present themselves as grassroots. The lobbying succeeded in defeating a range of bills, from expanding the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to tightening rules on methane-leaking wells and adding oversight for offshore pipelines. Industry representatives declined comment, while environmental advocates argue the influence hampers California’s climate targets, especially as companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil report multi-billion-dollar quarterly profits driven by global supply disruptions.
Why it matters
Heavy lobbying by oil firms is shaping California’s climate and safety policies despite record industry profits.
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