Governor Newsom Condemns Federal Effort to Restart Sable Offshore Pipeline, Vows Legal Action
Photo Credit: California Governor’s Office
SACRAMENTO, March 17, 2026 (CALIFRONIA NEWS TODAY) — The Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, has announced opposition to the Trump administration’s use of the Defense Production Act to attempt to restart the Sable Offshore pipeline off California’s coast.
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President Donald Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked emergency powers to seek a restart of the pipeline, which has been offline since a 2015 oil spill near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County. The administration described the effort as unlawful and said California would pursue legal action.
“Donald Trump started a war, admitted it would spike gas prices nationwide, and told Americans it was a small price to pay. Now he’s using this crisis of his own making to attempt what he’s wanted to do for years: open California’s coast for his oil industry friends so they can poison our beaches. This wouldn’t lower prices by a cent. This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting. California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy. The Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders, and we will see them back in court,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Governor’s office cited data reported by Bloomberg indicating the pipeline would contribute approximately 0.05% of total oil production, which it described as insufficient to affect global oil prices. According to the administration, oil from the pipeline would represent less than 0.3% of petroleum products currently affected by disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
The 2015 spill released 142,000 gallons of crude oil onshore, with 21,000 gallons entering the Pacific Ocean. State officials reported thousands of birds and marine mammals were killed, fisheries covering 138 square miles were temporarily closed, and a $23.3 million settlement followed. A 2020 federal court order barred the pipeline from restarting without approval from California safety inspectors and required more than $60 million in damages and penalties.
Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis also criticized the federal action.
“The decision today by the Trump Administration and Secretary Wright is a wildly disingenuous attempt to pin the blame at California for the short-sighted decision to launch a war in Iran that is costing American taxpayers $11 billion dollars in the first week alone. The reason oil is nearly $100/barrel and gas prices are skyrocketing across the country isn’t because of California’s production, it’s because of decisions from the Trump Administration. Not to mention the catastrophic environmental consequences from oil spills that have resulted in bipartisan support to keep offshore drilling out of California’s coasts,” said Kounalakis.
Legislative leaders also issued statements opposing the restart.
“This administration has attempted to drill along our coastline despite decades of bipartisan opposition. This move will not address the volatile market being made more chaotic by the actions of this administration in Iran. This overreach can and will have serious implications throughout the state. Just like their actions have had an overnight impact on raising gasoline prices and increased security concerns for Californians,” said Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón.
“Donald Trump dragged the world into an energy crisis and is the driving force behind rising gas prices across the country. Now, Trump is trying to distract from his damage with a tired playbook: more dangerous offshore drilling. Let’s be clear — drilling off California’s coast won’t lower gas prices, and it won’t clean up the mess Trump created. Any attempt to betray California voters and reopen our waters to risky offshore drilling will face immediate, bipartisan resistance. Our coastline is not a bargaining chip for political cover. We will always defend our pristine coast, its ecosystems, tourism economy, workers and communities,” said Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas.
“President Trump’s catastrophic move to override State environmental laws by invoking the Defense Production Act is another step on the slippery slope toward authoritarianism. If the President can attack a foreign country without authorization from Congress and override state laws with unprecedented dubious legal authority – what is left of our Constitution?” said Assemblymember Gregg Hart.
According to the Governor’s office, Sable Offshore currently lacks state authorization to operate across Gaviota State Park, and criminal charges have been filed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney for alleged violations of California water-protection laws.
State officials said California will take legal action to enforce court orders and state laws related to the pipeline restart.
For more information, visit www.gov.ca.gov.
Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
