Alaska’s Economy Threatened by High Oil Taxes – A Cautionary Tale for California
March 27, 2013
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd Proponents of an oil severance tax on California oil producers routinely point to Alaska, which has the highest such tax in the nation, as clear evidence that a state government can extract disproportionately high taxes from a single industry with no impact on its economy. Those folks might want to re-think that claim. Faced with the stark reality that oil production – and associated tax revenues - in Alaska have been steadily declining for several years, the... more
0 Comment(s)
New Report: Monterey Shale Promises Unprecedented Economic Benefits for California
March 15, 2013
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd There’s been a lot of excitement lately over the potential benefits of California’s Monterey Shale – a 1,700 square mile oil-bearing shale formation primarily in the San Joaquin Valley that contains an estimated 15 billion barrels of oil. The excitement comes from a realization this oil, if prudently and safely developed, could dramatically change our state’s energy security picture for decades to come and usher in an era of unprecedented prosperity. Th... more
0 Comment(s)
New Report: Market Conditions Caused 2012 Gas Price Spikes
February 15, 2013
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd Last fall, gasoline prices in California shot up to record levels. Some service stations in Southern California reportedly either ran out of fuel or stopped selling fuel. And this all was occurring at a time when crude oil prices and U.S. national average prices were either stable or trending downward. Consumers, the news media and government officials understandably wanted to know, “What the heck is going on?” It was clear at the time there had been a ... more
0 Comment(s)
Northwest WSPA Assocates Reach Out to Washington Legislators
February 13, 2013
By Jodie Muller For the third year in a row, a Legislative Outreach Day for the WSPA Associates members in Olympia gave Washington lawmakers a chance to hear the voices of hard working men and women whose work supports Washington’s oil industry. Why is this event important to Washington and WSPA members? While the petroleum industry in Washington has a high profile, it often is characterized only as “Big Oil.” Policy decisions may not seem particularly relevant or important to eve... more
0 Comment(s)
The "other" side of the hydraulic fracturing debate
January 23, 2013
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd It doesn’t feature international movie stars, enjoy nationwide commercial distribution, or have multi-million dollar backing from major Hollywood studios and wealthy investors. But “FrackNation,” a new documentary produced on a shoestring budget funded by thousands of small donations could emerge as a powerful voice in the escalating debate over a technology that has the potential to rehabilitate our economy, create hundr... more
0 Comment(s)
Guest Blog: Major Study of LA-Area Oil Production Finds No Environmental Impacts From Hydraulic Fracturing
October 19, 2012
By Dave Quast California Director of Energy In Depth In recent days, it has been disappointing to see activists dismiss the findings of a major study on the Inglewood Oil Field completely out of hand, and in some cases, before the results were even released. This was, after all, a study that environmental and community organizations requested. It was required as part of a 2011 legal settlement that included Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP), L.A. County, Culver City and activ... more
0 Comment(s)
California’s Petroleum Industry Renews Commitment to Safety, Community
September 04, 2012
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd When an incident like the recent refinery fire in Richmond occurs, it’s only natural for questions to be raised about safety. And it’s essential that thorough investigations be conducted to determine the answers as to why something like this happens, and how it can be avoided in the future. One thing’s certain. The answer is not, as some have suggested, to simply shut down this facility or any others that happen to be located near urban population center... more
0 Comment(s)
Leg Analyst: Auction is Not Necessary to Achieve AB 32 Goals
August 24, 2012
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd California’s non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has concluded the California Air Resources Board’s planned auction of emission allowances is costly and not necessary for the state to achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals established by AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. In response to a request by D... more
0 Comment(s)
Alternative Fuels and the Petroleum Industry - the Unrung Bell
August 15, 2012
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.”
- Daniel Boorstin
By Gina Grey A question those of us who work in the petroleum industry hear often is, “Why doesn’t the oil industry get with it and invest in alternative fuels so we can wean ourselves off of our addiction to oil?” This common refrain is expressed i... more0 Comment(s)
PPIC Poll and the Question that Is Begging to be Asked
August 09, 2012
By Catherine Reheis-Boyd The most telling question in the Public Policy Institute’s recent poll of attitudes about cap and trade and AB 32 policies was the one that wasn’t asked. Nowhere in the poll did PPIC ask Californians how much they were willing to pay for gasoline, diesel and other energy supplies to support the state’s climate change program. Whether by design or oversight, the PPIC poll, titled “Californians and the Environment,” continues to perpetrate the myth that ... more
1 Comment(s)