Big Oil Bets on Becerra and He Returns the Favor

With Chevron’s cash in his pockets, Becerra won’t stand behind California’s climate future — and environmental leaders knows it

SAN FRANCISCO — Two recent reports from Huffington Post and POLITICO tell the same story: Xavier Becerra is moving California backward on climate while taking support from the oil industry poised to benefit from lax climate laws and deregulation.

In a new POLITICO report published yesterday, Becerra refused to commit to California’s 2035 goal to phase out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, a cornerstone of the state’s climate agenda.

We know the reason why. Chevron and Big Oil have backed Xavier Becerra, spending well over $1.1 million collectively to boost their candidate of choice. This is the same Becerra who proclaimed, “You need Chevron. I need Chevron,” and called Big Oil cutting him a check “their prerogative."

The reports paint a clear picture: Big Oil sees Becerra as the candidate who will protect the status quo.

Excerpts of the full piece are below. Read the full HuffPost article here:

“... [Becerra’s] campaign did not respond to a request for comment — races outside of bright blue California show many of the party’s most-hyped candidates are taking a notably friendlier tack towards the industry.

“Becerra is wrong. Big Oil is absolutely the bad guy,” California Environmental Voters political director Matt Abularach-Macias said after Becerra’s comments last month. “Big Oil knew their products would cause devastating impacts to our health, economic and physical safety decades ago, and they decided to lie about it and continue their destructive, deadly business practices.

“Chevron and another major oil company, the California Resources Corporation, have both donated $500,000 to an independent expenditure campaign backing Becerra.

“...the industry seems to be embracing [Becerra] mostly as an alternative to the climate-focused Steyer, said one California Democrat who has worked with the industry but requested anonymity to speak frankly about the contested race.

Excerpts of the full piece are below. Read the full POLITICO article here:

“Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services secretary who’s leading in the polls ahead of the June 2 primary, would not commit to the state’s goal of banning purchases of new gas and hybrid vehicles starting in 2035, in a recent POLITICO survey.

“California should transition from gas-powered vehicles when it makes sense — when infrastructure and affordability are there for California families,” he wrote in response to a question about whether California should maintain the strategy.

Becerra reiterated that position in an interview this week, arguing that the pace of the shift away from fossil fuels is dependent on support from the federal government, car manufacturers and the state’s own budget — all of which are in flux.

“We’re not going to live in a world that’s make-believe,” Becerra said. “If you could tell me where those things are, I could give you a much more precise answer. And if anyone says they can give you that answer, then they’re just making a lot of inflated promises.” Becerra’s position represents a significant departure from one of Newsom’s most ambitious policies during his tenure as governor. In 2020, the governor issued an executive order directing air quality regulators to develop the nation’s strongest vehicle emissions standards, and create a swift timetable for automakers to ramp up production of electric vehicles.

“It’s the latest sign of Becerra’s skepticism toward an aggressive climate agenda that Newsom staked out in the years prior to President Donald Trump’s return to office. Trump’s win ushered in an era of affordability politics, and the resurgence of moderate Democrats in Sacramento who’ve voiced concerns about the impact of environmental policies on residents’ wallets. Becerra has embraced that wing of the affordability movement during his campaign, eschewing calls to reject donations from oil companies and arguing that gasoline will continue to be needed for the foreseeable future, going as far as to say “you need Chevron, I need Chevron,” during an April candidate forum.

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“Under a Becerra governorship, though, California could shift its position on some of its signature climate policies, and potentially adopt a friendlier stance toward the oil industry.

[...] 

“Becerra’s answer has raised alarms among some clean transportation advocates, who say pressing the brakes on California’s EV ambitions would lead to increased pollution and put the state out of step with car markets around the world that are rapidly adopting electric technology.

“Dan Sperling, director emeritus of the University of California, Davis’ Institute for Transportation Studies and a former CARB board member, said the state’s EV policies have been emulated domestically and overseas, and rolling them back could hurt California’s standing as a global leader. And he argued that while electric vehicles have a higher sticker price, they are often cheaper to own in the long run than gas models that require more maintenance.”

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