California’s inexperienced virtue-signaling is a crimson alert for America’s security

It’s well-known that California has the highest gas prices in the nation. While the national average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline is $2.82, Californians pay about $4.21 per gallon.

That’s roughly 50% more than the rest of the country.

What people might not realize, though, is that California’s reckless energy policies undermine defense readiness and U.S. national security.

The upshot: President Trump should invoke the Defense Production Act, a law intended to protect the nation’s energy supplies.

Relief won’t come from the state itself.

California Democrats’ energy policies, centered on climate virtue-signaling, are costly and dangerous.

In fact, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators have created an affordability crisis. High gas prices drive up the cost of all goods and services, making everyday life more expensive.

This crisis is one of the key reasons California is losing more residents than it’s gaining for the first time since the Gold Rush.

And these policies are no longer harming only California.

They are spilling over into neighboring states and affecting the entire nation.

The governors of Nevada (a Republican) and Arizona (a Democrat) even sent a bipartisan letter to Newsom, warning that California’s oil policies could damage their states’ economies.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), nearly two-thirds of the crude oil refined in California now comes from foreign suppliers.

In the 1980s, the state imported only about 6% of its oil. Since then, in-state production has fallen by 75%, while foreign oil imports are up 67%.

It is reckless to rely so heavily on foreign crude oil to keep our refineries running.

California’s supply cushion is shrinking, as well. The EIA reports that shutdowns at the Phillips 66 and Valero refineries will eliminate 17% of California’s already limited refining capacity, increasing the risk of price volatility.

Refineries are leaving California because of a regulatory system more focused on harassment than practical solutions. As a result, refinery operating costs in California are 26-37% higher than the national average.

Compounding the problem, California cannot easily rely on fuel from other states due to its unique reformulated gasoline blend requirements, which are not used by any other states except Arizona and Nevada.

Michael Mische, a professor at the University of Southern California, has been tracking the data and warning about this issue for years.

The numbers show that overseas shipments required to fill the supply gap have multiple logistical problems and will increase costs.

The result: a real possibility of huge price spikes and even shortages.

To make matters worse, these dynamics also cause port congestion, increase emissions, and expose California to greater geopolitical risk.

California is now importing refined gasoline from countries such as China and India —- nations that buy oil from Russia and Iran. This, in effect, helps bankroll our nation’s adversaries.

It also presents a serious national security concern.

California refineries supply gasoline and jet fuel to military installations throughout California and the Pacific region. About 95-100% of the fuel used at California military bases is currently produced by in-state refineries.

California has the highest concentration of fuel-consuming military installations in the region, including 11 Air Force bases, along with Navy, Marine Corps, and Army facilities.

These installations account for an estimated 60% of the region’s total fuel consumption, with California military bases using approximately 370 million gallons annually.

Upcoming refinery closures are projected to reduce in-state jet fuel production by roughly 600,000 gallons per day, increasing reliance on imports and threatening military supply chains.

This is especially troubling because California has no inbound pipelines for refined fuels; most petroleum products arrive by maritime tankers.

Given these dangers, I am sounding the alarm.

I have sent a letter to President Trump respectfully urging him to invoke the Defense Production Act. This law allows the federal government to prioritize critical contracts, expand domestic production, and direct private-sector resources when national security is at risk.

We must strengthen our fuel supply and refining capacity, reduce dependence on foreign sources, and protect American security —- and we must act immediately.

Tony Strickland is a Republican state senator representing parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.