Overview
- After President Trump signed an executive order delegating authority, Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed Sable Offshore to restore operations at the Santa Ynez Unit and its pipeline network off Santa Barbara.
- The Department of Energy framed the action as an energy‑security step tied to the Iran war, saying output of roughly 50,000 barrels a day would support West Coast military readiness and prioritize flows through the Las Flores system to Pentland Station.
- A March 3 Justice Department opinion asserted that a Defense Production Act order could preempt state law and even a 2020 consent decree requiring California approvals, setting up a direct federal–state clash.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta said the directive defies multiple court orders and pledged new lawsuits as environmental groups decried bypassing reviews for infrastructure tied to the 2015 Refugio spill.
- Experts cautioned the restart would have little effect on consumer prices given global disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz closure, even as California gasoline averages have climbed above $5.40 a gallon.