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Energy Secretary Chris Wright Reminds Gavin Newsom Who's Really to Blame For CA Gas Prices

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  March 18, 2026 3:45 PM

Energy Secretary Chris Wright blasted California Governor Gavin Newsom after the governor criticized President Trump’s executive order to reopen a California oil pipeline and resume offshore drilling along the Santa Barbara coast.

Newsom blasted Trump's "war with Iran" as the reason for rising gas prices, even though California Democrats have drowned the state in climate change regulations, which are the main reason the Golden State's gas prices are consistently over the national average.

"Trump knew his war with Iran would raise gas prices. Now he wants to illegally resurrect a pipeline that was shut down by the courts and is facing criminal charges. And it won't even cut prices," Newsom wrote on X. "I refuse to let Trump sacrifice Californians, our environment, or our $51 billion coastal economy."

Wright made sure to remind Newsom who's really to blame.

"Governor, California has strangled its own oil and gas production as well as its refinery capacity, driving up CA energy prices to 40% higher than the country as a whole — 100% higher in the case of electricity prices," he replied. "California imports the majority of its oil from overseas, including the Middle East, and consumes more hydrocarbons than most other states. California is losing residents faster than any state in the country. Your comments are either ignorant or insincere. Either way, that’s not energy, economic OR environmental leadership…that’s outsourcing reality."