Oil giants derail California bill to reduce gasoline use by 50%

With only two days left in the legislative session, oil industry successfully rallies for amendment to ambitious environmental bill SB350

An ambitious environmental bill in California that attempted to legislate up to a 50% reduction in gasoline use by 2030 had been derailed by the oil industry in the final week of the legislative session.

Senate president pro Tempore Kevin de Leon announced on Wednesday that he would amend the bill, SB350, to drop the petroleum provisions. It will be changed in the Assembly Natural Resources committee as soon as Thursday to deal only with increasing the state's renewable electricity supply and boosting energy efficiency in buildings through retrofits and upgrades.