Valero Burns a Billion Dollars to Escape Newsom’s California, Drivers Will Pay at the Pump [WATCH]

[rangerrebew]

Valero Burns a Billion Dollars to Escape Newsom’s California, Drivers Will Pay at the Pump [WATCH]
December 15, 2025
 

California drivers are facing the prospect of the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history as major refinery closures threaten to significantly reduce in-state fuel production, according to analysis outlined in a narrated video examining the shutdown of key facilities.

The most immediate blow comes from Valero’s decision to close its Benicia refinery by April 2026, a move that carries a reported $1.1 billion write-off for the company.

The refinery currently processes 145,000 barrels of oil per day, accounting for roughly 8.6 percent of California’s total gasoline production.

https://www.rvmnews.com/2025/12/valero-burns-a-billion-dollars-to-escape-newsoms-california-drivers-will-pay-at-the-pump-watch/#google_vignette

[Hoodat]

I hope they close every refinery in the State.  Every gas-generated power plant, too.

[DB]

Their goal is to make fuel artificially more expensive so that electric vehicles are more competitive. And everyone's standard of living is going to go down with it. The pain level in California is going to increase substantially over the next few years.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

For reference, here's current refineries across the country.

Still a lot of refineries in CA.

https://www.cccarto.com/atlas/refineries/

[IsailedawayfromFR]

And not the only company fleeing the state.  The list is impressive.

California fleein' on such a winter's day
By Mike McDaniel

Among the very great advantages of our representative, constitutional republic is the ability of Americans to vote with their feet. That’s not a feature of “our democracy,” the tyranny of the majority  Democrats endlessly labor to create. In that polity, you’re stuck where the one-party state wants you to live, and U-Haul is a dream of the dim, fabled past. Voting with one’s feet is also one form of voting not easily corrupted by vote fraud.

Gavin Newsom’s California is, unsurprisingly, among the states working hardest to depopulate itself and eliminate its tax base: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/california_fleein_on_such_a_winter_s_day.html

[DefiantMassRINO]

Central Government Planning of the Economy ... what could possibly go wrong?

Aren't the bastards in Cali trying to retro-actively tax everyone who has or who is leaving the state?

Nothing says "Cali is open for business" by imposing an exit tax.

[catfish1957]

Ever bought a gallon of Gas in Hawaii?

Add a 50% communist surtax to that.  AZ and NV oil distributors are going to hit the jackpot.

[PeteS in CA]

I don't know where "BlackApple", whoever (s)he is, get information, but In-N-Out's headquarters is in Irvine, CA. In-N-Out has not left California.

Similarly, Amgen Inc. has not left California. It did announce this year that it was expanding its existing facility in New Albany, OH, but it also announced plans to build a new research facility in Thousand Oaks, CA (where Amgen has its HQ).

Bed Bath & Beyond is bankrupt, and since its HQ was in Union, NJ, I do not know how "BlackApple" can claim BB&B is "fleeing" California.

BTW, I only factchecked the claims for 3 of the companies on that "fleeing California" list, and all 3 either are still HQed in CA or never were.

I already knew that HP Enterprise hadmoved its HQ from Silicon Valley, but that may have been part of the process of being spun off from HP. That said, HP Enterprise still has offices in Roseville, CA and San Jose, CA, so "fleeing" California is extreme hyperbole or simply false. HPE has 2 facilities in Texas, so HPE may yet have as many or more employees in California as it does in Texas.

ETA: Symantec is a bit complicated. Symantec had acquired Norton in 1990 and LifeLock in 2016. In 2019, Broadcom bought Symantec's Enterprise software division. Broadcom is HQed in Palo Alto, CA. The Norton products group moved to LifeLock's Tempe, AZ office. So part of Symantec is part of California-based Broadcom, while the Norton products group's move to Tempe was simple consolidation, not fleeing anything. Completing the Norton-LifeLock story, it merged with Avast in 2022 to form Gen Digital, whose HQ is in Prague.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Ever bought a gallon of Gas in Hawaii?

Add a 50% communist surtax to that.  AZ and NV oil distributors are going to hit the jackpot.

Yes I have.  Very difficult to use very many gallons during weeklong trips there.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I don't know where "BlackApple", whoever (s)he is, get information, but In-N-Out's headquarters is in Irvine, CA. In-N-Out has not left California.

Similarly, Amgen Inc. has not left California. It did announce this year that it was expanding its existing facility in New Albany, OH, but it also announced plans to build a new research facility in Thousand Oaks, CA (where Amgen has its HQ).

Bed Bath & Beyond is bankrupt, and since its HQ was in Union, NJ, I do not know how "BlackApple" can claim BB&B is "fleeing" California.

BTW, I only factchecked the claims for 3 of the companies on that "fleeing California" list, and all 3 either are still HQed in CA or never were.

I already knew that HP Enterprise hadmoved its HQ from Silicon Valley, but that may have been part of the process of being spun off from HP. That said, HP Enterprise still has offices in Roseville, CA and San Jose, CA, so "fleeing" California is extreme hyperbole or simply false. HPE has 2 facilities in Texas, so HPE may yet have as many or more employees in California as it does in Texas.

ETA: Symantec is a bit complicated. Symantec had acquired Norton in 1990 and LifeLock in 2016. In 2019, Broadcom bought Symantec's Enterprise software division. Broadcom is HQed in Palo Alto, CA. The Norton products group moved to LifeLock's Tempe, AZ office. So part of Symantec is part of California-based Broadcom, while the Norton products group's move to Tempe was simple consolidation, not fleeing anything. Completing the Norton-LifeLock story, it merged with Avast in 2022 to form Gen Digital, whose HQ is in Prague.

As I understand it, these do not represent HQ moves from California to elsewhere (although some do), but companies that scale back California footprints.

Examples are Chevron who still operates major production fields and refineries in California, but who moved technical staff and HQ out of the state.

Contrast with major companies who are scaling up their California presence, which are found to be limited.

[PeteS in CA]

As I understand it, these do not represent HQ moves from California to elsewhere (although some do), but companies that scale back California footprints.

Examples are Chevron who still operates major production fields and refineries in California, but who moved technical staff and HQ out of the state.

Contrast with major companies who are scaling up their California presence, which are found to be limited.

Read the meme again. It does not say "scaling back California footprints". The meme says "... major companies fleeing California ...". "Fleeing" means leaving, not "scaling back footprints".

In-N-Out did not "flee" California, and probably added a store or three during Goobernor Noisome's MalAdministration.

Amgen did not "flee" California, and as I pointed out, will be building an additional major facility in California. Amgen is expanding its presence in California.

Bed Bath & Beyond was not headquartered in California, so it could not "flee" where its administration never was. As for stores, well, yeah, BB&B stores in California have closed ... and in Nevada ... and in Kansas (if there were any) ... and in, well, it's called bankruptcy, not "fleeing".

Half of Symantec is still in California, having merged into Broadcom. The other half merely consolidated into already existing Tempe offices, consolidated, not "fled".

Papst Brewing, hmmmmmm. After decades of moving about the central US, I see Pabst was briefly in California, 2011-2017. The move out was due to an ownership change, not exactly "fleeing". Then in 2020 Pabst bought a Molson-Coors brewery in Irwindale which it sold to City Brewing in 2021, with which it had an existing 20-year production agreement. However you want to describe that move, Pabst is in no way "fleeing" California, and some of its beer is being produced in California, an indirect move into California.

No amount of word-gaming or or wishing-it-were-true can change the simple fact that the meme posted above makes multiple false claims.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Read the meme again. It does not say "scaling back California footprints". The meme says "... major companies fleeing California ...". "Fleeing" means leaving, not "scaling back footprints".

In-N-Out did not "flee" California, and probably added a store or three during Goobernor Noisome's MalAdministration.

Amgen did not "flee" California, and as I pointed out, will be building an additional major facility in California. Amgen is expanding its presence in California.

Bed Bath & Beyond was not headquartered in California, so it could not "flee" where its administration never was. As for stores, well, yeah, BB&B stores in California have closed ... and in Nevada ... and in Kansas (if there were any) ... and in, well, it's called bankruptcy, not "fleeing".

Half of Symantec is still in California, having merged into Broadcom. The other half merely consolidated into already existing Tempe offices, consolidated, not "fled".

Papst Brewing, hmmmmmm. After decades of moving about the central US, I see Pabst was briefly in California, 2011-2017. The move out was due to an ownership change, not exactly "fleeing". Then in 2020 Pabst bought a Molson-Coors brewery in Irwindale which it sold to City Brewing in 2021, with which it had an existing 20-year production agreement. However you want to describe that move, Pabst is in no way "fleeing" California, and some of its beer is being produced in California, an indirect move into California.

No amount of word-gaming or or wishing-it-were-true can change the simple fact that the meme posted above makes multiple false claims.

Ok, but companies are actively fleeing their presence in California by reducing employees and operations there.  Fleeing can take place over time.

In contrast, the company I worked for had an almost 100 year presence in California where it birthed. A $40 bn equity.

It left all its CA assets and moved HQ from CA to Texas in 2014.

It most definitely fled the state lock, stock and barrel.