Moving closer to an all-out ban, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed regulators to start a regulatory process for banning new permits for drilling using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) by January 2024. 

California production

The governor said he chose the regulatory route after a legislative attempt earlier this month again failed. He has directed the Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to begin the process.

Newsom also requested that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) analyze pathways to phase out oil extraction by 2045. The Democratic governor has said long-term he sees no future for oil and gas.

“The climate crisis is real, and we continue to see the signs every day,” Newsom said. “As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation...