U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked the Defense Production Act on Friday, ordering Texas‑based Sable Offshore Corp. to restart its Santa Ynez offshore unit and associated pipeline system off southern California. The directive—issued through a Department of Energy news release—targets a supply‑disruption risk that officials say could affect West‑coast military installations and broader energy security.
The Santa Ynez unit, which includes three offshore rigs, on‑shore and offshore pipelines, and the Las Flores Canyon processing facility, can produce about 50,000 barrels of oil per day. According to the release, that output would replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month, bolstering domestic supply.
“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” Wright said. “Unfortunately, some state leaders have not adhered to those same principles, with potentially disastrous consequences not just for their residents, but also our national security. Today’s order will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense, ensuring that West Coast military installations have the reliable energy critical to military readiness.”
The order follows President Donald Trump’s first‑day executive action in his second term, which rescinded President Joe Biden’s 2024 ban on future offshore oil drilling on both coasts. A federal court later struck down Biden’s earlier move to withdraw 625 million acres of federal waters from oil development.
California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted the directive, calling it “an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting.” He warned that the state would continue to fight “to protect our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy.”
State Attorney General Rob Bonta, who sued the federal government in January for approving Sable’s restart plans, reiterated that California oversees the pipelines through Santa Barbara and Kern counties and that “the federal government has no right to usurp California’s regulatory authority.”
The clash underscores a broader federal‑state showdown over energy policy, environmental protection, and the balance of national security concerns with local jurisdiction. While the administration frames the move as a safeguard for military readiness and domestic oil supply, California officials argue it jeopardizes coastal ecosystems and contravenes multiple court rulings. The dispute is likely to return to the courts as both sides prepare for a protracted legal battle.