So We All Agree on the Need for Gasoline?

Your next best move?

Are you feeling the opportunities of The Moment—and the need to align your team to take advantage of them? I offer leadership briefings that allow your team to turn the insights of The Myth and The Moment into actionable strategies.

The Myth in the wild: Turns out we do need gasoline.

In an earlier Both True, I covered California’s U-turn on the need for refineries. Why the U-turn? Because California’s leaders had to reckon with the real-world consequences of energy policies driven by The Myth of an Easy Energy transition.

But here’s the surprise: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) now also acknowledge that transitioning away from gasoline is going to be harder than most people thought.

A June letter from California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda to Governor Gavin Newsom lays it out bluntly: “In this phase, demand for the incumbent petroleum-based fuel system, while declining, remains substantial …” The letter conveys that “immediate State actions are necessary to stabilize the near-term vulnerabilities of the entire transportation system … In the near term, an abrupt loss of refining capacity and the increased need for imported fuel to compensate are likely to create new risks for stable fuel prices and supply.”

Here’s a pleasant development: EDF and UCS agree. (Notably, 51 other groups are holding a keep-The-Myth-alive vigil via letter.)

In a joint statement issued in response to the commission’s plan, EDF’s California state director and UCS’s western states senior policy manager backed Gunda’s call for “short-term stability without compromising the longer-term transition.” They urged policymakers to stabilize gasoline supply and praised the seriousness with which the commission “met this moment”:

“Californians continue to rely on gasoline to meet their everyday needs and affordability remains crucial, especially for low-income communities.” The letter goes on: “The Vice Chair’s letter points to some difficult conversations ahead ... UCS and EDF are ready to push for strong, health-protective policies and look forward to continued thoughtful discussions.”

This declaration is a big deal.

Here’s what this means for you:

California and leading pragmatic eNGOs are leaning in to reality: Affordability and fuel supply must be managed if California and places like it are to maintain momentum in their clean-energy transition. Incumbent energy providers, like you, have an opportunity to engage.

Developments such as this give your client-centric partners and stakeholders (aka the problem-solvers) permission to say what many have suspected: The Myth of an Easy Energy Transition is over. And now they need your help crafting the alternative.

The Moment is upon is.

Book + briefings

The Myth and The Moment: From Polarization to Progress in the New Energy Landscape can be on your desk this fall! While the book is in design, here’s how to stay connected:

• Book a fall briefing to explore the opportunities The Myth’s unraveling creates for your organization.

• Have your own The Myth in the wild example? I’d love to feature it.

• Enjoying Both True? Hearting this post is the best way to support my work. Thank you!

To deep agreement,

Tisha