The cleanest oil fields in the world: Narratives encouraging oil development in California

In recent years, there have been increasing calls for policies that restrict supply of fossil fuels to supplement efforts being made to curb demand. However, the literature on supply-side policies has not paid sufficient attention to widespread anxieties about energy needs being left unmet. In this paper, I demonstrate how the theme of energy needs has facilitated narratives encouraging increasing oil production in California, a state otherwise known for its climate leadership ambitions. Through doing so, I also demonstrate how the fossil fuel industry and its supporters have begun to incorporate climate concerns into pro-industry narratives. Taking dependence on fossil fuels for granted, industry supporters use California's tough regulations and clean oil to depict the state as a potential hero defending the climate and other moral values through drilling for oil. Ulti-mately, I discuss the importance of recognizing access to energy as a cherished value; effectively responding to such narratives is essential if supply-side policies are to be widely implemented in the future.

Automated summary

In recent years, there has been a growing demand to restrict the supply of fossil fuels to complement efforts in curbing demand. However, existing research on supply-side policies fails to address concerns about unmet energy needs. This paper demonstrates how the focus on energy needs has led to narratives promoting increased oil production in California, despite its climate leadership ambitions. The fossil fuel industry and its supporters have started incorporating climate concerns into pro-industry narratives, using California's stringent regulations and clean oil to portray the state as a hero protecting the climate through oil drilling. Ultimately, recognizing access to energy as a cherished value is crucial to effectively implementing supply-side policies in the future.