March 7, 2026 – BAKERSFIELD, Calif.— California regulators have approved more new oil and gas wells in Kern County during the first two months of 2026 than in the last three years combined.
Since January, the California Geologic Energy Management Division, or CalGEM, has approved 128 new drilling permits. From 2023 to 2025, CalGEM approved 121 new permits for all of California.
The approvals come after state lawmakers passed a new law, which took effect Jan. 1, exempting oil drilling in Kern County from the California Environmental Quality Act. The law eliminates any detailed environmental review or public input for up to 2,000 wells in the county every year for the next 10 years…