A data-driven framing of where California refining stands — demand trajectories, closure timelines, market concentration, and the policy vacuum that has emerged. Sets the stakes for the day's discussions.

California's refining industry is at a pivotal point as evolving fuel demand, changing market conditions, and regulatory developments reshape investment decisions and operational strategies. This panel will examine the economic drivers influencing the sector, analyze demand and refining capacity forecasts, and explore potential closure scenarios and their implications for California's fuel supply, market stability, and long-term energy security.

This session gives an overview of refining in California, including how the industry developed and the complications it faces today. It covers where the refinery sites stand right now as operations wind down. It then walks through the components of decommissioning, from underground remediation to hauling away contaminated soil.

As California's regulatory landscape continues to evolve, this session brings together key stakeholders to discuss the policy actions that will shape the future of refining. The discussion will explore the implications of the Cap-and-Invest Program on refinery operations, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness, while identifying practical pathways to balance decarbonization goals with energy reliability and economic resilience.

This session looks at how California keeps fuel supply steady as refining capacity comes offline. It covers import capability, marine and terminal logistics, infrastructure readiness, and the demand scenarios the state is planning against. It then examines the strategies and barriers to keeping supply adequate and affordable through the transition.

California's fuel policy landscape is shifting as refining capacity, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics continue to evolve. This session evaluates a range of policy scenarios and their potential effects on fuel supply, pricing, and market stability across the state. It examines what policymakers, refiners, and other stakeholders need to weigh as they plan for continued volatility and structural change in California's gasoline market.

As environmental regulations continue to evolve, refinery operators must balance compliance obligations with operational performance and long-term sustainability goals. Join Environmental Directors and HSE leaders as they share practical experiences in emissions reduction, permitting, environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and preparing facilities for the next phase of California's energy transition.

Local communities with a refinery in their midst will face multiple challenges when the refinery inevitably closes. But we can start taking action now to prepare for these communities’ transition to a more diversified economy. This session will lay out the multiple issues that communities face upon closure of a refinery, including end-of-life operational risks, site decommissioning and remediation, and redevelopment decision-making, and will discuss how to start addressing those issues now in preparation for future closures.

California has lost roughly a third of its crude refining capacity since 2023, and an increasing share of its transportation fuel now arrives by sea. This session examines what that shift means for supply reliability, port and terminal throughput, and jet fuel at the state's airports and military installations, drawing on two decades of refinery operating experience. The speakers set out their own view of the causes and of the policy response required.

Refinery closures in California are accelerating as regulatory, market, and operational pressures reshape the state's fuel supply landscape. This session will take a wholesome view of the California

As California's refining capacity contracts, gasoline markets face new pressure points around price volatility, financial risk, and market oversight. This session examines the economic and market mechanics behind these price movements, including the tools used to monitor volatility and identify distortions as supply tightens. It considers what analytical and oversight frameworks are needed to keep fuel markets functioning smoothly through continued structural change.

Changes in refining capacity are reshaping California's fuel supply landscape, requiring new approaches to ensure market stability and energy reliability. This session examines supply chain resilience, import capabilities, marine logistics, infrastructure readiness, and the role of strategic planning in mitigating future supply disruptions.

Refinery jobs are among the highest-paying in their communities, and closure puts them at risk. This panel brings together industry, government, labor, and community leaders to discuss retraining and redeployment pathways, how decommissioning and remediation work can absorb the existing workforce, and what policy and funding support is needed to protect skilled jobs through the transition.

As environmental regulations continue to evolve, refinery operators must balance compliance obligations with operational performance and long-term sustainability goals. Join Environmental Directors and HSE leaders as they share practical experiences in emissions reduction, permitting, environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and preparing facilities for the next phase of California's energy transition.

Large refinery properties represent significant infrastructure assets that can support new economic development if redevelopment is properly planned. Identifying viable future uses for these sites requires coordination between regulators, developers, utilities, and local governments. This session explores strategies for repurposing refinery sites and attracting new investment.

Refineries contain complex networks of processing units, pipelines, tanks, and hazardous materials that must be safely dismantled during closure. Large scale industrial demolition requires specialized engineering expertise and strict safety planning. This session explores the technical challenges of refinery dismantlement and the project management strategies required to execute these projects safely.

The session will look ahead to California's refining landscape over the next decade, discussing future fuel demand, investment priorities, refinery competitiveness, imports, renewable fuels, infrastructure readiness, and the evolving role of conventional refineries.