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.

When a refinery closes, the host city absorbs the consequences long before the state does. This session looks at how local government is consulted, what cities actually need from operators and regulators during a closure, and how public trust is won or lost in the first months of the process.

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.

A rare opportunity to hear directly from refinery operators on their internal demand projections, investment calculus, and closure/conversion decision-making. 

Decommissioning refineries involves managing contaminated soil, groundwater, storage infrastructure, and legacy industrial materials. Advances in remediation technologies are changing how large industrial sites can be cleaned up and prepared for new uses. This session explores emerging remediation technologies and practical approaches to managing complex refinery sites.

This session will discuss how cleanup costs are estimated, funded, and allocated, and who carries the liability when a site changes hands or an operator exits. We will explore what legislative models exist in other jurisdictions and what California can learn from them.

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.

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.

Not every refinery that stops producing gasoline is decommissioned. This session examines how operators weigh conversion to renewable fuels against full closure — the capital required, feedstock and offtake questions, permitting timelines, and what makes a site a viable candidate for conversion rather than demolition.

A broader and forward-looking session focused on how existing refinery assets can evolve into multi-energy hubs. The discussion will revolve around how to leverage existing infrastructure to support California's long-term energy transition and net zero plans.

This session covers how to finance brownfields redevelopment on decommissioned refinery sites. It looks at funding models built for long, multi-year cleanups, and the workforce and community steps needed to carry a project through to completion. Attendees leave with a practical view of what it takes to fund and staff a decommissioning project from start to finish.

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.