Energy: transportation fuels: supply: reportable pipelines.

Senator Richardson, joined by Senators Grove and Stern, champions a measure that creates a formal category of reportable pipelines and requires monthly reporting of their operations to the state energy resources commission, beginning in early 2027. The most significant change is the identification of pipelines that qualify as reportable by the end of 2026 and the imposition of regular data submission on those pipelines, including operational volumes and capacity metrics, to illuminate how crude oil moves through California’s system.

Under the proposal, a reportable pipeline is one that delivers crude oil to California refineries for processing into transportation fuels, with an exclusion for pipelines whose closure would not cause a significant reduction in refinery intake. The bill directs the commission to work with stakeholders to determine which pipelines meet the definition by December 31, 2026 and to establish what constitutes a significant reduction. Commencing March 30, 2027, and monthly thereafter, operators of reportable pipelines would submit data within 30 days of each reporting period, covering: the minimum and maximum 24-hour operating volumes necessary to maintain safe operations; daily crude oil delivered; daily hours of operation; and both maximum nameplate capacity and available capacity.

The data package to be submitted is complemented by penalties for noncompliance and by confidentiality protections. The bill would extend civil penalties to entities that fail to provide information about reportable pipelines and authorize the commission to seek a court order to compel disclosure. It would also preserve the ability to request that submitted information be held confidential, and the commission could share confidential information with other state agencies only if they agree to maintain confidentiality. The authors’ findings accompany the measure, noting that protecting certain information from public disclosure is necessary to safeguard sensitive business information and trade secrets. The overall aim, as articulated by the authors, is to balance regulatory oversight of crude oil transport with protections for commercially sensitive data while expanding the commission’s ability to monitor pipeline operations and supply dynamics.