The February 13 edition of the AgNet News Hour wrapped up a powerful week of policy conversations with Part Two of the in-depth interview featuring Edward Ring, Director of Energy and Water Policy at the California Policy Center. While earlier discussions focused heavily on water, this episode zeroed in on energy, oil production, electricity pricing, and California’s economic future, all through the lens of common-sense reform.
Ring tackled a growing concern in California: refinery closures and the long-term outlook for in-state oil production. As refineries begin shutting down or repurposing to import refined gasoline instead of processing California crude, Ring warned that fuel prices are likely to remain high, and regions like Kern County could suffer economically. He emphasized that California produces some of the cleanest oil in the world yet continues to import crude and refined fuel from overseas, outsourcing environmental impact rather than solving it.
The broader issue, Ring explained, is regulatory instability. Oil producers and refiners are hesitant to invest in long-term infrastructure if policy shifts every election cycle. Without consistent leadership and predictable rules, companies won’t commit capital to projects that require 10–20 years to pay off. The result? Reduced in-state production and increased dependence on imports.
But Ring struck a far more optimistic tone when the conversation turned to electricity. He predicted California is heading toward an era of energy abundance, driven not by mandates, but by innovation. He pointed to emerging technologies like small modular nuclear reactors and decentralized energy generation, including data centers generating surplus power and potentially even electric vehicles serving as mobile battery banks.
Ring questioned why natural gas power plants are only operating about 28 percent of the time instead of providing consistent baseload power. If allowed to compete freely, he argued, electricity costs could fall dramatically. Abundant, affordable energy would unlock solutions across the board, from desalination and groundwater recharge to advanced water filtration and inter-basin transfers.
The conversation also circled back to forestry and environmental management. Ring noted that reducing logging from historic levels has contributed to catastrophic wildfires and overgrown forests. Strategic thinning and responsible land management, he said, could improve forest health and potentially increase runoff from Sierra watersheds, boosting water supply while reducing fire risk.
Throughout the interview, Ring repeatedly emphasized collaboration over conflict. Farmers, urban water agencies, and policymakers must unite behind an “all-of-the-above” strategy for water and energy infrastructure. Instead of fighting over scarcity, California could build toward abundance.
As hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill highlighted, the takeaway was simple: California has the resources, oil, water, land, and innovation, but needs leadership willing to prioritize practicality over politics. In Ring’s words, “We really could do it all.”
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