Fresno County supervisors calling for increase in US oil production

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Filling up the tank takes a big bite out of your budget.

Fresno County supervisors say oil fields in Coalinga have been in production since 1888 and they believe the time has come to increase that production.

"Here in Fresno County, we do have the ability to produce anywhere from 6 and 10 million barrels of oil a year," says Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig.

Outside the Hall of Records, supervisors were joined by union and ag leaders who showed their support for the resolution.

"We've always advocated from the building trades for more domestic oil," says Building Trades Executive Officer Chuck Riojad. "All of those refinery jobs are living-wage jobs."

Getting approval to increase local oil production could be difficult.

The resolution doesn't put a production plan into place but the group hopes it sends a strong message to Gov. Newsom.

"Most of the time, there's regulatory setbacks that are conditioned upon the oil and gas industry that quite frankly need to be loosened, if not completely removed," says Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau.

Supervisors say 56% of the oil which supplies California refineries comes from foreign sources.

Two people at Tuesday's board of supervisors meeting voiced opposition to increased oil production - instead voicing their support for the use of more electric vehicles.