Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., may be reconsidering his opposition to a border wall.

Only this time it won’t be a wall to keep illegals out. It will be a wall to keep corporations in. The latest escapee is Valero, another battered fossil fuel company seeking shelter from a toxic relationship.

As ABC7 Los Angeles explains, "For a quarter century, the Valero refinery has been an economic powerhouse for the city of Benicia. But on Wednesday came a surprise announcement that it may close next April."

What’s more, Reuters says that’s not all the bad news for California. "The San Antonio, Texas-based refiner is also reviewing whether to continue operations at the rest of its refineries in California, including the 91,300-bpd Wilmington plant near Los Angeles."

When you add that to the announcement by Phillips 66 that it’s closing a refinery in the Los Angeles area, it’s another 139,000 barrels per day of gasoline that California drivers won’t be seeing. The two refineries produce 17 percent of the state’s gasoline supply.

Less gas always results in higher prices.

Reuters explains, "Average regular gasoline prices in California on Wednesday were $4.484 per gallon, the highest in the nation, according to industry group AAA.

"The average U.S. price was $3.155 per gallon. Studies by the University of California Davis and the University of Southern California said, respectively, the refinery closures could push average prices to $6 and $8 per gallon."

A $4.85 per gallon premium is a steep price to pay for sanctimony.

We've written before about the California/Newsom jihad against plentiful, economic fossil fuel. (You can find two of our efforts here and here.)

And this is one policy victory Newsom has won.

In 1983 the state had 40 refineries. Now it has 11, soon to be 9.

Oil companies are so beaten down that California imports three quarters of the oil it burns.

Left-wingers like Newsom have this strange conviction that taxes and additional costs imposed by government policy should be absorbed by public-spirited businesses instead of being passed along to the consumer.

The fact the business might be operating with a low or nonexistent profit should be more than offset by the glow produced by "helping the environment" or keeping the left wing in office to distribute more free tax dollars.

Taxes and additional costs imposed by regulations are always passed along to the consumer. California’s also requires a special blend of gasoline state bureaucrats demand.

It's a blend required nowhere else in the U.S. Consequently, there is less of this particular concoction that is produced, which in turn means reduced competition and it's easier to keep gas prices higher.

Previously, Newsom "[wanted] to know why California's gasoline prices are higher than in the rest of the country" and he hints darkly at "inappropriate industry practices" that probably include the desire to make a profit.

Now he's scrambling to find a company foolish enough to buy the Valero refinery before it closes. Reuters again, "California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April."

You can just imagine how hard that sticks in the greenies' craw.

"California's effort to save the refinery from closing also marks a shift from the focus of government policy in recent years to champion green initiatives and restrict fossil fuel usage, that has led to an often tense relationship between the state and oil companies, including the second-largest U.S. refiner by capacity."

"Tense" is putting it mildly when one considers the number of oil companies leaving the state. The bureaucrats are hoping they can bamboozle a European oil company into buying the refinery, since the EU has already emasculated its oil companies and California red tape may look mild in comparison.

Good luck with that.

Chevron President Andy Walz moved everything that wasn't buried underground or already on a cement pad out of California in 2024.

Corporate headquarters headed for Houston and didn't look back.

Walz explained the move by saying, "We've been doing that because California is a tough place to do business. It's a tough place to recruit people.

"It's a tough place to move employees — a lot of our employees move up through the company, they gain experience in different geographies, different locations and we have a lot of people who will not move to California. That makes it difficult."

Gov. Newsom bet his and California's future on the fantasy of "abundant, cheap clean energy" and punished fossil fuel companies for being reliable, dependable and unfashionable.

Many are taking the hint and leaving, while California residents are left holding an empty gas can.

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Mr. Reagan is an in-demand speaker with Premiere Speaker's Bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.

Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with Added Humor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.