Chevron Abandons California For New Headquarters In Houston

Bye-bye, Governor Gavin Newsom. 

After more than a century of operations in California, energy giant Chevron announced that it will move its San Ramon headquarters to Houston, Texas. Bloomberg states the move was primarily due to the state’s “adversarial” regulations toward the fossil fuel industry. Chevron’s move is more evidence the multi-year mass exodus of companies and residents fleeing the high tax and high crime state is still underway. 

“There will be minimal immediate relocation impacts to other employees currently based in San Ramon. The company expects all corporate functions to migrate to Houston over the next five years,” Chevron wrote in a press release. 

The San Ramon headquarters currently has 2,000 employees. These employees will likely be transferred to Houston in the coming years, where the company currently has about 7,000 employees.

Chevron’s history dates back to the 1870s, when Standard acquired small California-based oil companies and merged them into Standard Oil of California. 

“In other words, Standard Oil Company of California waivea goodbye to its state,” one X user wrote. 

Chevron to move headquarters from California to Texas

In other words, Standard Oil Company of California waivea goodbye to its state.$CVX
https://t.co/5aM4lrr4j5 via @ft

— L.C. (@LouisCyprien) August 2, 2024

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X, “Welcome to Texas, Chevron.” 

Welcome to Texas, @Chevron https://t.co/q5I032HSlq

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 2, 2024

Chevron has previously slashed oil-refinery investments in California because of “adversarial” policies toward fossil fuels. 

“California’s policies have made it a difficult place to invest so we have rejected capital projects in the state,” Andy Walz, president of Chevron’s Americas Products business, wrote in a filing in late 2023. He added, “Such capital flight reflects the state’s inadequate returns and adversarial business climate.”

Chevron provided no further information about the reason behind the California exodus, but as the company’s executives have said in the past, the Golden State’s regulatory regime has made it nearly impossible to do business. We suspect execs are also fed up with progressive personal income tax law and failed social justice and criminal justice reforms that have only sparked a state-wide crime tsunami. 

Children living in tents and roaming the streets of California’s Skid Row. America, we have a problem. pic.twitter.com/jn2mCBng6i

— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 17, 2024

Just last month, Elon Musk announced plans to pull SpaceX out of California. He said the rocket company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, will be shifted to Starbase, Texas. 

This is the final straw.

Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. https://t.co/cpWUDgBWFe

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024

What’s clear is that the ‘Great California Exodus’ – supercharged during Covid – but has been in play for nearly two decades – continues to this day. Far-left Democrats imploding the state are great at convincing everyone of a ‘utopian society with equality for all’ – but in reality – are horrible managers – and do not understand business, nor are their policies rooted in reality. 

With that being said, bye-bye, Gov. Newsom. 

Standard Oil of California of Texas.

Another home run for Gavin

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 2, 2024

We suspect this trend is far from over.