California Agency Fights Offshore Oil While Demanding Cash

A California agency is being accused of hypocrisy after voting to nearly triple the annual coastal mitigation fee for Sable Offshore's operations in Santa Barbara County.

The county's Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to increase the fee from $132,750 to $318,600, with the new rate going back to March when Sable restarted oil production at its Santa Ynez Unit.

The fee hike is part of a larger battle between California regulators and Sable over offshore oil production. The county, California Coastal Commission, and environmental groups have challenged the restart through various lawsuits.