“Recently, there has been a lot of debate about California’s energy policies” begins a new ad from Californians for Energy Independence (CEI).

Indeed, as energy costs in the Golden State have devastated family budgets and made local businesses less competitive, state leaders have offered little more than finger pointing and gaslighting. Economists and other experts have pushed back aggressively on the false energy narratives coming out of Sacramento.

Meanwhile, using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the California Energy Commission, CEI aims to counter all the recent noise around statewide energy policies with humble, uncomplicated facts:

• “FACT: California has shut down about 25% of local oil production in the last 4 years.”
• “FACT: If we aren’t producing the oil we need locally, it has to come from somewhere else.”
• “FACT: California is now forced to import 75% of the oil we use, mostly from foreign countries.”

Facts matter. For consumers and businesses in California, those simple facts add up to an unstable energy supply and higher gas prices for working families.

The factors driving energy costs higher in California are no mystery, and they can be fixed with better policies. Refocusing the energy conversation on facts is a necessary first step.