Offshore, there are nearly 1,200 active wells in California waters, according to state data compiled by FracTracker Alliance. About 370 wells are idle, while nearly 1,300 have been plugged. As they age, these platforms become more and more fragile and corroded from ocean water, said Deborah Sivas, professor of environmental law at Stanford Law School.

She said California operates with cognitive dissonance” when it comes to oil by continuing to issue permits for drilling even as the state takes aggressive steps to tackle climate change.