California

Just as America can learn from the mistakes that Europe has made regarding the economy, so can the 49 states learn from the mistakes made by California. Forty years ago, California had 45 refineries and by 2000 they had 23 and now they have 14 with three of those closing. There are no pipelines coming into California so any demand over what they can refine is imported from Saudia Arabia and Iraq. They currently import 70% of their needs and this will increase as these three refineries shut down. They are leaving because they cannot compete with the high cost of state regulations. California already has the highest price for gasoline and this will raise prices further. The state passed a law banning gasoline cars by 2035 but this was done without improving the grid to handle the increased demand for electric charging stations. This is similar to what Europe did when they closed down their coal plants and their nuclear plants before they had adequate replacement energy supplies. This is only one of many ways that regulations in California have caused businesses to leave the state. Another is the cost of homes. California home prices are significantly higher than the U.S. average, with median prices often around $800,000+ compared to a national median hovering near $350,000 (in 2025)