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Magali Sanchez-Hall, a Wilmington resident for over two decades, has struggled with asthma her entire life. She says the health issue stems from her proximity to oil and gas drilling.
Emma Newburger | CNBC

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Stepping out of a coffee shop near Interstate 110 in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles, you’re immediately hit by a foul odor.

Magali Sanchez-Hall, 51, who’s lived here for more than two decades, is used to the smell of rotting eggs wafting from the hundreds of oil wells operating in the neighborhood. She’s used to her neighbors describing chronic coughs, skin rashes and cancer diagnoses, and to the asthma that affects her own family, who live only 1,500 feet from a refinery.

“When people are getting sick with cancer or having asthma, they might think it’s normal or blame genetics,” she said. “We don’t often look at the environment we’re in and think — the chemicals we’re breathing are the cause.”

Wilmington, a predominantly working-class and Latino immigrant community of more than 50,000 people, has some of the highest rates of asthma and cancer in the state, according to a report by the non-profit Communities for a Better Environment. It’s surrounded by six oil refineries and wedged in by several freeways and the ports of L.A. and Long Beach.

California, the seventh-largest oil-producing state in the U.S., has no rule or standard for the distance that active oil wells need to be from communities. For many Californians, especially Black and brown residents, acrid smells, noise and dirt from oil production is part of the neighborhood.

Walking around Wilmington, pumpjacks are visible in public parks, next to schoolyards where children play and outside of people’s windows at home. At night, the sky is lit orange from refinery flares.

The discovery of oil in the 1920s led to significant population growth in the area. People built and bought houses next to the oil fields and refineries, which employ thousands of residents in the area. In L.A. County, the industry employs about 37,000 people, according to a report by Capitol Matrix Consulting.

Oil tanks wedged between homes in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Emma Newburger | CNBC

More than 2 million California residents live within 2,500 feet of an operational oil and gas well and another 5 million — 14% of the state’s population — are within 1 mile, according to an analysis by the non-profit FracTracker Alliance.

Residents are especially vulnerable in L.A. County, which is home to the Inglewood Oil Field. The 1,000-acre site is one of the largest urban oil fields in the country and is owned and operated by Sentinel Peak Resources. More than half a million people live within a quarter mile of active wells that release hazardous air pollutants like benzene, hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter and formaldehyde.

Sentinel Peak did not respond to requests for comment.

Sanchez-Hall didn’t understand the link between the nearby refineries and the health issues in her community until she left. She graduated college and pursued a masters degree at UCLA, where she took environmental law classes, and now advocates for clean air and energy in her neighborhood.

“Wilmington is ground zero for pollution,” Sanchez-Hall said. “Now I understood why people were dying of cancer around me. We’re not disposable people. There is a huge disadvantage because many of us don’t know what’s happening.”

No buffer zone between drilling and people

Research shows that people who live near oil and gas drilling sites are exposed to harmful pollution and are at greater risk of preterm births, asthma, respiratory disease and cancer.

Residing near oil wells is linked to reduced lung function and wheezing, and in some cases the respiratory damage rivals that of daily exposure to secondhand smoke or living beside a freeway, according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Research.

Another study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, analyzed nearly 3 million births in California of women living within 6.2 miles of at least one oil or gas well. The authors concluded that living near those wells during pregnancy increased the risk of low-birthweight babies.

Environmental advocacy groups have urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to instate a 2,500-foot buffer zone, or setback, between fossil fuel operations and homes and schools. This year, a bill to ban fracking and instate a buffer zone failed in a state committee vote.

Other oil-producing states including Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Texas have already implemented some form of buffer zone between properties and wells.

In 2019, Newsom ordered his regulators to study such a health-and-safety rule, but they didn’t meet the December 2020 deadline for action. State oil regulators also missed a more recent deadline in the spring to release new regulations that would help protect the health and safety of people living near drilling sites. The California Geologic Energy Management Division, which oversees the state’s fossil fuel industries, hasn’t yet set a new timeline for regulations.

Meanwhile, the governor since 2019 has approved roughly 9,014 oil and gas permits, according to an analysis of state data by Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance.

“Frontline communities have been waiting for very basic protections from dangerous oil and gas projects for too long,” said Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, which recently sued the state for approving thousands of drilling and fracking projects without the required environmental review.

“A safety buffer is the bare minimum,” Kretzmann said. “The fact that our state continues to delay is frustrating and completely unacceptable.”

Josiah Edwards, 21, grew up near the largest oil refinery on the West Coast. “Oil drilling and refineries were always an ever present background in my life,” he said.
Emma Newburger | CNBC

The Western States Petroleum Association and the State Building and Construction Trades Council have opposed a statewide mandate to establish buffer zones, arguing that doing so would harm workers and increase fuel costs.

“A one-size-fits-all approach for an entire state for an issue like this is rarely good public policy,” said WSPA spokesman Kevin Slagle. “Setback distances not based data specific to a region could lead to significant impacts on communities, jobs and the affordability and reliability of energy in the state.”

Environmentalists have also called on Newsom to place an immediate moratorium on all new oil and gas permits in those zones.

Earlier this year, the governor directed state agencies to halt new fracking permits by 2024 and to consider phasing out oil production by 2045. The announced marked a shift in position by Newsom, who’s previously said he doesn’t have executive authority to ban fracking, which accounts for just 2% of oil extraction in California, according to the state’s Department of Conservation.

Newsom’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown, who held office between 2011 and 2018, approved 21,397 new oil wells. More than three-quarters of new wells under Brown’s administration are in low-income communities and communities of color, according to state data analyzed by the Center for Biological Diversity.

‘I could have had a better life’

Josiah Edwards, 21, grew up in Carson, a city located in the south bay region of Los Angeles and near the West Coast’s largest oil refinery, owned by Marathon Petroleum Corp. Edwards and his family members suffered from asthma and were constantly concerned about breathing in emissions of the nearby refineries.

“Oil drilling and refineries were always an ever present background in my life,” said Edwards, who now volunteers for the Sunrise Movement, an environmental advocacy group, in Los Angeles.

Edwards recalled getting bloody noses as a child and coming to connect them with the pollution from refineries. He dove into research on how exposure to pollution may contribute to the development of asthma in childhood and wondered if his life would have been different growing up elsewhere.

“It makes me angry and upset. There’s a situation where I could have had a better life with improved health outcomes,” Edwards said. “Even though it still makes me feel angry, I find a lot of hope in what could be. There’s a potential for change.”

Marathon spokesman Jamal Kheiry said the company’s refinery in Carson has invested in air emissions control equipment and cut its criteria pollutant emissions by 35% in the past decade. It’s also invested $25 million to install air monitoring systems along the perimeter of its facilities, and is providing those results to the public.

Wilmington Athletic Complex is located beside oil tanks.
Emma Newburger | CNBC

Phasing out oil and gas locally

Some parts of the state have taken matters into their own hands.

Culver City in L.A. County passed an ordinance to phase out oil and gas extraction in its portion of the Inglewood Oil Field within five years, in one of the most ambitious moves by an oil-producing jurisdiction. The ordinance also requires that all the wells be plugged and abandoned in that time period.

Ventura County, located northwest of L.A., has adopted a 2,500 buffer zone between oil wells and schools and 1,500 feet between wells and homes.

And L.A. County supervisors voted unanimously earlier this month to phase out oil and gas drilling and ban new drill sites in the unincorporated areas. The county is set to determine the quickest way to shut down wells legally before providing a timeline on the phase out.

Jacob Roper, a spokesperson for the Department of Conservation, of which CalGEM is a sub-agency, said the department is “hard at work developing a science-based health and safety regulation to protect communities and workers from the impacts of oil extraction activities.”

“This is a complex set of rules with subject matter outside of our previous regulatory experience,” Roper said. “It involves close collaboration with other state agencies and an independent public health expert panel in an effort to ensure a thorough analysis of relevant science and engineering practices.”

L.A. could become one of the first major cities in the U.S. to nearly phase out fossil fuels from power supply without disruption to the economy, according to a recent study commissioned by the city. Technologies like solar farms, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles would make the transition possible, while mitigating harmful air pollution in the most vulnerable communities.

“There are local officials who are taking this issue seriously,” Kretzmann said. “But the fires, ongoing drought and heatwaves in California are stark reminders that we need much bolder action on fossil fuels.”

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Environment

Lectric XPress 750 e-bikes get free $557 bundle at $1,399 in April sale, Jackery units up to $1,900 off in flash savings, Kärcher, more

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April 3, 2025

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Lectric XPress 750 e-bikes get free 7 bundle at ,399 in April sale, Jackery units up to ,900 off in flash savings, Kärcher, more

Today’s Green Deals are led by Lectric’s newly launched April Showers Sale which has up to $654 in free add-on gear accompanying e-bikes, with the models aside from the XP 3.0 e-bikes retaining their earlier price cuts. Among the lineup though, the Lectric XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes are getting the largest bundle to date with $557 in free gear at $1,399. Right behind it is the latest collection of Jackery flash offers through April 6, like the Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station at $499, among others. You can also score the popular Kärcher K1700 Electric Pressure Washer right now for one of its best prices ever at $105, as well as the Greenworks 3-tool combo that bundles a 80V 21-inch Lawn Mower, 13-inch String Trimmer, and 730 CFM Leaf Blower – all at a new $560 low, but only for the rest of the day. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Segway Ninebot F3 eKickScooter preorder savings, Anker’s SOLIX weekend flash sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Lectric’s April sale offers largest bundle ever on XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes at $1,399 (Up to $654 in FREE add-ons)

After the exciting April Fool’s Day flash sale, Lectric has switched gears to its longer-lasting April Showers Sale that is offering up to $654 in free gear along with e-bike purchases. Of course, the XP 3.0 e-bikes are prominently featured once again, this time with $500 bundles, and we’re seeing the other models retain the price cuts from previous sales, but I wanted to take the time to shine a spotlight on the XPress 750 Commuter e-bike for $1,399 shipped that is getting $557 in free gear. This bundle would normally run you $1,956 in all, with this being the largest package to accompany the e-bike that we have seen to date. Along with your purchase, you’ll be getting a rear cargo rack, a suspension seat post, fenders to go over both wheels, an Elite headlight, adjustable rear mirrors, an accordion-style folding bike lock, a wide saddle, a phone mount, and a 1.5L top tube bag.

Coming with the option for a high-step or step-through frame, the XPress 750 e-bike is a solid choice for commuters who are looking for significant travel support, with my own regularly getting me across Brooklyn, never once having me concerned about running out of battery. It’s been given a 750W rear hub motor (that peaks at 1,310W), a removable 48V 14Ah battery, and comes supported by five levels of PAS that themselves are supported by a torque sensor – all to provide you with up to 60 miles of travel at 20 MPH speeds, which can go to 28 MPH should you live in a state that allows it. Of course, for those wanting to ride on pure electricity, there is a throttle here, though keep in mind it will lessen your mileage.

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There’s plenty of features that deserve some praise, like the hydraulic mineral oil brakes, the front suspension, and the puncture-resistant tires – all of which provide a heightened riding experience. But that’s not all, as there’s also the 7-geared freewheel alongside the Shimano derailleur, the integrated headlight and taillight, a thru-axle wheel attachment system for tool-free installations, the hidden cable routing system, removable pedals (which have helped more than you can guess), and a full-color display that has a USB-A port to charge your devices as you ride. Considering the sizeable package of additional gear, you’ll be loaded up and ready to cruise on through the seasons ahead.

Lectric April Shower Sale XPedition 2.0 bundles:

Lectric April Shower Sale XP 3.0 e-bike offers with $500 bundles:

Lectric April Shower Sale ONE LR e-bike with $467 bundle

Lectric April Shower Sale XP Trike with $420 bundle

Lectric April Shower Sale XPeak 2.0 bundles:

Lectric April Shower Sale XP Lite 2.0 bundles:

Jackery power station flash sale

Jackery takes up to $1,900 off a selection of home and outdoor backup power solutions starting from $90

Jackery is having a short-term flash sale through April 6 on a selection of power stations that can have you geared up for spring travels alongside any unexpected emergencies. Among the pool of offers, a solid choice for outdoor ventures is the brand’s Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station for $499 shipped. It would normally cost you $799 to grab it at full price, but you’ll be getting a 38% markdown here while the savings last, with things matching over at Amazon, just be sure to clip the on-page coupon. While we have seen it go as low as $399, which was last seen during Black Friday sales, you’ll be getting $300 in savings at one of the lowest prices we have tracked. Head below to see all the other deals during this sale.

One of three newer v2 models, Jackery’s Explorer 1000 v2 delivers serious power output considering its more compact design, with up to 1,500W being sent to your devices/appliances normally while being able to surge to 3,000W for larger backup needs. All this is coming from its 1,070Wh LiFePO4 capacity through its seven port options: one USB-A, two USB-Cs, and three ACs, as well as a car port.

Plugging it into a wall outlet will give you back a full capacity in about 1.6 hours, or you could reach it in just on hour by activating its emergency charging feature through the smart controls on its companion app. There’s also the 600W maximum solar input that you can utilize to recharge from the sun’s rays. It comes rated for a minimum of 4,000 life cycles, meaning that you can charge and discharge it every day for nearly 11 years of backup support.

Jackery’s other power station flash sale offers:

Jackery’s accessory flash sale offers:

Karcher K1700 electric pressure washer

Kärcher’s K1700 2,125 PSI electric pressure washer hits one of its best prices ever at $105

Amazon is now offering the Kärcher K1700 Electric Pressure Washer for $104.99 shipped. Coming down off its more recent $170 rate, which is down from its $200 price tag, discounts over the last year have mainly been keeping things above $120, though we did spy it dropping to $106 at the end of February. Today though, you’re looking at one of the best rates ever, with the 38% markdown here (48% off its $200 pricing) giving you back $65 at the third-lowest overall price we have tracked – $2 and $5 above the lowest prices.

There’s always plenty of grime left over after winter that calls for some spring cleaning, and this pressure washer from Kärcher is ready to power you through it all with up to a maximum 2,125 PSI and 1.46 max GPM flow rate. It features an on/off foot switch for easier operations, as well as an onboard 0.5-gallon detergent tank for soap application needs. There’s even a detachable storage container that you can use to keep the 20-foot hose, wand, and three included nozzles organized.

Greenworks 3-tool combo

Tackle lawn duties with Greenworks’ 80V mower, trimmer, and blower combo at a new $560 low (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is starting off April with the best rate yet on the Greenworks 80V 21-inch Lawn Mower, 13-inch String Trimmer, and 730 CFM Leaf Blower Combo that is down at $559.99 shipped through the rest of the day. This 3-tool package typically carries a $1,100 price tag outside of discounts, which we saw fall as low as $600 over 2024 and has come down to $570 so far in 2025 – until today. You’re looking at a 49% markdown through the rest of the day, saving you $540 at a new all-time low price. It’d be difficult to find this exact combo elsewhere, including Amazon, where a less advanced 3-tool combo is the closest match at $550.

With spring finally here, this 3-tool bundle is a solid choice for folks who need to tackle various jobs outside your home. The mower comes with an 80V brushless motor for more efficient operation that is powered by the included 4.0Ah battery for up to a 1/2 acre of runtime on one full charge, as well as offering seven cutting height levels for your grass. The string trimmer cuts in a 13-inch swath and sports the brand’s dual bump feed head for easier line replacement in the middle of work, which can go on for up to 80 minutes with the battery. You’ll get up to 730 CFM of air flow (about 170 MPH) from the leaf blower, which does have a variable speed control for easier handling. And what’s always nice about ecosystems like Greenworks’ is that you can also swap out the battery for any others you may have, not to mention losing the noise and fumes from gas-guzzling models.

We also spotted a bunch of Greenworks’ electric pressure washers down at some of their lowest prices too, with the GPW2003 2,000 PSI model, especially, hitting a new $135 low. You can also get your lawn’s soil back to proper health for the coming months with the brand’s 13A 14-inch Corded Dethatcher and Scarifier at $128.

Best New Year EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Ford’s new strategy includes big discounts, employee pricing for all, and free EV chargers

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April 3, 2025

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Ford's new strategy includes big discounts, employee pricing for all, and free EV chargers

Ford-discounts

Ford’s vehicles are about to get a whole lot cheaper. With its new “From America, For America” campaign, launched Thursday, Ford is rolling out steep discounts, including employee pricing for all, and a free home charger for EV buyers.

The new campaign promotes Ford’s “American-made” vehicles with some pretty sweet deals. Ford is offering employee pricing on most 2024 and 2025 model vehicles.

All Ford and Lincoln models except the F-150 Raptors, 2025 Super Duty pickups, and Expedition are included. The Lincoln Navigator and Ford’s fleet vehicles are also excluded.

Ford is also extending its “Power Promise” promo, which offers EV shoppers a free Level 2 home charger (plus standard installation), 24/7 live electric vehicle support, roadside assistance, and an 8-year, 100,000-battery warranty.

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The program was initially launched in October, but Ford extended it through the end of March after seeing an uptick in EV sales.

Ford’s Power Promise now runs through June 30 and is available for any new EV purchase or lease, including the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup.

Ford-discounts
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

According to Rob Kaffl, Ford’s director of US sales, the company is able to offer steep discounts because it has the inventory. Kaffl told The Detroit Free Press, “We’re in a very competitive position in our stock.”

With “a lot of uncertainty in the market right now” amid Trump’s new tariffs taking effect, Kaffl said Ford’s new “From America, For America” will provide some security.

Ford-Mach-E-top-selling-EV
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)

How significant are the discounts? Well, it will depend on the vehicle’s cost. A Ford dealer (who asked to remain anonymous) said an F-150 XLT hybrid with an MSARP of $65,000 would cost $55,000 under the employee pricing plan. The price of an Escape ST SUV, with an MSRP of $36,300, would be cut to $33,000.

2025-Ford-F-150-Lightning-interior
2025-Ford-F-150-Lightning

Ford introduced the 2025 F-150 Lightning last week, with a new “Dark Elements” package and improved charging features. It still starts at $62,995.

The 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at $36,495 and is available in RWD (260-mile range) or eAWD (240-mile range). Upgrading to the extended battery will cost an extra $5,500 (eAWD only).

Electrek’s Take

The new promo comes after Ford reported on Tuesday that US sales fell by 1.3% in the first quarter. Despite limited inventory, the Mustang Mach-E is off to a record start in 2025, with over 11,600 units sold, outpacing the Chevy Equinox EV and Honda Prologue.

GM reported US sales growth of nearly 17% in the first three months of 2025. After EV sales doubled to 31,887, GM remained the number two seller of EVs in the US behind Tesla, topping Ford’s 22,550.

Although Ford has the largest manufacturing footprint in the US of any legacy automaker, CEO Jim Farley says it’s still not immune to the tariffs.

Ford imports about 21% of the vehicles it sells in the US. GM imports around 46%. Both are looking to get ahead of any potential impacts.

Ready to snag the savings on Ford’s electric vehicles while they are still here? You can use our links below to find deals on the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E models in your area.

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Environment

Tesla’s only growing business was just kneecapped by Trump’s tariffs

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April 3, 2025

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Tesla's only growing business was just kneecapped by Trump's tariffs

Tesla Megapack project pillswood UK

Trump’s new tariffs on China have just kneecapped Tesla’s only growing business: energy storage, which uses battery cells from China.

Tesla released its delivery results for Q1 2025 yesterday, which were quite disastrous. At 336,000 electric vehicle deliveries, they were 40,000 units below the consensus and about 20,000 units below what even the most pessimistic analysts expected.

But there was one silver lining: Tesla reported having deployed 10 GWh of energy storage – a new record for a first quarter.

While Tesla’s electric vehicle business entered a downturn in 2024, which is now accelerating in 2025, Tesla’s energy business, which primarily consists of selling Megapacks and Powerwalls, has been consistently growing.

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The bulk of this growth can be attributed to Tesla’s production ramp at its Lathrop Megafactory, where it produces the Megapack, and in the launch and production ramp of the Powerwall 3 with LFP battery cells.

Tesla now uses LFP battery cells from China to build these energy storage systems in California and Nevada.

According to the latest information, President Trump’s new tariffs announced yesterday are resulting in 54% tariffs on importing Chinese battery cells into the US.

This will significantly increase the prices of Tesla’s Powerwall and Megapack products, which should reduce the market.

The Biden administration had already announced an increase to 25% tariffs on Chinese battery cells meant for energy storage, coming in 2026.

Tesla was already bracing for the new tariff, but the Trump administration has dramatically accelerated the timeline and increased the tariffs. The administration has confirmed that the tariffs are stacking up on top of each other, which would mean 54% for goods coming from China.

The company is believed to almost exclusively use LFP battery cells from China’s CATL in its stationary energy storage products.

With the upcoming changes in 2026, Tesla was likely preparing for the change. Last year, there were rumors that Tesla was looking to establish a LFP battery plant in the US in partnership with CATL, but the plans have yet to materialize.

Tesla has also recently started production at a new Megafactory in Shanghai to produce the Megapack. The battery systems coming out of that plant are expected to be shipped to markets outside of the US and should enable Tesla to stay competitive outside the US.

Although, as we previously reported, Tesla is starting to face intense competition from its own battery suppliers for these products, CATL and BYD, which have both recently unveiled products to compete with the Megapack.

Tesla has also recently announced plans to build a second Megafactory in the US to build more Megapacks, but it’s not clear how those plans are going to be affected by the new tariffs.

Electrek’s Take

Since last year, stationary energy storage has been Tesla’s only growing business unit, and I was already worried about it because of increased competition. BYD and CATL already have a hold on LFP cells going into the Megapack, and now they are making their own Megapack products with their own cells.

On the consumer side, we recently reported that Tesla’s brand issues also extend to the Powerwall.

Now, Tesla has to worry about tariffs significantly increasing the price of its Megapacks and Powerwalls in its biggest market: the US.

There’s a chance that Tesla has accumulated some inventory in anticipation of the tariffs, but unless they are removed, which is not impossible considering how volatile the administration has been about implementing its promised tariffs, it will result in massive Megapack and Powerwall price increases.

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