Federal judge allows Santa Ynez Pipeline to operate under Defense Production Act

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the federal government, allowing Sable Offshore Corporation to operate the Santa Ynez Pipeline system along the California coast. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California affirmed that a federal emergency order issued under the Defense Production Act takes precedence over state-level restrictions.

The pipeline system, which transports crude oil from offshore wells near Santa Barbara to refineries, had been inactive since a 2015 rupture. The ruling follows an order from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, which designated the pipeline as critical infrastructure to ensure national energy security. The court rejected California’s attempt to block operations via a preliminary injunction, concluding that the federal order was lawful and constitutional.