Chevron to Move Headquarters From Bay Area to Texas After Years of Climate Conflict

Chevron will move its headquarters from the Bay Area to Texas, the company announced Friday, finalizing a move that many expected for years as California has sought to crack down on the burning of fossil fuels.

The energy giant, which traces its roots to 1870s San Francisco, sold its headquarters complex in San Ramon’s Bishop Ranch two years ago. Now, it reports that more than 7,000 of its workers are in the Houston area, while 2,000 remain in San Ramon.

Chevron’s top two executives will be the first to relocate to Texas by the end of the year, and all corporate functions are slated to move there over the next five years, the company said in a press release. It plans to keep employees supporting its California operations — including refineries, oil fields and gas stations — in the East Bay.

Environmentalists and other elected leaders have long blamed Chevron as a major contributor to climate change. It is one of several oil companies the state sued last year over climate-related issues, and its Richmond refinery is a continuing target of both official and unofficial air pollution complaints.

State Republicans blamed the company’s move on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s fight against the oil industry.

“This is an entirely predictable consequence of Gavin Newsom’s constant demonization of the companies California depends on for energy, jobs and tax revenue,” Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher said in a statement. “As Californians continue to struggle with the highest gas prices and unemployment of any state in the nation, they know they are paying the price for Newsom’s political stunts.”

The Bay Area Council, a regional group of business leaders, issued a statement accusing California elected leaders of driving industry away.

“Chasing jobs and employers out of California is no way to run the economy,” said Jim Wunderman, the council’s president and CEO. “It’s an embarrassment for California that we’ve lost so many global companies because of misguided policies that make it incredibly difficult to do business here.”