Valero confirms Benicia refinery will shutter, leaving questions of site’s future

The Texas energy company Valero is carrying out a plan to close its oil refinery in Benicia, the company said Tuesday, after Gov. Gavin Newsom reportedly tried and failed to find a buyer. The closure could cut hundreds of jobs and is expected to bruise the tax base of Benicia, a community anchored by the refinery that has also endured toxic pollution.

But the company may replace its gas output with imports by ship, buffering California’s fuel supply from potential shortages and price hikes, according to Newsom’s office.