That’s true yes, but potentially even more impactful is that the Pacific coast of the USA is essentially independent of the rest of the country’s petroleum production and distribution. The Sierras and Cascades historically made overland distribution difficult and expensive, and maritime distribution from elsewhere in the country is also difficult because of geography (gotta do Panama canal or a long haul around South America). Because of these realities, petroleum extraction, refining and distribution in the west developed seperately and even today operate mostly independently - while technical solutions are now plausible, regulatory issues and moneyed interests that prefer the status quo continue to prevent development.