It was reported this week that the oil industry has spent $6.2 million on lobbying in the past 6 months. These figures came to light in a report that was recently released by the California Secretary of State's Office. However, these numbers seem incredibly low in comparison to independent numbers that were recorded last year.

According to the report, one of the largest lobby groups in California, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), spent $2,529,240 in just six months, and that is just one firm! In 2013, they spent 4.67 million throughout the entire year, but last year they ended up setting a record by spending nearly $9 million on lobbying efforts.

The WSPA lobbies on behalf of the entire industry, and accepts grants and donations from various corporations. However, the corporations themselves also invest large sums of money into their own lobbyists. Chevron, for example, spent $1.5 million lobbying in the state of California alone, during the first 6 months of the 2015 fiscal year.