Gavin Newsom Is Driving Up Gasoline Prices

Californians pay $5.48 a gallon on average—and military jet fuel is getting dangerously expensive

By Allysia Finley. Excerpts:

"While gasoline prices have increased by an average of 74 cents a gallon nationwide over the past month, they’ve shot up 91 cents in the Golden State. “California has experienced much higher price increases than other states because the majority of the state’s gasoline is refined from foreign crude oil sources,” noted Kandace Redd a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California."

"About 60% of the crude that feeds California refineries is imported, a third of it from the Middle East. Fifteen percent of its gasoline also comes from overseas"

"Californians paid 90 cents a gallon more than average at the start of his governorship in January 2019, $1.05 more before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and $1.50 more before the war in Iran started. Now the gap is $1.80."

"Since he became governor, the state’s oil production has plunged 40%, and a quarter of its refining capacity has shut down."

"the culprits: anti-fossil-fuel policies, including the state’s cap-and-tax program, limitations on drilling, low-carbon fuel standard, burdensome permitting and high gasoline taxes."

"California’s gasoline tax—which includes a 61-cent-a-gallon excise tax plus state and local sales taxes—is the highest in the country, and increases every year with inflation."

"its citizens pay less than those in other states into the federal Highway Trust Fund"

"a larger share of Californians drive electric vehicles or rely on public transportation"

"California’s regulatory environment has driven out actors necessary for an affordable energy consumer market,” more than a dozen Democratic state lawmakers wrote to state regulators last week."