California Gas Prices Set for a Bumpy Ride

News Summary

Gas prices in California are experiencing fluctuations, with Los Angeles County’s average rising to $4.468 per gallon, despite recent decreases compared to last month and last year. Orange County shows slight decreases, while the national average mirrors California’s trends. Concerns loom over a new Low Carbon Fuel Standard and an increase in the gasoline excise tax, potentially leading to sharp price hikes. Political tensions are rising as predictions of significant price increases spark debates, leaving California drivers on edge about future fuel costs.

California Gas Prices Set for a Bumpy Ride

Gas prices in Los Angeles County have recently shown a slight uptick, with the average hitting $4.468 per gallon. This marks an increase of two-tenths of a cent from a recent low, but it’s worth noting that prices are generally looking better than they did just a week or a month ago. In fact, this time last month, prices were 13.1 cents lower, and they’ve even seen a significant drop of 15.9 cents compared to one year ago.

If we rewind back to last October, the situation was quite different. Gas prices reached an eye-watering $6.493 per gallon, making the recent decrease of $2.025 feel like a breath of fresh air for many drivers across the County.

Orange County Joins the Trend

Meanwhile, over in Orange County, gas prices have held steady, decreasing just a fraction, down to $4.415. This price is also the lowest it’s been since mid-January. In just the past six days, prices in this area have dropped by 1.7 cents, including a mark down of six-tenths of a cent on Saturday. It seems like the gas price rollercoaster may be taking a pause, at least for now.

Nationwide Prices Mirror California’s Trend

$3.145. This marks three consecutive days of price decrease after seeing a slight climb recently. Although the overall trend is descending, the average is still half a cent up from last week but down by 6.2 cents compared to the month before, and a whopping 36.6 cents lower than last year’s prices.

Upcoming Changes Raising Concerns

July 1, a revamped Low Carbon Fuel Standard is set to take effect. The aim of these new rules is to clean up our air while lowering those pesky climate-warming gases. Unfortunately, many are concerned that these new measures could lead to a price jump at the pump.

5 to 8 cents per gallon, following the trend of previous regulations that tacked on a 9-cent increase. Adding to the concern, California’s gasoline excise tax is scheduled to increase from 59.6 cents to 61.2 cents per gallon, further contributing to the inevitable pricing squalls ahead. This tax is primarily aimed at funding road and highway repairs but critics argue that it could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many California drivers already struggling with the nation’s highest gas prices.

Political Tensions Rising

70 cents due to the dual impact of the excise tax increase and stricter environmental standards.

Future Outlook

$1.50 hike per gallon by 2035, others remain more optimistic. A couple of refineries in California also plan to shut down by 2026, which could further mess with supply and thus potentially elevate prices even higher.

$4.64 per gallon, down from $4.81 this time last year. If anything’s certain in the gas price game, it’s that things can change fast, and California drivers will need to buckle up for a bumpy ride ahead!

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

HERE Resources

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Additional Resources

• Stacker: How Gas Prices Have Changed in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Times: Why Gas Prices May Rise in July
• Newsweek: California Gas Prices Hike Due to LCFS
• NBC Los Angeles: Gas Prices Rise on July 1
• ABC7: California Gas Prices Could Top $8 a Gallon
• Wikipedia: Gasoline

Author: HERE Huntington Beach