{"id":2008,"date":"2022-03-25T23:52:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T23:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linksus.net\/why-california-gas-prices-keep-rising-despite-a-national-drop-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2022-03-25T23:52:46","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T23:52:46","slug":"why-california-gas-prices-keep-rising-despite-a-national-drop-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/2022\/03\/25\/why-california-gas-prices-keep-rising-despite-a-national-drop-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Why California Gas Prices Keep Rising Despite a National Drop – The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

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California Today
The average price of a regular unleaded gallon hit $5.882 in the state, as Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal to help defray the climbing costs.
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By <\/span>Soumya Karlamangla<\/a><\/span>
First, the good news: After sharply climbing and reaching a peak on March 11, the average price of a gallon of gas in the United States has begun to decline.
The bad news: Not in California.
Here, gas prices have continued to break records. On Thursday, the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded reached $5.882, a new high, according to AAA.<\/a> In the Los Angeles area, the price at the pump topped $6.
So what\u2019s going on?
As you undoubtedly know, gas prices in California have long been higher than elsewhere in the nation \u2014 about $1.20 more per gallon compared with the rest of the nation last year, said Severin Borenstein, a University of California, Berkeley, economist who studies fuel prices.
That\u2019s mostly because of our high gas taxes<\/a> and the costs of regulatory programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Borenstein has also written about some harder-to-account-for fees.<\/a>
But none of that explains why gas prices in California keep rising as the average national price wanes. The price of crude oil has dropped since a major spike<\/a> in late February.
Borenstein said that California\u2019s persistent high prices appeared to be linked to a disruption in the state\u2019s gasoline supply chain.
Refineries turn crude oil into gasoline and ship it to the Golden State to be sold. California requires a special, cleaner fuel blend that\u2019s used only here.
Typically, the bulk price of fuel coming into California\u2019s ports is about 10 cents higher per gallon than in other states. But for at least a few weeks, it has been 80 to 90 cents more expensive, Borenstein said.
\u201cEven as the crude oil price is dropping, it appears that some problem has occurred in the refinery sector to make California-blend gasoline,\u201d he told me. \u201cI don\u2019t know what the problem is or how quickly it will be fixed, but that\u2019s definitely why our prices are more out of line than usual with the rest of the country.\u201d
It\u2019s unclear where exactly the production squeeze is coming from. Hundreds of workers went on strike<\/a> this week at a Chevron Corp. refinery in Richmond, but the unusually high wholesale gas prices predate that, Borenstein said.
Regardless of the reason, the soaring gasoline costs have garnered plenty of political attention. Though fuel accounts for only a small share of consumers\u2019 overall spending, it tends to have an outsize impact on people\u2019s perceptions of the economy. (Blame the signs alongside every highway in America.)
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $9 billion proposal<\/a> to send registered vehicle owners $400 debit cards to defray the high costs of gasoline. A person could get $800 total for up to two cars.
\u201cThat direct relief will address the issue that we all are struggling to address \u2014 and that is the issue of gas prices,\u201d Newsom said in a video posted to Twitter<\/a>.
Newsom has previously proposed halting an increase<\/a> to the state\u2019s gas tax that is set to take effect in July. Republican leaders in the state have suggested suspending<\/a> all state gas taxes for six months. There\u2019s also a separate proposal<\/a> by Democratic leadership to give households making up to $250,000 at least $200 in a gas tax rebate.
No one knows when California\u2019s gas prices will stop inching upward. A shortage of California-blend gasoline could be solved by increasing imports, but it could take about a month to get those additional supplies, Borenstein said.
And there may be another factor at play here too.
Compared with people in other states, Californians are generally less likely to seek out cheaper gas stations, and instead they tend to just splurge for the pricier fuel, Borenstein said. That gives sellers less of an incentive to lower prices, so perhaps that\u2019s why they haven\u2019t done so yet.
\u201cPart of it seems to be that Californians are less willing to drive the extra block to get the cheaper gas,\u201d he said.
For more:<\/strong>
Uber and Lyft drivers say high gas prices might be a breaking point.<\/a>
Want to buy an electric car? Read this first.<\/a>
A growing number of homeowners are choosing to build homes that run entirely on solar panels and batteries.<\/a>
How Russia and right-wing Americans converged on war in Ukraine.<\/a>
Affordable abortions:<\/strong> Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that will make abortions cheaper for people on private insurance plans, The Associated Press reports<\/a>.
Cal State admissions:<\/strong> The California State University system is dropping its SAT and ACT admissions requirement, The Associated Press reports<\/a>.
Heat wave:<\/strong> Temperature records were set this week in Santa Rosa, Camarillo and Oakland, The Associated Press reports<\/a>.
Capitol riot<\/strong>: A California man wanted by the F.B.I. on charges including assaulting police officers at the Jan. 6 riot has been granted asylum in Belarus.<\/a>
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Pollution levels:<\/strong> A new report finds that Los Angeles has the worst air quality of any major U.S. city, The LAist reports<\/a>.
Vaccine requirements:<\/strong> The city of Los Angeles has terminated 24 employees for violating its Covid vaccination requirements, The Los Angeles Times reports<\/a>.
Obituary:<\/strong> William Kraft, a longtime percussionist at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a composer, died at 98<\/a>.
Protected lands<\/strong>: The L.A. City Council approved a resolution Wednesday to support a federal legislative package aimed at protecting more than one million acres of public lands in California, NBC LA reports.<\/a>
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Crab fishing:<\/strong> After two humpback whales were tangled in fishing gear off central California, state wildlife officials are recommending that commercial Dungeness crab fishing be suspended, The Associated Press reports<\/a>.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Sacramento strike:<\/strong> Thousands of teachers and other Sacramento school staff members walked out on Wednesday over pay and staffing shortages, The Associated Press reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smashed carrots<\/a> with feta and mint.
Today\u2019s tip comes from Max King Cap, who recommends The Museum of Jurassic Technology <\/a>in Culver City:
\u201cFrom its low-tech splash page to its mystic (if tiny) halls and peculiar displays, the MJT is a work of art disguised as a pocket museum. Shoehorned between a yoga center and a bus stop, it\u2019s an award-winning fantasy of what an institution of historical and scientific knowledge might be \u2014 if it included portraits of Russian space dogs and a tea shop.\u201d
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California.<\/strong> Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com<\/a>. We\u2019ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
We\u2019ve recently been publishing your notes<\/a> about why you love your corner of California.<\/a>
If you\u2019d like to submit a love letter to your California city, neighborhood or region \u2014 or to the Golden State as a whole \u2014 please email us at CAtoday@nytimes.com<\/a>. We\u2019ll keep sharing your missives in the newsletter.
In March 2020, as so many indoor entertainment venues shuttered, so did the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park in Los Angeles.
The troupe, founded in 1963, pivoted to Zoom shows to offer puppet-making lessons as well as behind-the-scenes backstage tours. But in late 2021, it seemed that no number of creative gambits could stave off the permanent closure of the theater, The Los Angeles Times reported.<\/a>
So the theater staff made a desperate plea on social media for financial help from the public. And late last year, the troupe was finally able to invite audiences back in.
\u201cIt was really sweet to reopen,\u201d Winona Bechtle, the director of development, told the newspaper. \u201cBut it also felt like people never left.\u201d
Thanks for reading. I\u2019ll be back tomorrow. \u2014 Soumya<\/em><\/strong>
P.S. Here\u2019s <\/em>today\u2019s Mini Crossword<\/em><\/a>, and a clue: Raise to the third power (4 letters).<\/em>
Briana Scalia and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at <\/em>CAtoday@nytimes.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>
Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>
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