WSPA President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd has issued the following statement on today’s press event by the Select Committee on Gasoline Pricing and Supply:

“We agree that Californians are paying too much for fuel in this state, and the legislature, Governor and regulators must take responsibility and act now to change the dangerous mix of bans, mandates and bad energy policy they are pushing on our state or it could only get worse.

“Tone deaf to the struggles of low and middle income Californians, they continue to pursue the Advanced Clean Cars II rulemaking, a costly and unrealistic plan to ban gas powered cars and trucks in California starting in 2026.  Without the needed infrastructure in place, and with electric vehicles still not being affordable for most Californians, Newsom’s ban will likely lead to higher costs for those who can least afford it, scarce and more expensive fuel and job losses.

“Regulators and legislators continue to pursue legislation and rulemakings that seek to drive up the costs of the state’s cap-and-trade and the low carbon fuel standard climate programs.  According to Stillwater Associates, CARB’s actions alone could add another $1.35 and $3.37 per gallon to the cost of manufacturing fuels in 2035 and 2050, bringing the total added cost in those two years to $1.70 and $4.27 per gallon, respectively.

“Add in the de-facto production ban in place as the Newsom Administration refuses to issue permits to help increase the energy supply for California and another increase the gas tax on July 1, and there are plenty of opportunities for the legislature to really help consumers, rather than to hold political events.

“These policies are too fast, too soon and will be far too costly for Californians. This Legislature and the Governor should be urgently addressing these policy matters rather than holding press conferences calling for more investigations that time after time have found our industry is acting responsibly.”