‘Price gouging’ a familiar, lame excuse for California’s expensive fuel

But when oil companies explained that the high cost of running a refinery in California meant that they might have to shut down altogether, the state suspended the penalty for five years. In 2024, Newsom called another special session of the legislature to pass a law requiring refineries to keep extra fuel on hand in case of big shifts in the global oil market. The last station before the freeway on-ramp; the only station in that one neighborhood; the station with the really good coffee; the station that offers full service, a relic of the past in California.

Author: CA Post Editorial Board

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