What will the new year mean for California's gas prices?
SACRAMENTO — A new year will mean new questions about what's next for California gas prices.
The California Air Resources Board approved tightened restrictions on carbon emissions in November.
Some people who rely on their cars for work are steering clear of gas altogether. Sacramento's Micah Robertson is one of them. He works for Lyft and three other ride-hailing apps.
He bought an electric vehicle and is not looking back.
"Mostly maintenance. Also, I mean, fuel costs," Robertson said of his reasons for going electric.
California gas prices are currently $1.35 higher per gallon than the national average.
The new environmental restrictions passed by CARB aim to reduce emissions by 20% more in 2025. It's a move that could lead oil companies to pass on more costs to consumers.
Republicans are pouncing on the next possible price hike issue.
"Unelected bureaucrats in Sacramento are making these decisions," Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Roseville) said.
Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected the claim that state policy will lead to higher gas prices.
"You have been fleeced by the oil companies," Newsom said. "You have been screwed for decades and decades by the oil companies."
Twenty-five percent of new cars sold in California were electric in 2024. California policy calls for the ban of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, just ten years from now.
This is leading to a problem of how to keep gas prices affordable in California while also producing less of it.
CARB did pass a resolution this year stating they will review their policy's impact on the price of gas and consider changing their policies if the costs grow too high for California consumers.
