SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Some California lawmakers are heading back to Sacramento on Wednesday to begin a series of hearings as part of a special legislative session on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal that he has said will prevent price spikes at the gas pump.
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The proposal specifically empowers state regulators to set new rules for oil refiners to have backup oil supply available for unplanned maintenance, outages and other scenarios that Newsom’s administration has said cause gas prices to spike.
Northern California is currently experiencing a price spike as a result of unplanned maintenance at two Bay Area refineries. California’s Division of Petroleum Market Oversight on Friday pointed to the situation as evidence that the new rules are needed.
But the oil industry has warned the governor’s proposal will increase costs for refiners and as a result, gas customers not just in California, but also in Arizona and Nevada. Catherine Reheis-Boy, the President of the Western States Petroleum Association, noted in an interview with KCRA 3 on Friday that the number of refiners in California has dwindled from 43 to just nine over the last few decades.
Reheis-Boyd said California does not have tanks, pipelines, or the ability to easily and quickly move the product. She said refiners would need new tanks, with each one costing about $35 million.
“Even if you could find the land to permit them and build them, you’d have to completely ignore [the California Environmental Quality Act] and all the requirements because it would take a decade,” Reheis-Boyd said.
A special committee in the Assembly will hold three hearings over the next week and a half to dive into the issue. That committee is led by Democratic Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris.
“This is an opportunity for us to thoroughly understand this proposal and thoroughly vet this proposal,” Petrie-Norris said in an interview on Monday. “We cannot expect California families to accept skyrocketing gas prices.”
“We cannot expect California families to accept skyrocketing gas prices.”………………………..
UHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh but that is exactly what the Demo. sheep have done. A special committee ….want to bet the decision is already in? Want to bet faced with a $46 billion deficit this is nothing more then smoke and mirrors to cover the expanding and crushing failure of the Democrat Party in Calif?
“Even if you could find the land………………… GEEEEEEE guess who has restricted the land, who has refused to allow updated and modern equipment???? Oh that is right the Dem’s……
Now faced with their own plan who seems stupid now?
California’s energy policies are using its population as sacrificial lambs.
To set an example for the 99.5% of the world’s 8 billion that do NOT live in California, the State remains focused on being the epicenter of green electricity. Governor Newsom and other Dems have been “successful” at reducing the number of CA refineries down to 9 with more closures on the way. Here’s an article that Newsom should read:
https://www.americaoutloud.news/californias-energy-policies-are-using-its-population-as-sacrificial-lambs/
California used to have a lot more refineries, which was helpful since they need regular shutdowns for maintenance. I’m surprised there are any left–the regulatory environment, along with the political distaste for all things fossil, should have driven them all out a long time ago. I think Newsom would be perfectly happy importing gas from other producing States no matter what the cost to the consumer. This is indeed a money-grab by liberal politicians — I suspect that the Legislature when reviewing the issue won’t even have any of the big-name company engineers and scientists and producers or if they do, they won’t listen as their minds are made up to extract as much money as possible from the producers of oil and gas. It’s such a lie that they do this to make it cheaper for California residents!!! WE will pay for any additional cost imposed. Don’t they GET IT? Could we elect more dumber people than these?