Gas prices in California are the most expensive, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to demand an inquiry into the matter.
As of Wednesday, the average price for gas in the state is $4.03 per gallon compared to the national average of $2.86 per gallon, according to AAA. Gas prices are even higher in some California cities like Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, San Rafael and San Francisco, where drivers are paying $4.10 or $4.11 per gallon.
Newsom thinks the recent surge of gas prices in the state is not caused by market conditions but the result of possible “inappropriate industry practices.”
On Tuesday, the Governor instructed the California Energy Commission (CEC) to investigate why California drivers are paying the most expensive price for gas. He asked CEC to submit its initial analysis by May 15.
In a letter to CEC Chairman David Hochschild, Newsom cited an independent study suggesting that there is an “unaccounted-for price differential” in the state’s gas prices.
The Governor wrote, “Independent analysis suggests that an unaccounted-for price differential exists in California’s gas prices and that this price differential may stem in part from inappropriate industry practices. These are all important reasons for the Commission to help shed light on what’s going on in our gasoline market.
