Newsom’s office warns Californians to avoid Chevron this holiday weekend, citing high gas prices
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California Gov. Gavin Newsom squabbles with a major oil company over who is to blame for the state’s high gas prices, the Democratic governor’s office warned drivers not to fuel up at Chevron stations over Memorial Day weekend.
“Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines and meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean,” Newsom’s office posted on X on Thursday. “Big Oil is already making billions of dollars off Trump’s Iran War; don’t let them rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name.”
Newsom’s office cited an analysis by a group within the state’s energy commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, that found Chevron was averaging 60 to 80 cents more per gallon than unbranded alternatives.
The call comes after Chevron posted signs at gas stations in California blaming the state’s climate policies for high gas costs. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of gasoline in California stood at $6.14 per gallon on Thursday; this was about $1.58 above the national average. The state taxes consumers about 70 cents per gallon of gas, according to the state’s energy commission. This is the highest gas tax in the country.
“California politicians choose foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and low costs,” the banners read. They include a QR code that leads to a Chevron web page asking people to “speak up for affordable, reliable energy.”
It’s unclear when Chevron posted the signs, but spokesman Ross Allen said they were part of a campaign the company launched three years ago to inform drivers about the price impacts of California policies.
“We have been very vocal about the importance of customer education in California so that our drivers and consumers understand where their tax revenue is going,” Allen said.
He said there are hundreds of Chevron gas stations operating in California, and most of them are independently operated and set their own prices.
Memorial Day is typically one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Prices at the pump swollen Since the start of the Iran war, it has initiated a global energy crisis across the country. The price of crude oil, the main ingredient in gasoline, increased during the war. Strait of HormuzThe narrow passage of the Persian Gulf, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes, has been effectively closed. Oil tankers were stranded there, unable to carry crude oil.
Newsom, who has frequently touted the state’s status as a global climate leader, has passed policies in recent years aimed at cutting oil companies’ profits and lowering gas prices.
HE Signed a law in 2023 He declared that the state had “finally defeated big oil” by allowing the state’s energy commission to penalize oil companies for excessive profits. But regulators voted last year delaying plans to penalize businesses until 2030 and prioritizing other efforts to protect consumers at the pump.
The postponement comes after two oil refineries that account for about 18% of the state’s refining capacity announced plans to close, reigniting debate over the price impacts of the state’s ambitious climate policies.
Newsom signed another law in 2024 that gives the commission the authority to require refineries to keep a certain amount of fuel. The aim is to try prevent prices from rising suddenly when refineries go offline for maintenance. However, this arrangement also stopped.
