Gas prices to rise in Calif. in 2015
By Josh Richman, San Jose Mercury News
After months of seeing gas prices sink ever lower, Californians will ring in 2015 by paying more at the pump as a result of the state’s landmark greenhouse-gas emissions law.
But how much more we’ll pay, and whether it’s worth it, remains bitterly debated among oil companies, some state lawmakers and environmentalists.
Starting Thursday, gasoline and diesel producers will be subject to the state’s cap-and-trade system, forcing them either to supply lower-carbon fuels — which are more expensive to produce — or to buy pollution permits for the greenhouse gases created when the fuel is burned. In the short term, at least, that will mean higher prices at the pump.
Opposition groups backed by the oil industry have claimed prices will rise 16 to 76 cents per gallon, although that’s admittedly based on an underlying price of about $4 per gallon — far higher than recent prices. A UC Berkeley energy and economics expert says the increase will be more like 9 or 10 cents per gallon, which supporters say isn’t so high a price to pay for the environmental good it will do.
More money is always the answer.
/sarc
For a long time I couldn’t understand why our politicians were so enthralled with fighting climate change with a program that will not fight climate change. Then I understood that it was, in effect, a 600 million dollar tax increase for the to spend to further their goals.
Now it all makes sense. Always follow the money.
Everyone is filling their vehicles now to escape Liberal lunacy and then the “Welcome to Nevada” begins.
Of course Moonbutt is all for it. He has a company car and gas WE pay for!!
I wonder how many of our liberal school teacher gov employee types will fill up in the valley where they live and send their kids to school?
This will have absolutely no effect on climate change. Nothing can have an effect on climate change until there is a substitute for oil in the transportation and heavy transport / equipment industries.
A large percentage of the revenue from this delightful new tax will be used to fund high speed rail through the Central Valley. Construction of this new rail route will result in the loss of thousands of acres of irreplaceable prime farm land and encourage new urban growth in California’s breadbasket. So in the end, our one party legislature picks our pockets and starves us.
Another unwelcome state shakedown.
Can anyone tell me why Diesel is more expensive than gas?Diesel is not refined like gas and there is no excuse for it to be higher than Gas no matter what state you live in.
oldtimer: at least two reasons. 1) market forces 2) low-sulfer mandate on diesel
I had to do my patriotic duty yesterday and yell for everyone at the station to fill up because the “Democrats are coming.” The liberals really need their own state with a capital in LA. They can call it “open-borders-land” with a new motto of “No taxpayers left because of the left and everyone who wasn’t a ward of the government left.”
AB32 was passed by the California State Assembly and approved into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 27, 2006. Democratic Assembly, Republican Governor with the power of Veto. The powers to be that oppose the bill have now had 8 years to overturn it. Attempts have included putting it to the vote of the people with 2010 Proposition 23 which was defeated by a 23% margin. Apparently the majority of citizens of California are still satisfied with the 2006 passage or I am sure something would of been done about it by now. In my humble opinion either all of you fomenting liberal/Democrat haters should get more voting individuals on your side or perhaps start riding a bicycle.
Well justanass is off his meds again. His paranoid rants and continual bashing of anyone not in his very small circle is just a continual reminder to me that I wouldnt want to be anything like him or part of his very narrow minded world. Keep on pointing that nose picking finger…..
OMG! I just checked this morning and gas prices were… were… humm… the same as they were last week. OMG!
I am really sick of the “Ebola” crisis hysteria talking points nonsense.
Moonbutt must be something that Kit Carson sees in the mirror on a daily basis.
As Dan Walters of the Bee points out today, if you are in favor of AB32 you should be advocating painful increases in the price of gas caused by implementing the law. A cornerstone of AB32 is to decrease carbon emissions from autos and that will only happen if gas prices rise, not fall.
One supporting data point is the increase in SUV and truck sales due to falling gas prices.
Dan Walters?! LOL! That soothsayer is a joke.
Well. It’s been a week now and gas prices aren’t going up. Reminds me of the “Ebola” epidemic in America that never happened either.