By Abdul Masih —
Buckle up, folks, because we’re taking a wild ride through the Golden State—California, land of sunshine, surf, and gas prices so high you’d think they’re pumping liquid gold straight from Sacramento’s bureaucratic bowels.
California’s government is running a masterclass in how to screw the pooch while wearing Birkenstocks and sipping a $12 oat milk latte. The state’s relentless march toward renewable energy and its regulatory chokehold on everything that moves, burns or breathes has left us with the highest gas prices in the nation and a refinery count dropping faster than a Tesla’s battery on a cold day. Let’s peel back the hood and see what’s smoking.
The Gas Price Gouge: A California Special
As of June 2025, California’s average gas price is hovering around $6.50 a gallon—enough to make you trade your SUV for a skateboard and a prayer. The national average? A comparatively sane $3.80. Why the gap? Well, it’s not because California’s gas is brewed with unicorn tears or blessed by Governor Gavin Newsom’s hair gel. No, it’s the state’s unique cocktail of taxes, fees, and regulations, stirred with a heavy hand and served with a side of sanctimonious green rhetoric.
California slaps on a gas tax of 57.9 cents per gallon, the highest in the U.S., plus a cap-and-trade program that tacks on another 20 to 30 cents to cover carbon emissions.
Then there’s the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a regulatory gem that demands cleaner fuels, which sounds noble until you realize it forces refiners to concoct a special “California blend” of gasoline—pricier to produce and found nowhere else. It’s like ordering a bespoke suit for your car, only to find out the tailor’s charging you double and the pants don’t fit.
The result? You’re paying $2 more per gallon than folks in, say, Texas, where they still believe oil is a gift from God, not a sin against Gaia.
Refineries: Going, Going, Gone
Now, let’s talk refineries—or the lack thereof. California once had 30 of these industrial workhorses, chugging along to turn crude oil into the sweet, sweet juice that keeps our cars humming. Today? We’re down to a baker’s dozen, with closures piling up like wrecked Priuses on the 405. Take the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo, which shut its crude processing in 2024 to pivot to biofuels—noble, sure, but it slashed capacity for actual gasoline. Or look at Marathon’s Martinez plant, which went belly-up in 2020, a victim of low demand during the pandemic and a regulatory environment so hostile you’d think oil was anthrax.
Why the exodus? California’s regulators have turned refining into a game of whack-a-mole, where the moles are profits and the mallet is a stack of rules thicker than a Berkeley vegan’s moral superiority. The state’s air quality standards, enforced by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), are so strict that refiners need a PhD in chemistry and a law degree just to keep the lights on.
Add in the push for net-zero emissions by 2045, and refineries are being squeezed out faster than a tube of overpriced organic toothpaste. Converting to biofuels or shutting down entirely starts to look like the only sane option—sane, that is, if you ignore the part where we still need gas to drive to work.
The Renewable Religion: Faith Over Function
Speaking of sanity, let’s dive into California’s holy crusade for renewables. The state’s plan to hit 100% clean energy by 2045 is the kind of quixotic dream that makes the late Ronald Reagan groan in the grave. Wind turbines and solar panels are popping up like daisies in a hippie commune
But here’s the rub: they’re not enough to keep the lights on, let alone replace the gas-guzzling engines of 30 million vehicles. In 2022, renewables accounted for 33% of California’s electricity, but oil still powers 95% of transportation. You can’t plug your F-150 into a solar panel, and good luck finding a charging station in Bakersfield that doesn’t have a two-hour line.
The state’s answer? Force the transition! Ban new gas-powered car sales by 2035, mandate electric trucks, and subsidize EVs to the tune of billions while pretending the grid—already wheezing during heatwaves—can handle the load. Never mind that mining for batteries is an environmental mess, or that most of our electricity still comes from natural gas when the sun’s down and the wind’s not blowing. It’s green dogma run amok.
And the guys who voted in the policy? Gavin Newsome is pivoting towards a conservative political stance in preparation for a presidential bid. He and his cronies remain unaffected by the gas gouging that is strangling the rest of us while he sips California wine and whines about climate change. Thanks, Gavin.
