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A group of Republican and Democratic state lawmakers are demanding California’s energy authorities comply with overdue action to address the state’s ongoing gas crisis.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the California Energy Commission, lawmakers blasted the commission for not providing information on the fuel situation or a framework for how to tackle it.
Three reports by the commission and the California Air Resources Board were due at various points from 2024 to this year, yet none of them have been produced, the letter said.
“We are demanding an emergency plan to deal with this fuel crisis,” Assemblymember David Alvarez (D) said at a press conference Thursday. “Our request — demand, I would say at this point — highlights past due reports, some well over a year, that are due and required to be presented to the legislature.”
The state’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices have skyrocketed since the American conflict with Iran constrained the global oil supply. The average gas price in California was $5.85 per gallon Thursday, according to the American Automobile Association.
California’s prices are exacerbated by higher-than-average taxes and the state’s “green energy” policies that have led to oil refinery closures.
Lawmakers detailed the stark situation the state is in. They are concerned that California may see shrinking inventories, reduced flexibility in resupplying fuels, and more global disruptions. The state heavily relies on gas imports, they noted, just like countries such as the Philippines, where unprecedented action has been taken.
All that could make the affordability crisis for Californians even worse.
“Unfortunately, California’s government so far has provided no plan to deal with this emergency. In this uncertain environment, it is concerning that the Legislature lacks critical information that state agencies
were statutorily required to provide but has not yet been produced,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter asks the energy commission for any update on the reports and whether there is an emergency plan. The letter inquires whether “clean gas” requirements would be loosened to help ease shortages, and also whether there will be permitting reforms for refineries.
“California may not be prepared for a short-term fuel crisis,” state Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R) said Thursday. “This isn’t about politics. This is about preparedness.”
The California Post reached out to the energy commission and the air resources board for comment.
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