Posted on 12/30/2014 12:52:20 PM PST by Signalman
By Josh Richman San Jose Mercury News
12/29/14 07:18 PM
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 conventional fuel they supply is burned. In the short term, at least, that will mean higher prices at the pump, starting almost immediately.
“My understanding from the economists that we’ve talked to is that it will be very quick, sometime in January — if not on the first, then shortly thereafter,” said Dave Clegern, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board.
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 it’ll be more like nine or ten cents per gallon, which supporters say isn’t so high a price to pay for the environmental good it will do.
Some Democrats want to delay the program; most Republicans want to stop it entirely. But at present, there is little prospect of either happening, given the Brown administration’s strong support of the program, which is enshrined in an eight-year-old law.
“A lot of Californians still don’t know this is coming,” said state Sen. Andy Vidak, R-Hanford, who has a bill to exempt transportation fuels from the cap-and-trade requirements. “It’s going to hurt the poorest people in the state … Gasoline is not a luxury, it’s essential for folks.”
But the Air Resources Board says the state’s plan to ease climate change would be gutted without the program, and delaying it would only delay the incentive for oil companies to produce cleaner fuels.
Stop selling to CA. Problem solved.
Hahahahaha! It’s $1.74 for regular unleaded here right this minute! $2.70 for diesel.
Perfect time to implement a fleecing, when everyone has the old prices still in their memories.
I'm an Immigrant to Texas as well (from Mississippi), but I know that Texas is better than a pseudo-conservative State like Mississippi and their ideas are better than where I came from.
Expect Obama to intervene.
“which supporters say isn’t so high a price to pay for the environmental good it will do. “
They must mean the environment of political corruption.
Stinking RATS hurting the poorest and the middle class the hardest in their insane quest for “mother earth”.
Idiots. I pray all people with brains leave the state if they can.
I expect NYS to scr** us a little bit more by raising the gas tax. It’s ONLY about 70 cents now.
Yeah, and just what “environmental good” do they KNOW it will do?
Another reason to not live in CA.
Sympathy to FReepers who do.
This Californian has been plotting his escape to Texas for almost a year. Jailbreak to occur in march ‘15.
We are in the hands of crazies. California voters actually elect those people that want to harm them. Madness!
I remember back in the 1980s when diesel was lower than gasoline!
Highest was Unleaded
Next Regular (if you could find it)
Then Diesel.
That's true of all Democrat voters, not just in California.
Well, I would like to offer my public thank you to all driving Californians for paying a little extra to save the earth from getting warm.
13F here in at my place in Southern New Mexico at the moment.
Where is "here"? In the southern end of the SF Bay Area, the lowest that I've seen is $2.479 for regular.
$2.689 for diesel in Union City, California (SF Bay Area), as of noon on Dec. 30, 2014. So there!
Oh and get this, the vendor (ABE, 33090 Mission Blvd.) doesn’t charge extra for credit cards!
Just don’t come here telling us about the joys of the “Vegan” lifestyle and Socialized Medicine. :)_
He’s in Texas and the only thing stopping then from falling into the Gulf of Mexico is Oklahoma sucks...
(Geography joke)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.